INVESTIGATION TIME

Investigations happen 3 times a week and are structured as follows:

Tuning in – Students are tuned in to current learning foci and goals. Three Focus Students, a Reporter and Photographer are rostered from each grade every session. The teacher assists them to plan their investigations for the day by discussing the area they would like to work in and what their plans are.

Investigation time – Children take part in self-directed learning for approximately an hour. Students choose the area they would like to work at and are free to move between the three Foundation rooms. Some of the Learning Centres are related to our Inquiry unit for the term, whilst others are developed around student interest. There are often ongoing projects that the children return to work on. The teacher spends time scaffolding each Focus Student and their learning.

Reflection – Students return to their classroom where the Focus Students, Reporter and Photographer share their learning while the teacher draws out specific links to Literacy, Numeracy, Inquiry or developmental learning objectives. This is the most important time for all children to see the connections between what they have been learning through play to formal learning goals.

The children enjoy these special roles and take great pride in sharing their learning. We encourage families to discuss your child's investigations with them at home.

Term 3 Unit of Inquiry

Big Idea - Worldly

(Geography Curriculum Focus)

Key Understanding: Belonging to a place in our personal world contributes to our sense of citizenship.

Throughout this unit of inquiry, students will be immersed in concept of their connection to places which are familiar to them, as well as various places around the world.

Through play based provocations such as our Foundation Airport, Travel Agent, Post Office, Zoo, various multicultural restaurants and discovery opportunities, students will explore their home country Australia and it's special features, along with some other neighbouring countries.

Essential Questions:

#1 What connections do I have to a place?

#2 What are the features of places we visit?

#3 Where in the world do I live?

#4 What makes a place special?

Students will inquire into the geography curriculum content during Investigation Time sessions, where they will also be explicitly taught a range of critical and creative thinking skills such as questioning and visible thinking routines. Social and emotional capabilities are also a focus and are developed through teamwork, collaboration, role play and negotiations which happen during these student directed play based sessions.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to remote learning, the curriculum content which would usually be covered during our Tuning In is outlined on the Humanities-Science page of the Billanook Learning Hub. We have included some suggestions for play-based provocations, similar to those pictured above which we would have at school. Feel free to use these as you wish.

Foundation @ Billanook Newsletter

Billanook Primary School - 'Believe in Yourself'

Issue 1 · 24 Jul 2020

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