Theme: How we organize ourselves /

PYP PLANNER

Unit Title: From Field to Fork /
Focus: Science and Technology, Social Studies
Discipline(s) to receive the major emphasis.
Levels: Grade 2 / Proposed duration:
5 weeks
Teachers: Branka Novkovic/ Susan Blanche
School: German European School Singapore
Stage 6: To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
To what extent: were the purposes fulfilled; was the unit relevant, engaging, challenging and significant; were the resources adequate; were the concepts, skills and attitudes address
This was a successful unit of work where the students were easily able to access information and materials from home. Their knowledge developed and their awareness of healthy food. They now have more skills to research using books and the internet when completing tasks. The books (Branka’s) about –potatoes, pasta, milk, eggs and beans were ideal resources for the students. Both independent and group research tasks were achieved by having these resources.
The excursions to the farms and cold storage were excellent and provided them with relevant and local experiences. Next year, we would broaden the range of excursions to include more farms and the wet market. The excursions we did highlighted how most of our students have not been exposed to growing their own food, have not visited farms and have limited experiences and contact with animals.
Growing beans was an exciting project but needed to be started earlier as ‘harvesting’ coincided with the holidays so the students did not witness the end result.
The processes of making butter and bread were successful and excellent ways for the students to experience how ingredients change.
Students were introduced to the format of creating flowcharts to track various processes and this was reinforced successfully in ICT.
The highlight of this Unit of Inquiry and summative assessment task was the excursion to Cold Storage Supermarket. The links made to a variety of curriculum areas involved the students in problem solving and it was essential to co-operate with their peers. Advertising the sale of fruit kebabs, their making, selling them and marketing them to the Grade 1 classes was very successful.
During Project Week, parents facilitated the cooking of a variety of dishes so that the students could experience the variety of ingredients, international nature and processes involved in the food we eat. The drawing task in Visual Art was a success for every student.
The students are now more aware of how food is processed the differences and importance of fresh food and processed, how it is packaged, where food comes from and the ways it is transported. Many students have an increased knowledge and understanding of specific terminology, can read the ingredients on packages and will comment on the suitability of the ingredients.
Additional excursions for next year – German Bakery, Yukhult Factory
Stage 2: What resources will we use?
People, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software etc.
Library Books
Excursions to -Aeroponics Farm Centre/Aerogreen Agroponics
-Goat Farm-Hay Dairies
-Supermarket and Wet Market
Stage 1: What is our purpose?
A concise description of the central idea to be addressed and the scope of the inquiry
Central idea: The foods we eat go through many different processes before they get to us.
An inquiry into:
·  how different foods get from farm to homes
·  which foods come from local farms
·  different types of farms
·  how foods are processed

Stage 3: What do we want to learn?

The key questions which will drive the inquiry.

Form
What is it like? / 1 / 2
Function
How does it work?
Causation
Why is it the way it is? / 4
Change
How does it change? / 3
Connection
How is it connected to other things? / 4
Perspective
What are the points of view?
Responsibility
What is our responsibility?
Reflection
How do we know?
Teacher Questions:
1.  What food do we have at home?
2.  Where does the food we eat come from?
3.  How does food change before getting to our homes?
4.  Why does the food have to change?
Student Questions:
1.  Why do they need to put food into cans or bottles?
2.  Why are preservatives, food colourings and other chemicals used in processing food?
3.  What do these do to our bodies? /
Stage 4: How best will we learn?
Teacher and/or student designed activities which will address the key questions.
Tuning In:
-  visits to farms in Singapore
-  visits to a supermarket and wet market to see where food comes from and compare
-  classification charts of products at home and other places
Preparing to Find out:
-  KWL
-  food inventory at home
o  compare with peers
o  look at origins and place on a map and how this impacts on Singapore and compare with other countries
-  mind map (how is food processed?)
Finding Out:
-  visit our school cafeteria (food preparation)
-  look at the transportation and storage of food
-  visit to processing plant (beverage/food/bakery)
Sorting Out:
-  Make bread/butter/ice-cream so that students can see a processing process
-  Text types-procedure, explanation and a variety of graphic organisers
Going further:
-  why is the food not all grown in Singapore?
-  Which food types are associated with particular countries and why?
-  groups select food type to focus on
Stage 5: How will we know what we have learned?
The strategies which will be used to assess learning.
Formative:
-  List different food types and what they can be “changed” into
-  Narrative from the perspective of a fruit and talking about its journey to a home
Summative:
Explanation of a processing procedure of one kind of food
Student self-assessment:
How will we take action?
How the students will demonstrate their ability to choose, act and reflect.
Learner Profile-
Attitudes-

PYP Planner, © IBO, September 2000