In2edu I.C.T. Resources Enhancing Education & Learning

Journeys thematic unit Inquiry
Learning Outcomes

This unit is a smorgasbord of ideas to use. Pick those ideas relevant to your level/class. Integrate them with the relevant curriculum area and learning outcomes you desire.

  • Comparisons between different ways of finding information
  • Using ICT skills as selected from below
  • Comparing explorers from different ages
  • Understanding the challenges people face and the concept of courage
  • Asking questions and finding information and presenting conclusions.

Investigation Questions
Try to get pupils to brainstorm these and others themselves as part of the information process. Here are some to get you started.

  • What makes a person a good explorer?
  • What attributes/traits do they need to have?
  • What items/equipment does an explorer need?
  • Is exploration safer today than in the past?
  • What are the main problems common to most explorers?
  • How were explorers rewarded for what they did or discovered? Was it worth it?
  • Did Explorers live dangerous lives?

Wordprocessor
Example skills: getting to know keyboard, put picture on, make bold, use styles/fonts, saving, using spellchecker
Follow the Explorer Quest. During this pupils can use tables. Use flow charts or drawing programs to do your question web (text boxes with arrows would also work) is another idea.
Create a time line using a mixture of text, textboxes and drawing tools. Use a copy and paste or a table insert to help with the timeline.
Write a summary of the character of your Explorer for a wall display (What makes a person a good explorer? What attributes/traits do they need to have?)
Construct a table of Contents for a project. Utilise a table or auto contents tools if available
From descriptions of the 'new lands found' and awareness of the character of your explorer design advertisements enticing others to go on the next journey back
Using a personality assessment chart place your explorer on it. To do so set out your research in a table form (children could also assess themselves). Online personality tests found here.

Art & Design
Design a map and label it. Use clipart to find a map of the world and drawing tools and other clipart to add labels to the map i.e. routes, places landed, highlighted incidents (key underneath)
Make a clipart collage of all the types of transportation your explorer used
Make a collage of clipart representing all the incidents or situations that your explorer faced with a key underneath (key could be done by hand)
Design a board game. You might use cut n paste to create the squares/ just create the title, or find clipart for it.
Design an advertisement for your explorer, a particular mode of travel, for a country that the explorer visited (as seen through their eyes- this could be compared with the a pupils 'modern' view of the country).

Spreadsheets
Example Skills: Entering Data, graphing, answering questions/theories using data collected
Example questions: Choose from Investigation Questions above
Graph the time taken to carry out a journey of an explorer using different modes of transport from historical through to modern. Compare/contrast

Create a budget for an expedition to the Antarctica today. What items would you think you would need? How will you get there etc. Pupils could estimate costings in one column and then use e-mail, phone to obtain more realistic pricing.

Make a table of information about explorers and sort it into different orders

Create a map in a spreadsheet using the gird reference points. Borders will be needed also.

Databases
Example skills: Entering info in database, graphing, sorting data into sets, running reports on the investigation questions chosen.

Example Questions: See Investigation Questions above.

Fields such as: Name, type (of explorer), birth, death, date, length of journeys, dates, discoveries, dangers/problems faced, personality classification or words to describe personality

Internet (see Other IT below)

Search on keywords on the WWW for information, to find answers to questions, to look at other classes’ sites on explorers

Take an on-line personality test for yourself & a studied explorer (high level of reading required). Make sure you understand the safety rules about submitting name, e-mail address etc. (Type A/B personality test slightly easier to do)

Find information on another person who has/had courage

Presentation Software
Skills Examples: Recording voice, editing recorded sounds, putting sounds into a ‘talking book’

Use some of the ideas in the Wordprocessor section but make some of them an oral presentation or slideshow.

Present conclusions from research in the Database/project

Digital/Video Camera

  • Take pictures of artwork to include in a digital slideshow
  • Take pictures of pupils involved in activities throughout the unit
  • Record plays with video

Away from the Computer

Act out explorer 'crisis' situations. Give groups 'crisis' cards that sketch out what the scenario is, what tools/resources they have. What is the best solution they can come up with.
Journeys Inquiry Unit