Kindergarten - ELA: General Inquiry Model

Overview

Using an inquiry plan such as Super 3 or KWL Plus, students use information technology to activate, plan, collect, record, and apply knowledge and information about a new concept.

Activate

Using an Inquiry Plan such as Super 3 or KWL Plus, students brainstorm to determine what they think they know about a teacher-selected topic from the curriculum. [Plan and Question] Use concept-mapping software to record, sort, and print student responses in a graphic organizer. Refer to this concept map throughout the Inquiry to record and post additional information about the concept.

Teacher Tip:
Discuss and review orally the components of the KWL Plus.

Suggestions for Assessment:
Observation: Note each student's contribution of personal ideas and information to the class discussion.

Following the class brainstorm, student pairs discuss, then use painting or drawing tools or sketched-and-scanned drawings to illustrate their prior knowledge of the concept. [Produce to Show Understanding]     

Suggestions for Assessment:
Work Sample: Review students' electronic images to assess their prior understanding of the concept.

As a class, browse a teacher-selected website related to the concept. [Gather and Make Sense] Students confirm their prior knowledge of the concept as they read information found on the website and record additional information on the class concept map. [Plan and Question]

Teacher Tip:
Model how to browse a website using a Think-Aloud strategy, using correct terms such as "scroll, select, delete, copy, paste, insert, etc." Select and bookmark suitable websites in advance.

Suggestions for Assessment:
Observation: Note student's participation.

Acquire

Students revisit the class Inquiry plan and identify a list of inquiry questions for which they want to find answers. [Plan and Question] Record on the class concept map.

Suggestions for Assessment:
Observation: Note student contribution to generation of inquiry questions. Assess demonstrated interest in concept.

Students browse resources including pre-selected websites and/or CD-ROMs to answer inquiry questions. Record their findings as words or images on the class concept map [Gather and Make Sense].

Teacher Tip:
Pre-select and bookmark appropriate websites.

Apply

Students represent their understanding and apply knowledge of the concept, using painting or drawing tools, images, sound recordings and key words, (generated and collected throughout the inquiry) to create a Picture Splash with sound caption. [Produce to Show Understanding] Students follow teacher-modeled criteria for selecting, sorting, and displaying images. [Produce to Show Understanding]

Suggestions for Assessment:
Work Sample: Review the Picture Splash for a match between the pictures, sound and text.
Observation: Note the level of confidence demonstrated by students while doing this task [Motivation and Confidence].