PYP Exhibition 2015 Beacon Hill School Our Vision

PYP Exhibition 2015 Beacon Hill School

Our Vision: To be a happy, diverse and inclusive community where everybody has confidence to aspire to be the best they can be, now and in the future. Our Mission: We create a safe, caring and supportive environment enabling purposeful challenge through a dynamic and rigorous curriculum. We inspire and develop creativity and academic potential. We encourage global and social responsibility. We foster independence in thought and action.

What is the PYP Exhibition? • Represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school and student. • A culminating project • A collaborative inquiry • It is an opportunity for students to: • • • exhibit the attributes of the Learner Profile synthesise their knowledge incorporate the key concepts use a wide range of skills display the PYP attitudes engage in meaningful action

It is. . • • • Process driven Student driven Collaborative Rewarding Exciting Action provoking It is not. . . • • • Product driven Adult driven A science fair A poster A competition An individual inquiry

Purpose of the PYP Exhibition • In-depth inquiry • Independence and responsibility • Unites the students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community • Action as a result of their learning • Celebration of learning in the PYP

What action is…. “An explicit expectation of the PYP is that successful inquiry will lead to responsive action. . . as a result of the learning process. ” Reflect Choose Act Effective action. . . • Provides students with opportunities to demonstrate a sense of responsibility and respect for self, others and the environment. • Involves students in exercising their own initiative. • Arises from students’ concrete experiences. • May require appropriate adult support in order to facilitate their efforts • Need not be grandiose!

Role of the student is to… • Develop independent and group inquiry skills. • Demonstrate understanding of the components of the • • PYP Effectively select and use a variety of resources. Be academically honest when referring to their sources of information. Communicate effectively with teachers, peers and parents Complete honest and valuable reflections throughout the whole journey. Carry out self and peer assessment Use assessments and reflections to guide next steps. Celebrate their learning by sharing their exhibition with the community.

The role of the teacher is to… • Initiate, facilitate and guide the exhibition process • Provide support for student inquiries • Collaborate with other teachers • Communicate regularly with students, parents and • • • other participants Act as mentors Ensure participation by all students Empower students to feel able to take action Assess the exhibition process ensuring all the essential elements are included Keep detailed records of the processes involved Join in with students to celebrate their learning

The role of the parent is to… • Understand the purpose • Support and encourage students throughout • • • the process Be informed Help students access resources-people, places, media and information Provide expert subject knowledge Encourage independent inquiry and ownership of the process Celebrate with your child by attending the final exhibition event

Unit of Inquiry (UOI) Transdisciplinary Theme… How We Organise Ourselves Central Idea Individual and group action makes a difference to how societies uphold human rights. Lines of Inquiry - An inquiry into… action that can be taken to uphold people’s rights the basic needs, rights and responsibilities of human beings…… (to be completed by each group with the help of the teachers, SMT and Mentors) (to be written by each group with the help of the teachers SMT and Mentors) Key Concepts : the children will explore all the concepts of…. form, function, change, causation, connection, perspective, reflection, responsibility

The Timetable Still attend their Mandarin, Music and PE lessons. These sessions will become more flexible and used to support work for the exhibition. Maths will continue to follow the Year 6 Program. English will continue to follow the UOI Program. Limited formally-set homework tasks as children are expected to work independently as needed outside school. They will be expected to progress towards group deadlines and teacher expectations.

Timeline • Extended Unit of Inquiry running from… Mon 23 rd March – Wednesday 20 th May (7 week unit) • Pre-exhibition Week (Monday 16 th March) – discussions about Human Rights, journal preparation work finished, getting ready for Week 1 • Week 1 – unpack central Idea, sorting and finalising groups and their general focus finalised • Week 2 – tuning in activities, group meetings begin, develop lines of inquiry, start to research, make initial contact with Mentors • Week 3 – continue researching, meeting with mentors, start planning personal and group action for Action Week • Week 4 – continue researching, organise and prepare action for next week’s Action Week, think about how they will present their learning for Exhibition Evening, meet with Mentors • Week 5 – ACTION WEEK!!!, finalise and prepare presentations for Exhibition Evening, prepare action boards, finish up journal work • Week 6 – continue to prepare presentations for Exhibition Evening • Week 7 - Wednesday 20 th May 6 pm for parents (Evening presentation) Thursday 21 st May for school and community (Day presentation)

Assessment How? During the Exhibition unit, assessment will be ongoing and completed by teachers and students as well as taking into account parent feedback. This will be done through observations, progress meetings, self-reflections, rubrics, reviewing research and consideration of the final exhibition material. What? Students will keep ongoing journals, records and files of all their work throughout each step of the unit. These should include: • Evidence of each stage of the inquiry cycle • The process of collating data, researching and analysing research • Reference to knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes • Attributes of the learner profile

Past examples… Topic Child Health Poverty Technology Addiction Lines of Inquiry • • • the different causes of problems to children’s health. the positive and negative effects of these on children’s health what society can do to improve children’s health • the reasons people are living in poverty • the effects of poverty • the different perspectives of poverty • the different uses of technology in ESF schools • the impact on health of technology addiction • the different ways to solve technology addiction • the dangers affecting Hong Kong’s pink dolphins • the impact of building the new bridge on the habitats of the Endangered dolphins Dolphins • the government’s response to this issue • different organisations who are trying to help solve this problem Immigration • the cause of migration to Hong Kong • the impact of immigration on people’s lives

Photos…

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