The Exhibition is finally here! The Exhibition is an important opportunity for you to demonstrate your learning. It is an opportunity to utilize the transdisciplinary skills, the attitudes and the profiles you have been practicing throughout your PYP years. During the exhibition you will work with many people. You will work individually, with small groups, with teachers and with parents. You may also work with people outside of TIS. You will be assessed on many things including:·
- the processes of learning
- the final presentation you create and deliver
- the action you undertake in response to your learning.
The TIS Exhibition Process
1. Examine our personal beliefs and values in order to determine possible issues for investigation.
2. Defining our central idea and creating the lines of inquiry.
3. Planning the exhibition.
4. Gathering the necessary resources.
5. Recording and reflecting.
6. Analyzing and synthesizing.
7. Presenting the exhibition.
The first 3 parts of the process will happen during Mission Possible 2 which will be held in the MPR from March 5th – March 12th.
The other parts of the process will happen from March 13th to May 2nd during class time.
1. Examine our personal beliefs and values in order to determine possible issues for investigation.
The Exhibition process begins with an inquiry into Who We Are, which lays the foundation for team work and exploration of our personal passions. Together we will discover collective and personal passions, and the issues they generate. We will brainstorm real-life issues or injustices that could be the foundation for further exploration.
Working with your teachers and classmates you will reflect on the transdisciplinary themes and previous units of inquiry. This will likely remind you of the questions, passions, outrage or emotions you noticed during prior studies. These feelings might be deeply personal yet relate to others in your local community or to people in other parts of the world. You will think critically about several issues. You will examine individual issues and ‘try them on’ to be sure they are a good fit for you. It will be important to actively participate in the discussions and activities your teachers present. Listen to the ideas of your classmates. During this time it is important to reflect on you - think about the issues and actions that are meaningful to you!
Finally you will propose 3 possible topics that you believe will be interesting, engaging and relevant to you. Miss Moss and Miss K will use these proposals to form working groups. These groups will work collaboratively to help and support each other throughout this exciting time.
2. Posing questions that help define the central idea and to decide upon the lines of inquiry
After your proposal has been accepted you will need to further develop an understanding of the issue. You must be able to explain why it is important to investigate, and what possible directions you might go. Possible ways to further explore the issues include:
• Discuss your ideas with different people, both inside and outside school.
• Find answers to some basic form and function questions.
• Identify and look at available books and resources.
• Consider how the issue connects to the transdisciplinary themes.
These explorations could help you form a better understanding of the issue and develop a central idea to explain the significance of your inquiry. Think about the PYP concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility and reflection) that are related to this issue to help you construct questions to guide your inquiries.
It is useful to identify the lines of inquiry you will follow in order to explore your questions and develop your understanding of the central idea. This will help you stay focused during this investigation and help you research your exhibition issue. This may be the first time you have been involved in such a detailed investigation. It is important that you (and your group) have a discussion with your teacher and/or mentor to see if your ideas are realistic and achievable.
3. Planning the exhibition
You are ready to make a plan for your exhibition work. You have brainstormed ideas, formed groups and found a focus for your exhibition. Now you will use your Research Planning Sheet to write down your plan for exploring your issue. Create your plan outlining how you will develop your understanding of the central idea and lines of inquiry. The following questions can help you create your plan.
· Where do we find the materials and resources we need?
· Who might have useful information?
· What kind of experiences might inform our inquiries?
· Do we need to carry out any experiments?
· Do we need to prepare a questionnaire or survey?
· What kind of technology will we need to have access to?
Choose sources and resource materials carefully. Your research, understanding and presentation will be of higher quality if you use a variety of resources. Use the bibliography section of your sources as a way to find more resources. If you have an interview, ask the person you interview if they have suggestions for more resources. If you perform experiments use the results to ask more questions or find other related resources.
It is important to use a variety of resources, but it is equally as important to make sure the resources you choose are high quality. Think about the sources of information and carefully consider possible bias or prejudice. Remember to keep perspective in mind when assessing a source of information. Also consider the relevance to your topic, will the information be useful to your central idea and lines of inquiry.
4. Gathering the necessary resources
Always write down the source of your material. This information will vary according to the type of source.
• A printed text: record the author(s), title, publisher and date of publication
• A website: record the website address (for example, http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/index.html)
• An interview: record the name, address, role of the person and the date of the interview
• An experiment: record the equipment and method used, the results and conclusions
• A work of art: record the title, artist and reference (museum, recording) if appropriate
5. Recording and reflecting
Reflect on your exhibition in a constructive way. Use your Process Journal to keep track of the process. The expectations for your Process Journal will be given to you. Make regular entries in our Process Journal of all your ideas, decisions and actions you take. You are creating the record of your learning. You are demonstrating and documenting the work you are doing, changes in your understanding, and the overall thoughts and reflections you have throughout the process. Your Process Journal will be used to help your Mentor and your teachers understand the work you are doing and monitor your progress. It can also be used by you to understand your own thinking and learning, and understand how you are moving through this journey.
Your written reflections should be supported by recorded evidence of the process. This evidence could include photographic and video evidence, interview notes, feedback and comments from your peers, teachers and/or mentors and parents.
6. Analyzing and synthesizing the information discovered
Throughout the exhibition process it will be important to take opportunities to analyze and synthesis the information you have collected and gathered. This step is important in helping you clarify your new understandings and connecting them to your central idea. It also provides an opportunity to pose new questions to delve deeper into your learning.
Use the notes you have taken and the research you have conducted to think about your issue in new ways. Combine the information from many sources into ideas that you express in your own words, pictures or models. Make connections between what you knew before to what you have learned during the exhibition process.
7. Presenting the exhibition
Towards the end of the exhibition, you will need to think carefully about how you wish to present the results of your inquiries. You should consider your presentation from other people’s perspectives. Remember to keep these things in mind:
• Be informed about the material you choose to present. You will need to be able to answer any questions about it confidently.
• Discuss the presentation with your teacher and/or your mentor before you start working on it.
• Use diagrams, drawings and/or photographs to add to the clarity of the presentation.
• Look at the examples of exhibitions that other students have done in your school in the past, in particular the formats they have used to present their ideas.
• Make sure your presentation is clear, informative and appropriate for a range of audiences.
• Think about our audiences, what language will you use for your visual or spoken presentations.
Be sure to practice what you will say, check your written work for clarity and be ready to talk with people of different ages and languages.
Finally, CELEBRATE! Celebrate all the amazing work you have done. Celebrate the steps you have taken, the knowledge you learned, the skills you practiced, the fun you had and the frustration you've overcome. Celebrate your learning!
- the processes of learning
- the final presentation you create and deliver
- the action you undertake in response to your learning.
The TIS Exhibition Process
1. Examine our personal beliefs and values in order to determine possible issues for investigation.
2. Defining our central idea and creating the lines of inquiry.
3. Planning the exhibition.
4. Gathering the necessary resources.
5. Recording and reflecting.
6. Analyzing and synthesizing.
7. Presenting the exhibition.
The first 3 parts of the process will happen during Mission Possible 2 which will be held in the MPR from March 5th – March 12th.
The other parts of the process will happen from March 13th to May 2nd during class time.
1. Examine our personal beliefs and values in order to determine possible issues for investigation.
The Exhibition process begins with an inquiry into Who We Are, which lays the foundation for team work and exploration of our personal passions. Together we will discover collective and personal passions, and the issues they generate. We will brainstorm real-life issues or injustices that could be the foundation for further exploration.
Working with your teachers and classmates you will reflect on the transdisciplinary themes and previous units of inquiry. This will likely remind you of the questions, passions, outrage or emotions you noticed during prior studies. These feelings might be deeply personal yet relate to others in your local community or to people in other parts of the world. You will think critically about several issues. You will examine individual issues and ‘try them on’ to be sure they are a good fit for you. It will be important to actively participate in the discussions and activities your teachers present. Listen to the ideas of your classmates. During this time it is important to reflect on you - think about the issues and actions that are meaningful to you!
Finally you will propose 3 possible topics that you believe will be interesting, engaging and relevant to you. Miss Moss and Miss K will use these proposals to form working groups. These groups will work collaboratively to help and support each other throughout this exciting time.
2. Posing questions that help define the central idea and to decide upon the lines of inquiry
After your proposal has been accepted you will need to further develop an understanding of the issue. You must be able to explain why it is important to investigate, and what possible directions you might go. Possible ways to further explore the issues include:
• Discuss your ideas with different people, both inside and outside school.
• Find answers to some basic form and function questions.
• Identify and look at available books and resources.
• Consider how the issue connects to the transdisciplinary themes.
These explorations could help you form a better understanding of the issue and develop a central idea to explain the significance of your inquiry. Think about the PYP concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility and reflection) that are related to this issue to help you construct questions to guide your inquiries.
It is useful to identify the lines of inquiry you will follow in order to explore your questions and develop your understanding of the central idea. This will help you stay focused during this investigation and help you research your exhibition issue. This may be the first time you have been involved in such a detailed investigation. It is important that you (and your group) have a discussion with your teacher and/or mentor to see if your ideas are realistic and achievable.
3. Planning the exhibition
You are ready to make a plan for your exhibition work. You have brainstormed ideas, formed groups and found a focus for your exhibition. Now you will use your Research Planning Sheet to write down your plan for exploring your issue. Create your plan outlining how you will develop your understanding of the central idea and lines of inquiry. The following questions can help you create your plan.
· Where do we find the materials and resources we need?
· Who might have useful information?
· What kind of experiences might inform our inquiries?
· Do we need to carry out any experiments?
· Do we need to prepare a questionnaire or survey?
· What kind of technology will we need to have access to?
Choose sources and resource materials carefully. Your research, understanding and presentation will be of higher quality if you use a variety of resources. Use the bibliography section of your sources as a way to find more resources. If you have an interview, ask the person you interview if they have suggestions for more resources. If you perform experiments use the results to ask more questions or find other related resources.
It is important to use a variety of resources, but it is equally as important to make sure the resources you choose are high quality. Think about the sources of information and carefully consider possible bias or prejudice. Remember to keep perspective in mind when assessing a source of information. Also consider the relevance to your topic, will the information be useful to your central idea and lines of inquiry.
4. Gathering the necessary resources
Always write down the source of your material. This information will vary according to the type of source.
• A printed text: record the author(s), title, publisher and date of publication
• A website: record the website address (for example, http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/index.html)
• An interview: record the name, address, role of the person and the date of the interview
• An experiment: record the equipment and method used, the results and conclusions
• A work of art: record the title, artist and reference (museum, recording) if appropriate
5. Recording and reflecting
Reflect on your exhibition in a constructive way. Use your Process Journal to keep track of the process. The expectations for your Process Journal will be given to you. Make regular entries in our Process Journal of all your ideas, decisions and actions you take. You are creating the record of your learning. You are demonstrating and documenting the work you are doing, changes in your understanding, and the overall thoughts and reflections you have throughout the process. Your Process Journal will be used to help your Mentor and your teachers understand the work you are doing and monitor your progress. It can also be used by you to understand your own thinking and learning, and understand how you are moving through this journey.
Your written reflections should be supported by recorded evidence of the process. This evidence could include photographic and video evidence, interview notes, feedback and comments from your peers, teachers and/or mentors and parents.
6. Analyzing and synthesizing the information discovered
Throughout the exhibition process it will be important to take opportunities to analyze and synthesis the information you have collected and gathered. This step is important in helping you clarify your new understandings and connecting them to your central idea. It also provides an opportunity to pose new questions to delve deeper into your learning.
Use the notes you have taken and the research you have conducted to think about your issue in new ways. Combine the information from many sources into ideas that you express in your own words, pictures or models. Make connections between what you knew before to what you have learned during the exhibition process.
7. Presenting the exhibition
Towards the end of the exhibition, you will need to think carefully about how you wish to present the results of your inquiries. You should consider your presentation from other people’s perspectives. Remember to keep these things in mind:
• Be informed about the material you choose to present. You will need to be able to answer any questions about it confidently.
• Discuss the presentation with your teacher and/or your mentor before you start working on it.
• Use diagrams, drawings and/or photographs to add to the clarity of the presentation.
• Look at the examples of exhibitions that other students have done in your school in the past, in particular the formats they have used to present their ideas.
• Make sure your presentation is clear, informative and appropriate for a range of audiences.
• Think about our audiences, what language will you use for your visual or spoken presentations.
Be sure to practice what you will say, check your written work for clarity and be ready to talk with people of different ages and languages.
Finally, CELEBRATE! Celebrate all the amazing work you have done. Celebrate the steps you have taken, the knowledge you learned, the skills you practiced, the fun you had and the frustration you've overcome. Celebrate your learning!