Transdisciplinary Theme  

Who we are: an inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Central Idea

Relationships create change.

Lines of Inquiry

• The movement of the Earth
• The interactions within an ecosystem
• The impact of identity on communication

Attributes of the Learner Profile

• Principled
• Open-Minded
• Caring

Parent Support

Questions to ask your child:

• What are some relationships in an ecosystem?
• How do humans impact communities?
• Can a rock change back?

Vocabulary words that may be used during your discussions: organism, population, community, ecosystem, living, non-living, rock cycle, igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, weathering, erosion

Transdisciplinary Theme 

How we organize ourselves: an inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Central Idea

Organization impacts our understanding of the world. 

Lines of Inquiry

• The ocean environment (connection)
• The characteristics of matter (connection and function)
• The organization of text (function)

Attributes of the Learner Profile

• Knowledgeable
• Inquirer
• Communicator

Parent Support

Questions to ask your child:

1. How is our household organized?
2. How is the ocean organized?
3. How did reading this book change your thinking?
4. What text structures di the author use to organize the text?

Here are some of the vocabulary words student might use in your discussions: Salinity, density, atom, molecule, compound, mixture, solution 

Transdisciplinary Theme 

How the world works: an inquiry 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.

Central Idea

Patterns help us make predictions.

Lines of Inquiry

• Weather patterns (form and function)
• Solar system (form)
• Relationships between the Earth, moon, and sun (function)
• Characteristics of fantasy stories (form)

Attributes of the Learner Profile

• Thinker
• Reflective

Parent Support

Questions to ask your child:

1. What patterns do you see?
2. How do you describe the phases of the moon?
3. What is the relationship between the Earth, sun, and moon?

Here are some of the vocabulary words student might use in your discussions:  Rain gauge, rotation, revolution, axis, prediction, gas giants, terrestrial, hypothesis, precipitation, anemometer, cumulonimbus, 

Transdisciplinary Theme 

Where we are in place and time: an inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationship between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

Central Idea

Change is a result of interactions

Lines of Inquiry

• Characteristics of light and sound. (causation)
• Transfer of energy (causation)
• Process of research (causation)

Attributes of the Learner Profile

• Principled
• Inquirer
• Knowledgeable

Parent Support

Questions to ask your child:

1. How does light and sound behave?
2. What’s the perspective on the topic of this book?
3. How does this topic affect lives?

Here are some of the vocabulary words student might use in your discussions:  Constant, transverse, hypothesis, compression, reflection, refraction, opaque, transparent, translucent, pitch, vibrate, wavelength, amplitude

Single Subject Connections

• In Music, the students will explore the science behind how various instruments work.  They will identify the interactions that cause the change in sound an instrument makes.
• In PE, the students will explore the concept of causation as they develop their volleyball skills.  They will work collaboratively to develop their serving, passing, and setting skills.
• In STEAM, the students will use microbits “Light Level Meter”, measuring different levels and types of light, both natural and man-made. 
•  In Spanish STEAM, the students will explore sound by designing and creating musical instruments. Students will interact with their instruments by programming (coding) their sounds using micro bits

Transdisciplinary Theme 

Sharing the planet: an inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and other living things; communities and the relationship within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Central idea

Systems function as a result of the parts

Lines of Inquiry 

• Survival of organisms (connection)
• Structure and function of the parts of organisms (connection and responsibility)
• Responsibility a reader has to make informed judgements/decisions about text (Responsibility)

Learner Profile Attributes

• Balanced
• Principled

Parent Support

Questions to ask your child:

1. Why is important for an organism to adapt to its environment?
2. What might be the consequences if the structure of an organism changed?
3. How is an organism’s structure connected to its survival?
4. How are the characteristic of an organism connected to its survival? 

Transdisciplinary Theme 

How we express ourselves: an inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity, our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Central idea

Lines of Inquiry

Learner Profile Attributes