1. Educators: Sonia Sands, Jenn Pilat, Danny Girard, Elizabeth Fontaine, Sylvia Cattrysse
École Anne Hathaway Public School
2. Context
This inquiry began as a way for students to develop mapping skills
as related to the Grade 1 Social Studies: People and Environments:
The Local Community Strand B3: Understanding Context.
•to describe their communities
•describe locations
•measure distances
•Identify purposes of maps
Communication
Collaboration
Purpose
Learning Goals
Outcomes Targeted
3. Big Question
Length of Inquiry
8 weeks – “It became bigger than an inquiry
~ what started out as a social studies
inquiry, soon became cross curricular”
4. Overall Expectation
B3
Understanding Context:
The Elements of the
Local Community
B3.1
Features of
their
community
(natural and
built) B3.2
Distinct areas
in their local
community
B3.3
Location of some
significant places
in community,
using relative
location
B3.4
Basic
elements of a
map
B3.5
Some common
non-standard
units of
measurement
B3.6
Construct simple
maps of places they
have visited, using
symbols and non-
standard units
B3.7
Government services
in the community and
the responsibilities of
the people in the
community in relation
to those services
SocialStudies–Grade1
PeopleandEnvironments:TheLocalCommunity
Demonstrate
Understanding
Describe
Identify
Identify
Demonstrate
Understanding
Demonstrate the
Ability to
Identify
Knowledge Building Circles
Questioning
Choice
Collaboration
Community
Walk
iPads to collect
information
Creating
Knowledge Building Circles
Scaffolding
Gradual Release of
Responsibility
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Pedagogical practices
• Knowledge Building Circles
• Collaboration
• Blogging
• Conferences between student and teacher
• Gradual Release of Responsibility
• Universal Design
• Reflection opportunities (metacognition)
• Scaffolding
• Co-creation of success criteria
• Student Choice
• Feedback
• Clear success criteria
Learning partnerships
• Other classes
• Families
• Other school
• Local government official
Leveraging digital
• iPads for taking pictures
• Blogging with other schools
Learning environments
• Collaborative
• Interactive
• Student-centred
• Safe and supportive
14. What assessment
tools/strategies did you
use and how would inform
others to plan and deliver
progressive learning
opportunities?
What assessment
tools/strategies did you use to
enable learners to see and
appreciate the progress that
they have made and promote
further learning and
development ?
• Conversations (formally and informally)
• Observations (what they see)
• Some products (student maps)
• Triangulation of data
• Conversations with students
• Pedagogical documentation
• Blogging
• Pic collage
Assessment Approaches
15. a. Interest from colleagues Teachers not involved in the project want to be part of the
project next year
b. The facilitation of second
language learning
The inquiry approach facilitated the language in both
French and English language
c. Students strengths and areas to
work on became very apparent
Discovered that students really hadn’t had the opportunity
to ask questions. Needed to explicitly develop skills in this
area
d. The level of self reflection the
students engaged in
The reflection students provided when in conversation were
much richer than with a paper and pencil task
Other Impact
16. “I want to be a
part of it, how do I
get involved?”
“Process over
product – the end
product didn’t
really matter”
“Students really like having
the iPads – feel invested
and in charge of their
learning”
“Collaboration became
more of a focus in other
areas, it was necessary
rather than planned for”
“Knowledge Building
Circles really helped to get
at student voice and
collaboration”
“Students began
supporting the community
by sharing information in
poster format”
“unpacking the curriculum
so valuable ~ helped to
focus our learning”
Teachers’ Voice
17. Next Steps
•How do we become teacher activators versus facilitators?
•Involve more staff
•Expand partnerships in the community
•Looking at ways to leverage digital
Learning
•Different conversations with students now – more about curiosity – getting at
thinking (not about what had been written, but it was written)
•Knowledge Building Circles (what they are and how to use them)
•Knowing our learners - better able to adapt to the individual needs of the students
•How to spark inquiry
•Collaboration
•Reflecting on past practice and making changes
18. Many Thanks to…
• Grade 1 and Grade 1/2 students at École Anne Hathaway
Public School
• Families supporting this inquiry
• Colleagues and Staff at École Anne Hathaway
