This unit was paired with our Money unit in math and our character traits unit in Language arts. Parents came in to talk about their businesses and how they got to where they are. We ended our unit with a market day. Students made homemade goods, they advertised them by making a poster and a video to first grade. First grade came in and shopped using the money (fake) they earned throughout the semester.

Swansea Elementary third graders appreciated this project because it allowed them to recognize and write down their rights and obligations both at home and at school.

We have been working on our changing landscape for a while, but we are just in the middle of Module 3! I try to put up some samples of their work as we go along, as well as other resources we pick up throughout our time. Our town is building a new pedestrian bridge, so I took some pictures of that - it's a great example of how our landscape is modified by humans. We also connected to our science unit and studied water erosion for quite a while and how that can change our landscape. The students noticed on the bridge picture how they are using straw to stop the erosion. The paragraphs on Food and Farming was a collaborative write that we did together - students partner read the book and picked out vocabulary from one section that was meaningful. We put it all together to write a multi-paragraph compare and contrast essay! I love building our inquiry walls and hope the students find all sorts of connections to their everyday lives.

We are currently working on travel plans and can’t wait to add those to the colored papers above the inquiry wall!

6th grade World History wrapped up their module 1 and 2 learning with the creation of a children's book. The students worked in pairs to demonstrate the advancements, adaptions, innovations, and overall life of early humans. The students had two class periods (1 hr periods) to work on it, and then two weeks to finish on their own. They had a blast creating their projects. Many utilized Canva, as well as Google Slides, and some students hand drew their books.

Anchor chart from the "Kids Take Action" lesson featuring our own Changemaker, Carmelo. He wasn’t inspired he was proud to share how he is already taking steps toward addressing an issue that impacts him by raising money for celiac research and one day a treatment or even a cure! He is the artist, leader, organizer, and Colette’s of his own brand because all of his profits are donated to his cause. Anchor chart featuring the class’s questions at the beginning of the lesson. Amazing questions like Why did they start slavery? How can kids take steps toward equality and justice? Why are people still racist and not treating people equally? Will we ever end racism? Can kids hold small marches to protest?

I allowed each group in my class to pick their own inquiry product. While they needed support and guidance, they were completely capable of designing and constructing an Inquiry Challenge Statement without any limitations. Their projects were amazing and the learning was deep and joyful.

This work is after finishing up our module on California Regions.

Students collaborated in groups of 4 to conduct research and find information to describe their region. The next step in this process was an oral presentation of each region. Each group condensed its section onto a notecard (per person) and delivered the content verbally while the remaining students took notes. They had to choose the most salient information and speak slowly and clearly so that the rest of the students could take notes. They put a lot of thought into which elements gave the best picture of their region.

This is my first year teaching with InquirED and I am enjoying the lessons! My class likes and looks forward to Social Sciences time and is using the vocabulary throughout the day. This picture is our wall from the beginning of the year with some of the read-aloud books posted, maps with post-its to show where some of our students' families come from, and vocabulary for reference. The wall has grown since then with new vocab and new work posted, but the general feeling is the same. I'm looking forward to new units of study!

My students explore the ways they are connected to distant places through the movement of people, goods, and ideas.

My students are learning SO much! They are engaged and making connections to the content with real-life situations and content.