"How the World Works" is the first transdisciplinary theme explored by ASJ PYP students this semester.
In this unit,we inquired into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
Our children's recent and first UOI celebration for this semester. Let's take a look!
People discover dynamic laws of nature by understanding nature.
Grade 1 students embarked on an extraordinary journey through the mysteries of nature in Unit 4: "How the World Works." The end of unit celebration showcased their remarkable achievements and the invaluable knowledge gained in the inquiry process.
This unit was about natural laws, With boundless enthusiasm and determination, they collaborated in pairs, some even venturing solo, to craft insightful booklets tailored for our kindergarten and Grade 2 schoolmates.
Diving into the realm of meteorology, some penned captivating narratives on weather patterns, unraveling the secrets behind rain, sunshine, and the ever-changing skies above. Others embarked on a journey through the water cycle, tracing the journey of droplets from sky to earth and back again.
These young minds are not merely learners but torchbearers of knowledge, illuminating the path for future generations to follow.
Congratulations to our Grade 1 students for their exemplary dedication and creativity in exploring "How the World Works." May their passion for discovery continue to flourish, and may they always remember the power they hold to make a difference in the world around them.
The nature of light and sound is used by people to meet the needs of our lives.
We successfully showcased our end of the unit celebration, “Sound Makes the World Go Round.” Students proudly took action and used their communication skills to work with their partners to carefully listen and determine how sound waves and vibrations are transferred from the paper cup, down the string, into their eardrums, and directly to their brains.
Students made observations and collected data regarding if the pitches were high or low, whether it made a difference if the string was straight or curvy, and if the volume from their partners was high or low.
Students used their new found knowledge and understanding to create evidence to provide the ASJ community insight on the function of sound. Students also had an encore presentation of their science experiments which shows how we can make liquids and solids move with the vibration of a tuning fork. Students worked tirelessly but most importantly they had a fun and educational experience learning something new and going further to explore the
topic.
All living things go through a process of change.
In G3 UOI exhibition,students worked in groups to present the life cycles of different organisms and the detrimental effects of pollution on plant life, supported with experiments conducted earlier in the unit.
The student-initiated petition helped raise awareness for environmental health and extended the impact by distributing seeds to audience members. This encouraged participants to start their own gardens.
The dedication and curiosity of the grade 3 students throughout this unit were commendable. Their ability to connect complex concepts to real-world action really shows the heart of the PYP.
Matter exists in different forms and interacts in a variety of ways.
Unit 4 introduced the G4 students to the subject of matter. They learned about the three states of matter, and in their inquiry discovered that matter is all around us and that we too as humans possess different features from all three states of matter.
The theme for the exhibition centered around the different transformation in the school and the learners’ different communities. They first conducted research on the recent changes they have noticed wich make the schoola dn communities thrive. They identified both harmful and helpful changes, the good changes being a school being built, but bad being a level of deforestation that might have happened. They then further observed the habits within the school to identify whether we as ASJ community contribute to harmful or helpful changes. A few possibly harmful habits were identified. Subsequent to this, the G4 learners then decided to have an exhibition which presented a petition to the leaders about food, electricity, water and paper wastage.
They also wrote a pledge and invited other students to sign and join them in reducing their carbon footprint. The pledge will be their guide everywhere they go as they contribute towards helpful transformation.
We hope the greater learning community is be inspired by the G4’s.
Forces cause interactions and patterns.
Grade 5 students embarked on a journey to uncover the unseen powers that govern our universe: forces.Through hands-on exploration, students built models of simple machines using Lego and clay, revealing how fundamental forces operate through levers, pulleys, and inclined planes. These models act as a bridge, connecting theoretical physics to tangible experiences.
They investigated the various types of forces – both visible and invisible – and the patterns they create in the natural world and inquired about the relationship between force and motion, and understand how people utilize these principles to engineer solutions in technology and everyday life.
The exhibition showcased this exploration on a KT board and posters, videos from the Tech Festival explaining their models and the science behind them and narrated the inquiry cycle, afterwhich they proposed ideas on how simple machines can be used to improve efficiency and reduce waste in their school and community, aligning with the Learner Profile attributes of being principled and caring.
As a teacher, witnessing the students make connections between physical principles and their applications in real life is incredibly rewarding. Their ingenuity in using simple machines to solve problems shows the powerful impact of interactive learning. Their commitment to using this knowledge responsibly gives hope that these young minds will be the force for positive change in the future.
The essence of learning is to know yourself, know others and the world around you, and establish a friendly relationship between yourself,others and the world around you.
The UOI curriculum provides real learning situations for children to explore the world, making children's learning and the world have a real connection. We hope every one of us can study and work hard for the beauty of the world!
