This document outlines the programme of inquiry for Briargrove Elementary School for the 2014-2015 school year. It includes the central ideas, lines of inquiry, and key concepts for each grade level (K-5) that will be explored through units of inquiry. The central ideas focus on topics like communities, cultures, systems in the natural and human world, citizenship, and changes over time and place. The lines of inquiry and key concepts provide more details on what will be studied within each unit.

1. Briargrove Elementary
Programme of Inquiry (2014-2015)
Who we are
An exploration of the nature of the
self, of our beliefs and values; of
personal, physical, mental, social
and spiritual health; of our
families, friends, communities and
cultures; of our rights and
responsibilities; of what it means
to be human.
Where we are in place and
time
An exploration of our orientation in
place and time; of our personal
histories; of history and geography
from local and global perspectives;
of our homes and journeys; of the
discoveries, explorations and
migrations of humankind; of the
contributions of individuals and
civilizations.
How we express ourselves
An exploration of the ways in which
we discover and express our nature,
ideas, feelings, beliefs and values
through language and the arts.
How the world works
An exploration of the physical and
material world; of natural and
human-made phenomena; of the
world of science and technology.
How we organize ourselves
An exploration of human systems
and communities; of the world of
work, its nature and its value; of
employment and unemployment and
their impact.
Sharing the planet
An exploration of our rights and
responsibilities as we try to share
finite resources with other people,
with other living things; of
communities and of the
relationships within and between
them.
Grade K
Ages 5-6
Central Idea:
Others influence our understanding
of ourselves.
Inquiry into:
● Who we are, your beliefs,
your values
● How communities work
together
● Responsibility within your
roles and others
Key Concepts: Reflection,
Responsibility, Perspective
Central Idea:
The Earth’s physical geography affects
our daily lives.
Inquiry into:
● Composition of the Earth
● Properties of soil and water
● Use of Earth’s materials
● Relationship between
geographic locations and
materials
Key Concepts: Form, Causation,
Connection
Related Concepts: Geography,
Resources
Central Idea:
People use a variety of mediums to
communicate their thoughts, customs
and mind-set.
Inquiry into:
● Forms of communication
● Representing feelings and
ideas
● Different ways that thoughts
are presented
● Similarities and difference of
beliefs
Key Concepts: Form, Perspective,
Connection
Related Concepts: Similarities,
Differences, Relationships, Beliefs
Central Idea:
Patterns in the environment influence
the world.
Inquiry into:
● Patterns and cycles in the
world
● Visible changes when cycles
occur
● Effect patterns have on the
world we live in
Key Concepts: Form, Change,
Connection
Related Concepts: Adaptation, Plants,
Seasons, Systems (solar
cycle/weather), Interdependence,
Climate
Central Idea:
Communities need people to fulfill
roles and provide resources.
Inquiry into:
● Roles in communities
● Responsible citizenship
● What makes a community
Key Concepts: Connection,
Responsibility, Function
Related Concepts: Safety, Community,
Citizenship, Rules, Organization
Central Idea:
Living and nonliving things share the
planet’s resources.
Inquiry into:
● Recognize differences
between living organisms and
nonliving materials
● Group plants according their
observable features such as
appearance and size, etc.
● Methods for conserving
Earth’s resources
Key Concepts: Function, connection,
form
Related Concepts: Consequences,
structure, initiative
Grade 1
Ages 6-7
Central Idea:
Group membership impacts who we
become.
Inquiry into:
● Groups we belong to
● Characteristics of the groups
● How groups influence who
we are
Key Concepts:Responsibility,
Causation, Connection
October-November 2014
Central Idea:
Citizens’ choices affect the
community.
Inquiry into:
● Citizens make choices and
decisions
● Diversity of communities
● Roles of community members
Key Concepts: Responsibility,
Causation, Connection
Related Concepts: Choices, Decisions,
Roles
Central Idea:
Changes in our environment are
interrelated and can be measured.
Inquiry into:
● Reasons for change
● Cause and Effect of
environmental change
● Natural and physical changes
in our environment
Key Concepts: Causation, Connection,
Change
Related Concepts: Cause/effect,
Physical Changes, Matter,
Interdependence, Climate
Central Idea
Individuals and organizations make
decisions based on wants and needs.
Inquiry into:
● Compare and analyze wants
and needs
● Producers and consumers are
dependent on each other
● Community leaders’ decisions
influence economic activities
Key Concepts: Responsibility,
Perspective, Function
Related Concepts: Communication,
Governments, Interdependence
Central Idea
All plants and animals have life cycles
and characteristics within their
environment.
Inquiry into:
● Unique parts in animals and
plants
● Life Cycles of animals and
plants
● Dependence within animal
and plant lives
Key Concepts: Form, change,
connection
Related Concepts: Animals, plants,
habitats, interaction, cycles
• Briargrove Elementary School • 6145 San Felipe Street • Houston, Texas • 2014-2015 • Update:9/18/2014

2. Grade 2
Ages 7-8
Central Idea:
Choices of citizens lead to change.
Inquiry into:
● Roles and responsibilities of
citizens
● Identify characteristics of
citizenship
● Recognition and influence of
contributions made by
historical citizens
Key Concepts: Responsibility,
Causation, Change
October-November 2014 Central Idea:
Culture is represented by symbols and
celebrations that express diversity
within our global community.
Inquiry into:
● Significance of national, state
and local symbols and
landmarks.
● Significance of national, state
and local holidays and
celebrations.
● Connections between
celebrations across cultures
Key Concepts: Perspective,
Connection, and Reflection
Related Concepts: Culture, Diversity,
Symbols
Central Idea:
Earth’s cycles affect and connect
with one another.
Inquiry into:
● Changes in states of matter
● Steps of the water cycle and
connection to weather
● Patterns in the night sky
Key Concepts: Connection, Causation,
Function
Related Concepts: Matter, Weather,
Nature, Systems (solar, water cycle,
weather)
Central Idea:
Leaders and citizens’ decisions
establish and maintain order in the
community.
Inquiry into:
● Characteristics and roles of
leaders in our government
● Structure of communities
● Organization and structure of
government positions
● Impact of government
decisions on
governed society
Key Concepts: Form, Function,
Causation
Related Concepts: Government,
Legislation, Production
Central Idea:
All living things evolve and adapt with
a changing environment.
Inquiry into:
● Basic needs of living things
● Adaptations of living things
● Human impact on
environment
● Food chains
Key Concepts: Responsibility, change,
perspective
Related Concepts: Living things,
adaptations, natural resources
Grade 3
Ages 8-9
October-November 2014 Central Idea:
Explorations lead to discoveries,
opportunities, communities, and
develop new understandings.
Lines of Inquiry:
● Navigation resulted in the
development of maps.
● Consequences of explorations
leads to new development
● Communities establish systems
Key Concepts: Form, Causation,
Connection
Related Concepts: Geography,
Landforms, Population
Central Idea:
Symbols and actions communicate
cultural identity.
Inquiry into:
● Importance of expression
● Culture as a community
● Relationship between
personal and cultural identity
Key Concepts: Causation, Reflection,
Connection
Central Idea:
Systems in our universe mold the
environment.
Inquiry into:
● Orderly changes to the
Earth’s surface
● Differentiate the operations
of a system
● Orderly changes impact
society
Key Concepts: Change, Function,
Connection
Related Concepts: Geography,
Settlements, Ecosystems, Dependence
Central Idea:
Organizations help citizens meet their
needs and wants.
Lines of Inquiry
● Our responsibilities as
citizens.
● Economic trends affect the
quality of life.
● Levels of government work
together
Key Concepts: Responsibility,
Connection, Function
Related Concepts: Needs and Wants,
Supply and Demand, Infrastructure
Central Idea:
Living things are connected within
their place on Earth.
Lines of Inquiry
● Animal communication.
● Interdependence of energy
flows.
● How organisms adapt to
change
Key Concepts: Function, Connection,
Change
Related Concepts: Research,
Adaptation
Grade 4
Ages 9-10
Central Idea:
Identity is cultivated by changes,
choices, and values.
Inquiry into:
● Identity can be interpreted
by multiple points of view
● Voluntary change vs. forced
change
● Values define order or chaos
of a system.
Key Concepts: Perspective, Change,
Function
Central Idea:
Progress is determined by decisions,
resources, and roles.
Inquiry into:
● The diversity of economy
depends on supply, demand,
and available resources
● Challenges have impacted the
growth of Texas
● A community is defined by the
strength of its people
Key Concepts: Causation, Change,
Connection
Related Concepts: Challenges,
Decisions, Independence, Diversity
Central Idea:
Expression of identity can be
represented through culture, action,
and citizenship.
Inquiry into:
● Traditions of a place define
its culture
● Passion leads to
self-expression
● Effective leadership should
consider public opinion
Key Concepts: Connection,
Perspective, Reflection
Related Concepts: Loyalty, Courage,
Citizenship, Patriotism, Research
Central Idea:
Cyclical relationships are continued
by force, circumstances, and change.
Inquiry into:
● Environment in the natural
world
● Causes of patterned change
on our planet
● Impact on human life
Key Concepts: Function, Change,
Causation
Related Concepts: Cycles, Rotation
and Revolution
Central Idea:
Changes, improvements, and
processes can impact the
interdependence in a system.
Lines of Inquiry
● Being responsible produces
reliable results.
● Efficiency is the product of
improvement.
● Government is accountable
for the welfare of its people.
Key Concepts
Responsibility, Function, Reflection,
Related Concepts
Transition, Changes,
Interdependence, Connectivity,
Processes, Responsibilities, Reliability
October-November 2014
• Briargrove Elementary School • 6145 San Felipe Street • Houston, Texas • 2014-2015 • Update:9/18/2014

3. Grade 5
Ages 10-11
Central Idea:
People’s beliefs and values impact
societies.
Inquiry into:
● Aspects of belief systems
● Individual rights and
responsibilities within a
society
● How to govern values and
beliefs
Key Concepts: Causation, Function,
Perspective
Central Idea:
Human migration produces economic,
social, political, and cultural change in
the country of origin and the receiving
country.
Inquiry into:
● How migration can be
represented geographically
● The motivation behind why
people explored and migrated
● The point of view of the
immigrants and established
communities
Key Concepts: Perspective, Causation,
Form
Related Concepts: Migration,
Exploration, Geographical impact,
Borders
Central Idea:
Rituals, traditions, and artifacts
provide a window into the beliefs and
values of cultures.
Inquiry into:
● Forming a colonization
● Significance of songs and
stories in culture
● The physical design of a
colony reflects its cultural
beliefs
Key Concepts: Function, Perspective,
Reflection
Related Concepts: Diversity, Beliefs
Central Idea:
Individuals impact the natural world
through explorations.
Inquiry into:
● Locations and pattern of
settlement
● Reasons people choose to
explore new worlds
● Impact of exploration on
development of societies
Key Concepts: Form, Causation,
Connection
Related Concepts: Migration,
Exploration, Settlements
October-November 2014 Central Idea:
Living and nonliving things in an
ecosystem are interconnected
through systems and cycles within the
environment.
Inquiry into:
● Components of an ecosystem
● Interactions within the
ecosystem
● Human effects on an
ecosystem
Key Concepts: Function, connection,
form
Related Concepts: Exploration,
prediction, process, context, culture,
metamorphosis
• Briargrove Elementary School • 6145 San Felipe Street • Houston, Texas • 2014-2015 • Update:9/18/2014