How We Organize Ourselves - UOI Organized Community

Our first Unit of Inquiry is Organized Community. I love starting the year with this UOI because it gives us lots of time to set up classroom routines and procedures. We are already in week 4 and we have done tons of great things to explore the lines of inquiry and concepts, but I thought I would post my favourite activity so far.

 Tuning In & Sorting Out - We posed the question, "how is our classroom organized?" and the students walked around and used their observation skills to identify different ways. The students noticed that labels and baskets were used the most, and that everything was sorted in one way or another. We decided that "sorting" was a major way in which we organize ourselves, and that we also use a lot of "tools" to keep us organized such as baskets, name stickers and schedules. As the students identified each tool and method of sorting, I took a picture of it. We then took all of our photos and decided to make a large concept map to organize our thinking and learning. My little monkeys are still developing their writing skills in both English and Chinese so Ariel and I wrote the titles and had the students use sticky tack to put up pictures of our classroom under the correct titles. We are still tuning into other ways in which we organize Grade 1, and will be adding to our concept map soon.

Last year I was given permission (which is extremely hard to get at my school) to use chalk on one of the walls outside the classroom to save on paper. I use this chalkboard wall as a visual thinking tool for the students to reference and add to throughout the UOI's. I usually try to introduce one "thinking tool" per UOI and I picked a concept map for Organized Community.  As you can see, some curious student wiped away some of the Chinese already, but usually the students are pretty respectful of our chalkboard wall. And no this is not chalkboard paint, just a concrete wall with regular paint. Chalk washes off easily, except red chalk stains.

Going Further - After we finished the first parts of our concept map, the students were given their own concepts map and we went to the library and to the cafeteria to see if we could find evidence of sorting and identify organization tools used in the library and cafeteria. I was quiet impressed with how quickly they learned how to use a concept map and they were able to find so many different tools in the library that we don't use in the classroom! It was a great formative assessment of their learning thus far!