Audio Tour – Grade 2 | ‘Animals Come Alive’

Duration6 weeks  Understanding Goals(Make regular connections to this throughout the unit of inquiry.)1.How can a space be made more interesting / meaningful / useful for its’ users?  Purpose• To build necessary language skills• To develop problem solving skills• To apply skills to a real-world situation

Essential Questions (For the Teacher)Diagnostic / Clarifications / Puzzles / Connections Establish Goals1. Is the zoo an interesting space?2. What makes a place interesting for children?  Explore / Guide the Issue3. What is the one thing that you want to add or change so the zoo becomes a place you would like to go back to? Elicit an Answer4. How are the animals ‘sorted’ in the zoo? Is there a special rule? Challenge an Assumption5. Why do we need zoos?6. Should animals be caged? Awaken Thought / Prompt Reflection7. What does being free mean to you?

Resources

Visits• Sundervan (zoo)• Kankaria (zoo)• Gandhi Ashram (Audio Tour example)• Heritage Walk (Audio Tour example)

Experts• Environmentalist• Zookeeper• Recording expert• Architect (map-making)

Audio / Visual• Born Free (movie)

WHAT WILL THEY KNOW Vocabulary / Facts / Names / Dates / Skills / Processes

Terminologies / Vocabulary

HabitatSanctuary / zooAdaptationWild / domesticEndangeredextinct

Skills

ReadingWritingSpeakingClassificationCompare and ContrastResearchQuestioningDesign ThinkingCommunicationLogical and Mathematical Thinking

 Teacher Note:

To ensure the success of this project it is important that the teacher visits the authorities prior to starting the unit to share about the audio tour and the value it would add to the Reptile Section at the zoo.It is also important that she stays in constant communication with the authorities throughout the project.

NOTE: Guided Inquiries are sessions that are grouped together based on a common purpose. One guided inquiry can be completed in one session or can happen over multiple sessions.

Guided Inquiry 1: Hook / Visit PurposeTo initiate curiosity about what makes spaces interesting for their users Suggested Method The class visits the Kankaria Zoo. In a discussion following the visit, students talk about what they observed, how they felt, and what information they gathered. Based on the responses, the teacher guides the discussion further with questions such as:

• Is the Reptile Section an interesting space?• What makes a space interesting for children?• What things would you add or change so the zoo becomes a place you would like to go back to?

 Showcasing Understanding: Each student lists possible solutions to the problem of the Reptile section being a “boring” place for children to visit.

Visit to the Kankaria Zoo (Reptile Section)

Guided Inquiry 2: Visits Purpose To identify elements that makes a space interesting for children  Suggested Method Review the list of possible solutions. Revisit the Reptile section and try to apply the solutions in the actual setting. As a class, select the ideas which appear to achieve the goal. Subsequently, visit the Gandhi Ashram, where a previous grade has created an Audio Tour for visitors. Prior to the visit:

• Discuss the solutions selected by the class and why. During the visit:

• Divide the class in two groups: one with the Audio Tour and one without.• After the tour, students write an explanation about whether they found the place interesting or not.

After the visit:• Students compare and contrast the experience of each group. Discuss which group had a more enriching experience and why.• Students finalize a solution for the reptile section.

 HomeworkShare with parents why the audio tour will make the reptile section more interesting. Parents give feedback on whether the student made appropriate connections and gave valid reasons.

Visit to Gandhi Ashram (Taking the existing Audio Tour)

Guided Inquiry 3: Group work Purpose To determine the components of an audio tour (what will engage the audience?) Suggested Method Showcasing Understanding:

• As a class, do a CAF (Consider All Factors), where all the elements that need to be planned for and incorporated in the audio tour for the reptile section are listed.• Determine the sequence in which the factors will be addressed.

Note: Older students who are familiar with audio tours may be asked to interact with the class and assist them in refining their list.

• Identify skills needed to accomplish each task on the list. Lead a dialogue about the importance and need of committees. Stress the interdependence amongst the committees for a successful output and the value of each person and committee. With the class, identify the committees necessary for the audio tour and their roles and responsibilities (connect to tasks already identified for the audio tour). Possible committees:

Script writing NarrationBudget TechnologyMap Making DocumentationResearch Communication

Mind map of all relevant factors for Audio Tour

List of roles and responsibilities for each committee

Guided Inquiry 3: Group work  Students select a particular committee and provide the reasons why they should be on that committee (identify strengths / skills, prior experience, etc.) Showcasing Understanding:

• Students write the 1st draft of the application letter for the committee they would like to join.

Discuss the importance of a well-written and well-presented application letter (grammar, spelling, handwriting) to convince the reader to hire them. Based on feedback from 1st draft, students edit and write the 2nd drafts. Provide ongoing feedback as they complete their work.

 Homework Complete the final draft of application letter, with necessary corrections. 

In class, connect the application letter to interviews for committee selection by having a dialogue about the purpose of an interview. Review posture, tone of voice, etc. Students are interviewed by teachers from other classes. Students must convince the interviewer about why they have chosen a particular committee. From interviews, teachers select students for the appropriate committee.

Committee Interview

Interview rubrics

Guided Inquiry 4: Authentic Experience PurposeTo see value in the skills being learnt at school Suggested Method Re-look at why the class is designing the audio tour - Who is the audience? How will it benefit others? Students identify the process of getting the audio tour into the zoo and used by visitors (i.e., convincing the proper authorities to using the product that is being created).** The discussion leads to students identifying writing a letter requesting permission from the appropriate zoo authorities. Showcasing Understanding: Each student writes a formal letter requesting permission to create an audio tour for all visitors in the reptile section. Criteria for assessment:

• Purpose visible• Convincing tone• Grammatically correct• Neatness / Legibility

Drafting permission letters

Guided Inquiry 4: Authentic Experience  The teacher identifies the letters that meet the criteria. The writers of those letters work as a group to create a final draft.

Teacher Note: Regularly make connections to the importance of building language skills to communicate effectively.

Final letter to authorities

Guided Inquiry 4: Authentic Experience  Go through the necessary protocol to get permission. Once permission is granted, students begin to work in their respective committees (re-look at the roles of each and identify the process by how they will work in their committee to achieve the goal). Students build their background knowledge through research (reading informative books, reading data at the Reptile House, watching videos, interviewing caretakers, interacting with recording experts, meeting an architect for map-making, etc.). Committees regularly update each other with what is happening, what has been accomplished and what needs to be done.

Reading informative books on animals

Researching the best device options Interviewing the zoo caretaker

Guided Inquiry 5: Application of Design Process / Visit PurposeTo test and refine, keeping the user in mind Suggested Method Test out the audio tour with students / teachers on campus. Visit the zoo to test the audio tour with zoo authorities and get their feedback. Showcasing Understanding:

• Identify problems in the audio tour based on feedback.• Discuss why it was important to test the audio tour – how it helps meet the purpose.• Based on the feedback, students make the necessary changes to create the final audio tour.• Analyze whether the testing and feedback made the product better.

 

Testing the audio tour with students Testing the audio tour with zoo authorities

Culmination (Showcasing Understanding):

Add value to the city and make the product visible:• Hold an event to launch the audio tour.• Interact with media, authorities, and parents to share about the process and the product.

 Audio Tour Launch

Buddy Interaction

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