[Bothayna emad]

Analysing the lesson plan “Animal Actions” using inquiry cycle:
Step 1: Discuss and review words that come to mind when describing a lion/elephant. Chart these words according to parts of speech.
• I Wonder
• Students start by wondering about lions and elephants, sharing initial thoughts and questions. This sparks curiosity as they think about how to describe these animals.
Step 2: Listen to the Lion/Elephant music selections from “The Carnival of the Animals”.
• I Investigate
• Students investigate by listening carefully to the music, exploring how sounds can represent the animals’ characteristics and movements.
Step 3: Discuss the animals’ characteristics and surroundings based on the music. Chart additional descriptive words.
• I Record
• As they discuss, students record new ideas and descriptive words inspired by the music, adding to the word chart to capture evolving thoughts.
Step 4: Students pantomime the animals when the music plays again. Add more descriptive words to the chart.
• I Discover
• By acting out the animals, students discover deeper insights about how the animals move and behave, enriching their vocabulary with new descriptive words.
Step 5: In groups, write sentences using descriptive language about one of the animals and illustrate them.
• I Think
• Students think carefully about how to use the descriptive words in sentences. They plan their writing and illustrations, making choices to best express their ideas.
Step 6: Share sentences and act them out in tableaux; classmates guess the sentences.
• I Try
• Students try out their sentences by performing tableaux. They test whether their descriptive language clearly communicates meaning and see if classmates can guess correctly.
Step 7: Class discussion praising the use of descriptive language in writing.
• I Reflect
• The class reflects together on what worked well and how effectively they used descriptive language. They consider their learning progress and how they can improve.
Enduring Understanding
The big idea the teacher is aiming for:
“Descriptive language helps us to vividly express ideas and feelings about the world around us, enriching our communication and creativity.”
This understanding highlights that through listening, movement, speaking, writing, and visual art, students learn how carefully chosen words bring animals and their actions to life, enhancing both creativity and communication skills.
Essential questions:
• How can we use words to help others imagine animals and actions?
• How can music help us understand and imagine animals or stories?
• Why do artists use different ways like music, movement, and words to communicate?
• What might happen if we only use words without music or movement when telling a story?

[Bothayna emad]

Essential Skills and Habits of Mind for a STEAM Classroom:
Curiosity
Observation and Inquiry
Creativity
Resilience
Problem-Solving
Collaboration
cooperation
Persistence
Reflection
Openness to New Ideas

Creativity and Innovation is a powerful habit of mind that can be developed across multiple subject areas in Year 1 and is especially effective for integrating learning. For example, students can express creativity through a cross-curricular project that combines literacy and science. After learning about different animals and their habitats in science, students can create their own imaginary animal and write a short descriptive story or report about it in literacy. They can then design a model or drawing of the animal and its habitat using various art materials. This activity encourages imaginative thinking while reinforcing scientific knowledge about animal features and environments, and it supports language development through writing and storytelling.

[Bothayna emad]

Dear Ms.Rowaa,
This analysis thoughtfully breaks down the inquiry-based lesson, clearly aligning each activity with the respective phases of the inquiry cycle. It highlights how the lesson engages students through multiple modes of learning—literacy, observation, physical movement, artistic expression, and collaboration—which supports diverse learning styles. The use of dance as a creative way to embody scientific concepts stands out as an effective strategy for deepening understanding.

[Bothayna emad]

What a thoughtful and well-integrated reflection! You’ve clearly demonstrated how curiosity and questioning can drive rich, cross-curricular learning experiences. I especially appreciate how you connected science, music, engineering, and math in a way that feels natural and engaging for learners.

[Author]

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