Grade 5 journey ends…..

Crowned Owl ceremony – Not to say the least, the Crowned Owl Ceremony was a success! The students and teachers had a wonderful time celebrating their journey of reading.

PYP Transition Day – PYP transition day was celebrated with fervor as Grade 5 students geared up for their learning journey ahead in the MYP.

UOI

Students continued their learning journey by engaging in a collaborative discussion on the sense of identity. They focused on terms such as friendship, peer pressure, pride, self-esteem, likes, and dislikes. They used the VTR ‘Who Am I? Explore, Connect, Identify, Belong’ to reflect on their learning. Students watched an audio-visual presentation to understand the reasons for the changes experienced during this phase. They learned new terms like ‘pruning’ and ‘myelin formation’. They shared their understanding of the second line of inquiry by attempting a formative assessment. Students were tuned in to the third line of inquiry with a guest speaker session conducted by Ms. Meenakshi Sharma (Head of Pastoral Care @DPSI)). She interacted with students and shared strategies that could help them cope with physical, emotional, and social changes experienced during puberty.

English

After delving into the nuances of dialogue writing, students enacted a few scenes from the novel ‘Oliver Twist.’ They analyzed the important elements of a play script such as cast, stage directions, and speech. They also attempted a formative assessment on dialogue writing. Students practiced types of modal verbs by choosing the appropriate form of modal verbs in a given sentence. To further hone their grammar skills, they reviewed active and passive voice and attempted a short drill on the same.

Mathematics

Students revised the metric system of measurement and explored the interconversion of various units. They applied the concept to real-life situations and solved word problems. They also inquired into the concept of measures of central tendency – mean, median, mode, and range, and practiced the concept while answering various questions.

Hindi

Students learned about adverbs (क्रिया विशेषण) and the differences between adjectives and adverbs. They wrote paragraphs and created comic strips to express their understanding of well-being. They incorporated adjectives to improve their written work.  They also attempted a spell bee dictation and constructed sentences with adverbs.

Spanish

Students were introduced to interrogative vocabulary with a song and audio-visual presentation. They framed a few questions to enhance their understanding. They were also introduced to adjectives to describe a person.

French

Students drew comparisons between the climatic conditions of France and India. They learned how to describe the weather of a region. They also discussed how weather changes according to geographical area and during seasons. They observed an infographic about the weather in different regions in France. Students identified different famous French comic characters, worked in groups, and designed a comic strip. They also attempted a formative assessment, wherein they listened to an audio clipping and responded to the questions based on the same. Students also appeared for a summative assessment to display their reading, writing, and grammar skills.

ICT

During ICT classes, students continued their learning journey on Excel and created pixel art by using conditional formatting tools. Furthermore, they were introduced to an online app, PowToon which is used to create animated presentations and videos. They learned to use various elements such as templates, photos, text, backgrounds, and animations.

Dance

Students began their dance classes by creating a routine using all the elements of dance. Creating a dance routine is a great way to introduce students to the various components that contribute to a performance. By incorporating all elements into their routine, they got an opportunity to develop their creativity, coordination, and communication skills. It also helped them build their confidence and teamwork abilities.

Music

Students worked in groups to compose a musical piece. They incorporated harmony, dynamics, and basic songwriting structure into the composition.

Art

Students worked outdoors for a better understanding of the two-point perspective theory. They explored the different angles like – bird’s eye view and warm eye view through basic drawings.

PHE

Students performed different stretching exercises like side blends, lunges, neck stretches, and forward /backward bends to improve muscle flexibility. In tennis, students practiced point matches with partners.

SEL

Students viewed an award-winning short film ‘Batti’. They reflected on the importance of optimal behavior in a social setting. They understood that being open-minded and practicing mindful listening helps them to display optimal behavior. They also brainstormed and listed the optimal behavioral norms for a student.

Library

To evaluate students’ reading progress, their reading logs were assessed by asking questions about the stories they had read earlier. The purpose was to ensure that they comprehended the content and could recall important details.

May updates……..

Students shared their prior knowledge of the central idea – Preparing for inevitable changes can lead to well-being. They also formulated SMART goals which helped them to identify physical, social, and mental wellness goals, to help manage stress during the period of change. They collaborated to frame essential agreements for a respectful learning environment. Moving on, students created  timelines tracing  different stages of change that they have experienced since the time of their birth. They made connections with their prior understanding of body systems by using the VTR- Connect Extend Challenge. Separate sessions for boys and girls were conducted to apprise the students about the physical and socio-emotional changes experienced during adolescence. They also watched an audio-visual presentation – ‘How the Endocrine system works’ to understand the major endocrine glands and associated functions that bring about these changes.

English

Students learned that there are 5 types of modal verbs relating to the following: ability/permission/advice/obligation/possibility. Students recalled the features of dialogue and its writing conventions. The role of punctuation in dialogue writing was reiterated. Students read an excerpt from a playscript based on the story of Oliver Twist and acted out the scene. They analysed how they were able to transform a script into the performance, thus identifying elements of a playscript such as cast, stage directions, speeches etc.

Math

Students learned about different types of triangles and their properties. They also revisited the concept of measuring area and perimeter of a square and rectangle. Students applied their understanding of the concepts to solve word problems based on real-life situations. They also derived the formula to calculate the area of a right-angled triangle.

Hindi

In their Hindi class, students were engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on the topic of well-being, exploring its four key dimensions: mental, physical, emotional, and social. To enhance their understanding, they also read a comic story. As a creative exercise, the students were tasked with creating their own ‘चित्रकथा’ comic strip based on wellbeing.

SEL

Students revisited the concept of resolving a conflict through responsible decision-making. They observed a few pictures in small groups and shared the social expectations and cues in the scenario. Students brainstormed to identify the problem and solve it peacefully. They shared their perspective and used a four-step strategy to find a solution.

Library

During library lessons, students are learning to write book reviews, which is a great way to sharpen their critical thinking and communication skills. Writing a review involves evaluating a work of literature. They inquired into the elements of writing book reviews, using the VTR – Think, Connect, Evaluate, and Recommend. They learned about considerations while writing any book review.

Spanish	Students watched an audio-visual presentation on different adverbs of frequency and displayed their understanding by framing sentences. They also explored the concept of time where they described their daily routine in Spanish. for example – I get up at 6 am. In Spanish – Me Levanto a las seis.
French	Students started the week by using interrogative vocabulary to ask different kinds of questions (L’intonation, Est ce que, Inversion). They reflected on their understanding by attempting a practice sheet. Students also learned about different seasons and compared weather in France and India.(Il fait chaud-It’s hot,Il fait froid-it’s cold etc) Weblink -https://wordwall.net/resource/3890978
ICT	During ICT classes, students continued their learning journey on Excel and created a table to demonstrate the monthly expenses using hypothetical data. They also learned to create different types of charts like bar, pie, and line charts. Furthermore, students were familiarized with pixel art, which is a form of digital art, whereby images are built with intentional placement of pixels. They learned about conditional formatting where they set rules with different colours of the cells and created pixel art.
Dance	Students began their dance classes by creating a routine using all  elements of dance. Creating a dance routine is a great way to introduce students to the various components that contribute to a performance. By incorporating all elements into their routine, they got an opportunity to develop their creativity, coordination, and communication skills, and also build their confidence and teamwork abilities.
Music	Students were introduced to harmony in music wherein they were shown a performance of a choir group (Arís Celebration Choir) harmonizing the ‘Viva La Vida’ song by Coldplay. Later they learned the basic harmony of the song and sang it in groups.
Visual Art	Students completed their master study of perspective theory and shared their understating of expressionism. Further, they discussed different perspectives and learned about the two-point perspective.
PHE	Students continued with the game of Badminton where they focused on rallying with partners to improve their overhead clear and forehand and backhand hit skills. Students also learned to play knock-out matches and rules of the game.

April updates…..

UOI

Having completed their PYP exhibition showcase, students of grade 5 were excited to learn about the new unit under the Transdisciplinary theme ‘Who we are’. They began by justifying the sub-strands of the TD theme using the ‘placemat strategy’. Students were tuned into the unit with an audio-visual presentation on ‘change’. They shared their observations using the VTR ‘word phrase sentence’ and came up with a few keywords. They also watched a video on the growth mindset, its features, and impact on real-life.

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Students viewed an animated story to identify conflict in a scenario. The story helped them understand that each of us give social cues through facial expressions and gestures, and negative cues lead to conflict. Students revisited the story to identify social expectations in that scenario. They sorted them into positive and negative cues and identified the reasons for conflict. Later, students brainstormed ways to resolve  conflict through responsible decision-making.

Conflict Management

English

Students continued to enhance their analytical skills by watching an audio-visual presentation on drawing inferences. They analyzed the meaning of the term ‘inferences’ and reflected on the same by using the VTR ‘I used to think… now I think’.

They could make connections with the novel ‘Oliver Twist’ to apply their understanding of drawing inferences. They also read an article on ‘International Yoga Day’ and discussed its main idea and supporting facts. They drew  comparison between making inferences and reflection. They read a newspaper article about the possibility of another virus invasion in the next 10 years and drew inferences to validate the claim.

To hone their grammar skills, they inquired into the conventions of dialogue writing by identifying examples in the novel, Oliver Twist. They brainstormed and discussed the salient features of dialogues such as punctuation conventions.

• Making inferences
• Develop_general_reading_strategies

Math

Students inquired into the meaning of integers and how they are represented on a number line. They explored the coordinate pairs in four quadrants of the Cartesian system. They were able to plot the points on a coordinate grid and identify the quadrants for coordinate pairs. A prior knowledge assessment on types of angles was attempted by students where they looked for objects/edges about various angles. Subsequently, they learned to measure and construct different types of angles using a protractor.

Spanish

Students played a game ‘neighborhood taboo’ where they identified different places in their neighborhood. They also viewed a video about the same and learned the relevant vocabulary in Spanish. Students reinforced different parts of speech by identifying and sorting them in a given passage

French

Students learned about different shops in France. They identified the different products available in them and made a graphic chart of a few shops (such as Boulangerie, Patisserie, and Cremerie) and their products. In the subsequent week, students shared their understanding by making presentations about different shops.

• https://wordwall.net/resource/53505218

https: //wordwall.net/resource/14814712

Hindi

During their Hindi lessons, students recited a poem titled ‘अरमान’. They explored its meaning in depth and learned new words from the poem. They creatively used them in sentences to reinforce their vocabulary skills. The comprehension skills of students and their knowledge of synonyms was evaluated with a summative assessment.

ICT

Students were introduced to the Microsoft Excel app that allowed us to store, organize and analyze data. They learned to add text and numbers, cell position, align, and format the text. They used hypothetical data to learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They also learned to add formulae in a workbook using MS Excel.

Dance

Students discussed how to integrate feedback from peers and teachers to improve their dance skills. They realized the role and significance of feedback in a creative process to identify areas of improvement. They used feedback to improve their technique, execution, and creativity.  They observed a significant improvement in their dancing skills as they became more confident in their movements and techniques.

Music

Students were assessed for their understanding of drum notation, wherein they individually designed five different drum patterns using notes and drum voices on the staff.

Art

After understanding the idea of expressionism in art, students were asked to observe one of the most famous artworks of expressionism – ‘The Scream’ by Edward Munch. They took inspiration from the work and attempted to draw it. This task improved their observation skills and understanding of colors.

PHE

Students continued with the game of badminton, wherein they focused on the rally to improve their overhead clear, forehand, and backhand drive skills. They also learned to play knock-out matches and their rules.

Library

Students explored different fiction genres by reading books written by prominent children’s authors such as Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Ruskin Bond, and Sudha Murthy.

Unit of Inquiry – PYP Exhibition

The blog links for different PYP Exhibition groups are:

No	Name of group	Name of mentor	Blog link
1	Faith	Tannu Sharma	Believers
2	Fashion	Rimple Seth	Cultura Fashion Beauté
3	Folk Art	Sapna Sharma	Folkart
4	Food 1	Seema Tuli / Rupinder Kaur	Blog by Foodiversals
5	Food 2	Bhavna Khatri	Blog by Culinary Clan
6	Music / Dance	Yaavi Khanna / Ruby Gandhar	Feel the beat- Music and Dancegoogle site
7	Sports	Tania Smith / Bhawna Ailawadi	Athletic Arrows
8	Story telling	Ridhi Bansal	Storynatorzzz
9	Well-being	Sonia Trakroo	Expressive Engineers – Google sitelink

March updates……

PYP Exhibition: Links to the blogs:

No	Name of group	Name of mentor	Blog link
1	Faith	Tannu Sharma	Believers
2	Fashion	Rimple Seth	Cultura Fashion  Beauté
3	Folk Art	Sapna Sharma	Folkart
4	Food 1	Seema Tuli / Rupinder Kaur	https://foodiegroup.my.canva.site/
5	Food 2	Bhavna Khatri	Blog by Culinary Clan
6	Music / Dance	Yaavi Khanna / Ruby Gandhar	Feel the beat- Music and Dance google site
7	Sports	Tania Smith / Bhawna Ailawadi	Athletic Arrows
8	Story telling	Ridhi Bansal	Storynatorzzz
9	Well-being	Sonia Trakroo	Expressive Engineers – Google site link

English

Students examined literary devices like simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, alliteration, personification, idioms and hyperbole in groups. They delved into their meaning and examined several examples to gain  better understanding. They read and analyzed various texts and poems to observe the structure and draw inferences about the key idea conveyed by the poet/author. They understood the purpose of figures of speech – their usage and the impact they have on the reader. Students continued with their novel study – Oliver Twist. They attempted varied activities relating to plot, characterization and writing style of the author.

Mathematics

Students began inquiring about data handling in groups with the help of key concepts. The concept of graphs was revisited to reinforce visual representation and interpretation of data. They engaged in a  compare and contrast of different types of graphs using a Venn diagram. They discussed the type of data that can be represented through different graphs. They presented their understanding of how different types of graphs are used in different situations.

Students inquired into different types of graphs- bar, line, and pie chart to understand their essential elements. They used a mnemonic to remember the key parts of a graph. TAILS

T – Title

A – Axis

I – Increments

L – Labels (X-axis and Y-axis)

S – Scale (range of numbers represented on the Y-axis)

They applied their understanding to plot and interpret data on a bar and line graph.

Hindi

During  Hindi lessons, students engaged in various activities to improve their language skills. They read stories in pairs to understand the language and its nuances. They narrated these stories to their peers, which helped them enhance their confidence and speaking abilities.  Students also strengthened their writing skills by practicing unseen passages and editing incorrect sentences.

Spanish

Students began their research into Spanish culture. They used a KWHL chart to share their prior knowledge and questions. They also made sentences using ‘es’ and ‘hay’. They watched a video on place prepositions and shared their understand in their journals.

French

Students  discussed and unpacked travel vocabulary and co-constructed a word mat. They answered questions related to travel and the last vacation using the 5W and 1H strategy. In the subsequent week, students focused on reading aloud text with comprehending. They were assessed for their reading and comprehension skills.

ICT

During ICT lessons, students continued to work on a website using the online tool Google Sites to present their understanding of their chosen topics. Students were introduced to the online website-building tool WIX which allowed users to create websites through the use of online drag and drop tools. They were briefed about the steps to sign up for WIX. Students learned to add text, images and layout to their websites.

Dance

Students of grade 5 explored the concept of change in movements in various cultural and historical contexts. They discussed the idea that dance is not just a physical activity but also a way of expressing cultural and social values. Students looked at examples of dances from different cultures and historical periods. They further discussed the meanings of certain movements. They understood that meaning can vary depending on the context in which the movements are performed.

Music

Students participated in vocal warm-ups wherein they sang notes maintaining intonation and enunciation. They applied techniques to their singing to enhance their performance. They also revised note values and drum voices on the staff.

Art

Students were introduced to expressionism in art. They discussed the famous artists for expressionism to understand its perspective in visual art history. They also watched an audio visual and paintings based on expressionism to understand the origin of the movement.

PHE

Students were actively involved in learning skills such as hitting a forehand, ball receiving and rallying. They also performed various drills  individually and as a team which boosted their muscle strength, endurance and sportsmanship spirit during warm-up sessions.

SEL

SEL lessons focused on enhancing organizational skills through active listening and concentration. To achieve this, students attempted a time-bound, jumbled instructions activity. They sequenced the instructions in the correct order and completed the task in the given time. Later students self-assessed and reflected on their time management and task management skills.

Library

The book fair at school is an exciting time of the year for students who explored different types of books. They discovered new authors, explored different genres and broadened their horizon from fiction and fantasy to science fiction and non-fiction. They browsed books on history, science, math, and even those about the future. There were also books about art, music, and the world around us. They found various books that piqued their interest. They also enjoyed the atmosphere of the book fair, as it provided an opportunity to connect with other book lovers.

As we head for spring break……

Grade 5  students attended  a SEL session on Conflict resolution on Friday, March 3 . They were sensitised to the importance of empathy and mindfulness  in building relationships. It was an engaging and interactive session. 

conflict-resolution-1Download

UOI

Students strengthened their understanding of soil conservation through research and class discussions. They collaborated to gather information about different ways to conserve soil, using fact sheets, audio-visuals and case-studies.

Students inquired into Sustainable Development Goals and identified SDG 15 as the goal most relevant to their unit. They used a visible thinking routine – Parts, Purpose, Complexities – to analyse the SDG.

Parts – Highlight the key words

Purpose – Which are the 3 key objectives?

Complexities- How does this SDG connect to the central idea of the current unit? Students displayed exemplary social and communication skills whilst preparing for an awareness campaign as part of their summative task. Through posters, petitions, formal letter-writing and websites, they spread awareness of the importance of soil conservation across the school community.

PYP Exhibition

Moving ahead with their exhibition journey, students revisited their understanding of the PYP essential elements. They discussed the role of Learner Profile attributes and the ATL (approaches to learning) in shaping them into independent and lifelong learners. They also understood the difference between concepts and topics and how the broad lens of concepts leads to meaningful inquiry and enduring understanding. Framing questions based on the 7 key concepts made them realize that we can learn anything worth exploring through their lens. Students have framed initial drafts of the central idea and shared their initial wonderings.

English

Students were engaged in understanding the basic differences between prose and poetry. They appreciated the role of poetry to communicate thoughts, ideas, and emotions in a unique manner.

They collaborated to read poems by famous writers:

‘Television’ by Roald Dahl

‘Elaine The Complainer’ by Kenn Nesbitt

‘Sick’ by Shel Silverstein

‘I Found a Four-Leaf Clover’ by Jack Prelutsky They used visible thinking routine: “Listening Ten X Two” to analyse the poem and record their observations. They listened to recital of the same poem and realised its impact on their understanding of imagery. Students continued reading the novel, Oliver Twist and attempted varied activities related to plot, characterisation and style.

Mathematics

The week commenced with students inquiring about the concept of unitary method. They identified examples of real-life application of the concept and attempted word problems based on the same. They shared their understanding with a bus stop activity where they applied their understanding to take cost effective decisions in daily life situations. Students displayed their prior knowledge about data handling and worked in groups to further explore the concept. They compared different types of graphs using a Venn diagram. They also presented their understanding of appropriate use of different graphs to represent diverse data.

Hindi

During their Hindi lesson, students created slogans and posters with messages to save soil. Students selected different stories to read in a group and identify मुहावरे (muhavare). They unjumbled the muhavare and matched the meanings to the respective muhavare.

Spanish

Students revisited different parts of speech, such as prepositions, conjunctions, articles, adjectives and strengthened their understanding of sentence structure. They were introduced to reflexive verbs with examples from their daily routines. They also understood the difference between regular and reflexive verbs and why and where we could use them.

French

Students commenced an inquiry – How to express quantity? They learned to express precise and imprecise quantities- like numbers, measures an adverb, such as “a lot of, a glass of, a slice of”. They researched  about European currency and prepared a visual presentation. To extend their understanding, they learned how to describe nouns using demonstrative adjectives as a show and tell activity. Students also attempted a quiz in class to assess their understanding.

ICT

During ICT lessons, the students continued their learning journey while working on an online tool Canva and created a website on the topic of their choice. Students continued to work on creating their website on Google Sites. They reiterated the elements of the tool and now they are in the process of creating a website on a unit related topic.

Dance

Students created their own narrative and abstract dance choreography to display their creativity and express themselves through movement. By creating their own choreography, students not only developed their physical skills but also explored their emotions and ideas. Narrative dance allows the students to tell a story through movement, while abstract dance encourages them to express feelings and ideas without a specific storyline. Both forms of dance offer students the chance to experiment with different movements and explore their own artistic style. Moreover, this activity can also help to build teamwork and collaboration skills as students work together to create a cohesive routine.

Music

Students acquired in-depth knowledge of drum notation and rhythm wherein they formed a pattern using different notes.  Later they participated in a game called ‘Pass the Beat Around the Room’ to enhance their rhythmic independence.

Art

Students completed the basic structure of the clay flute and tested the functioning by playing it. Later students prepared their plans for making their flute into a shape of their choice.

PHE

Students continued with the athletics unit where they focused on circuit training to improve their motor skills. They learned various kinds of running and sprint stances and ran through cones, ladders, and over hurdles.

SEL

During the SEL lesson, the story ‘Nelson Forgives’ was narrated to students. They developed an understanding that forgiveness can help to release negative emotions and have compassion towards oneself or another person. Students also reflected on times when they felt anger towards someone but were able to release it without hurting anyone.

Library

“From red to green to indigo, each colour provides festival-goers with a sense of beauty, ritual and tradition.” During library lessons, students inquired about the significance of the colour-filled Holi celebration. They were able to form personal connections and exchange ideas about how they would mark the festival. They also observed how various countries around the globe celebrate colours with distinct festivals in accordance with their own traditions.

They used the three main elements of visual thinking—Colour, Symbol, and Image—to communicate the essence of celebration.

February updates

UOI-Shivanjali Awasthi 5A

Students were engaged in understanding different components of an ecosystem and their interdependence. They explored the role of microbes, soil texture, and water-holding capacity to understand the interconnectedness of soil and life in groups. They shared their research with peer groups.

They used VTR I used to think…. Now I think to reflect on their understanding. 

I used to think – any previous understanding or knowledge about the topic 

Now I think – a new understanding gained about the topic

They watched a video on the Nitrogen Cycle to understand the role of different microbes in the movement of Nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil and back. They also analyzed the importance of soil in storing carbon in different forms.

Students learned that soil degradation is the physical, chemical, and biological decline of soil quality caused by deforestation and urbanization, industrial pollution, overgrazing, and unsustainable agricultural practices. They created infographic/sketch notes in groups to reflect on their understanding.

Tuning into 3^rd line of inquiry -Guest speaker session

Ms. Paramjit Kaur Narang (academician & volunteer, ‘Save Soil’ campaign) and Mr. Jayant Sarkar (volunteer, ‘Save Soil’ campaign) shared their insight about the need for soil conservation. They shared how soil degradation threatens food quality and supply, water security, and biodiversity, increases carbon emissions and climate-related risks, and can lead to loss of livelihoods and conflict.

English-Aran Rudra Parasher 5A

Students learned about the features and different types of expository texts. They also enhanced their understanding of expository writing by writing an informative text on soil composition. Students deepened their understanding of the novel Oliver Twist by attempting varied tasks related to the text. They reinforced their understanding of punctuation- the use of commas, semicolons, and colons. They self-assessed their knowledge by attempting a quiz. Students enhanced their listening and note-taking skills during a guest speaker session on soil conservation.

Mathematics-Devita Bhatia 5A

The week commenced with students inquiring into the concept of ratios and their application in real-life situations. They learned how to express ratios and calculate equivalent ratios. They explored and shared in groups their understanding of the interconnectedness of the concepts of fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios.

Hindi-Romir Gupta 5A

During their Hindi lessons, students recited a poem ‘मिट्टी और मैं’. They learned new words and also revisited grammar concepts. Students enjoyed a video by Sadguru, बचाएँ मिट्टी regarding the importance of soil and initiatives for soil conservation. The visible thinking routine, ‘De Bono’s thinking hats’ was used by students to analyze the same. Unit-related vocabulary was reinforced through the creation of slogans and posters.

Spanish Anahita Bajaj 5A	Students comprehended the verb “gustar” and its usage. They also constructed a paragraph about their likes and dislikes. Students were introduced to 2 new verbs. Encantar and Interesar. They revised different parts of speech – prepositions, conjunctions, articles, and adjectives. They applied their understanding to frame simple meaningful sentences
French Raina Khatri 5A	Students watched a visual presentation on the types of food in various regions of France. They comprehended and wrote regular and irregular verbs based on the same. They also learned verbs to place a food order; prendre, boire, and vouloir. As a class, they created a wish list using their vocabulary of French words. They collated their understanding to create a French cuisine menu.
ICT Shivanjali Awasthi 5A	Students were introduced to Digital citizenship @ DPSI through a presentation. They discussed the five strands of Digital Citizenship and their importance. Furthermore, they discussed age-appropriate games, and applications and learned about cyber security such as how to create strong passwords online. Students were also engaged in creating presentations based on their current unit. They displayed enthusiasm for building websites with the graphic designer tool Canva.
Dance Pearl Arora 5A	Students collaborated to create narrative and abstract dances. They learned about holographic dance and created a choreography on monologues, sound, and silence.
Music Sreehitha Rangaraj 5A	Students learned a song, ‘Socha Hai’ to hone their singing skills. They applied the theory of music to identify time signatures and note values on a music sheet.
Art Vagisha Sinha 5A	Students learned about the composition of different kinds of clay and viewed a video about constructing a clay flute. They learned how to make a hollow ceramic sphere.  A group of grade 5 students visited the India Art Fair, NSIC where they viewed a range of exhibits and took part in workshops.
PHE Gatik Singh Lamba 5A	Students used warm-up routines to activate their muscles and chose either basketball, athletics, or football to demonstrate their technical skills. They demonstrated dribbling and shooting in basketball; passing and dribbling in football and sprinting and hurdling in athletics. Throughout the activities, students demonstrated a range of attitudes to learning and learner profile attributes.
Library Aniket Chawla 5A	“Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible.” – Barack Obama   Reading aloud is one of the most powerful tools for change that we have. When we read aloud with others, we are not just strengthening our literacy skills and bringing communities together, we are also creating a culture of confident and engaged learners who know the power of their voices. During library lessons, students enhanced their language skills by participating in World Read Aloud Day activities. They read aloud a South Asia Award-winning text named “The Rumour” by Anushka Ravishankar. The setting of the story is a fictitious village called Baddbaddpur (or Gossip Town) in the real Sahyadri mountains (also called the Western Ghats) of India. This was a student-led session where they chose to read the book with expressions and voice modulation. This helped students reinforce the learner profile attribute of being a communicator.

Term 2 begins…….

UOI – Aanvi Mehra 5E

“Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed” – Mahatma Gandhi

The second term began with an inquiry into the unit under the transdisciplinary theme- Sharing the planet. The central idea of the unit was unpacked – Soil conservation is the key to environmental sustainability. Students began the inquiry by sharing their initial understanding of the keywords of the central idea. They explored the various layers of soil and also inquired about different components of soil. They learned a mnemonic to memorize the components of soil.

Components- W- Water, A- Air, M- Minerals, O- Organic Matter              

Students also researched the different kinds of soils and their distinctive features. They developed a checklist and used it to investigate a range of soil samples. They followed the scientific procedure to record their experiment- purpose, prediction, equipment, method, observations, findings, and conclusion. Students also learned about the soil web and were able to establish the importance of healthy soil as an important abiotic factor of the ecosystem. In this unit, students have demonstrated the learner profile attributes of being knowledgeable and caring as they continue to inquire into the causes of soil degradation and the measures that can be taken to restore the nutrients of soil.

English – Aran Rudra Parasher 5A

Students consolidated their understanding of the current unit through English integration.  They listened to explanatory videos, read information online, and expressed their understanding of the layers of soil through sketches and labels. Peer presentations reinforced their understanding of soil. Students strengthened their writing skills by revising the structure of simple, compound, and complex sentences.

To enrich their comprehension skills, students listened to a story video “And the Good Brown Earth”, by Kathy Henderson.  They brainstormed themes from the story such as how seasons impact the earth; the resilience of soil and its importance for ecosystems. They expressed their understanding in the form of paragraphs, and concept maps. Students explored the characters and plot of the novel, ‘Oliver Twist’, through a range of activities such as comparing and contrasting the characters of Oliver and the Artful Dodger with a Venn diagram. They also attempted a spell bee to strengthen their vocabulary.

Mathematics-Devita Bhatia 5A

The term unfolded with goal setting by students. They shared their prior knowledge of percentages using online tools such as Padlet and Jamboard. They brainstormed and shared various examples of the application of percentages in daily life. They learned to find percentages of whole quantities and a fraction. Graphic representation of quantities helped the students to establish and understand the interconnectedness of percentages, decimals, and fractions.

Hindi – Raina Khatri 5A

Students revised the format of formal letter writing and wrote a letter to the principal requesting a two-day break. They also read a unit-related poem ‘मिट्टी और मैं’. Students analyzed the poem and identified parts of speech such as adjectives, nouns, verbs, and pronouns. They also observed a few pictures of soil and used ‘De Bono’s Thinking Hats’ strategy to answer questions based on the same.

Art- Sreehitha Rangaraj 5A

Students learned about different kinds of soil and watched a video about the process of preparing clay for pottery. Whilst working with the clay, they learned about the tools and instruments as well as the process of kneading the clay and making a ceramic flute.

PHE- Aaryaveer Dubey 5C, Pragnay Mehandiratta 5E

Students learned warm-up routines for athletic events and discussed their importance in exercise regimes. They strengthened their reflexes, speed, stamina, and leg muscles by training for 100-meter sprints. They participated in a game of dodgeball and used their thinking skills to swerve and dodge during the match. Students demonstrated the learner profile of principled by following the rules of the game.

Library -Vedant Kapoor 5A

“The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.” The new year is one of the biggest celebrations in the world. Countries around the globe enjoy various traditions to welcome new beginnings and invite prosperity. During library lessons, students inquired about the traditions and customs people follow to celebrate the same. They were eager to share their family traditions and rituals with their classmates.

SEL- Shivanjali Awasthi 5A

In the SEL session, students understood the difference between sympathy, empathy, and compassion. They viewed an audio-visual about the circle of compassion. Students displayed their understanding by creating and sharing their circle of compassion with their peers.

Music- Pearl Arora 5A

Students were introduced to drums and their parts wherein they learned the names of each part and played them individually. They practiced a basic rhythmic pattern on the drums.

Dance – Atharv Gupta 5B

Students learned about abstract and narrative dance and collaborated to develop a dance routine for each category. This was a great exercise in creative collaboration and helped students develop their skills in both abstract and narrative dance styles. Abstract dance is characterized by movements that are free-form and not necessarily tied to a specific story or narrative, while narrative dance tells a story through movement. By learning about both styles and working together to create routines, students are exploring their creativity and learning how to effectively communicate through dance. This type of collaborative project is an enriching experience and fosters teamwork and communication skills.

ICT – Ananya Sen Gupta

Students were introduced to the online graphic design tool Canva which is used to create presentations, posters, videos, logos, and more. They were excited to learn the various features of this interesting tool and are now in the process of creating a presentation based on a  topic of their choice.

French -Ariyanna James 5D

The French lessons began with an audiovisual of a French story.  Students shared their understanding by interpreting the story and identifying the different parts of speech. In the subsequent lesson, they learned about the conversation at a French restaurant. They understood the nuances of social interpersonal skills- being courteous and using expressions of politeness in a formal context. Students learned to reserve a table, ask for a menu, order food and drinks, ask for the bill, and pay through different modes. They observed the use of partitive articles while talking about food items.

Spanish – Anahita Bajaj 5A

Students strengthened the concept of verb conjugation and improved their oral and written skills in conjugation. They watched a video called ‘pollito tito’ and collaborated to identify and list verbs from the story. They wrote a paragraph about their likes and dislikes. They also understood the usage and conjugation of the verb ‘gustar’.

PYP Exhibition

The PYP exhibition is a culminating project that allows Grade 5 students to apply learning from previous years and showcase their knowledge, concepts and skills using independent and collaborative inquiry. The PYP Exhibition is also a vehicle to strengthen the partnership between the students, teachers and parents. It provides the students with an opportunity to explore multiple perspectives and promotes action as a result of their learning. They celebrate their learning by presenting an exhibition to the school community and beyond.

The PYP exhibition journey has commenced with much excitement. Students have chosen to inquire into various topics under the transdisciplinary theme ‘How we express ourselves.

Over the past few weeks groups have been created based on shared interests and students have now started bonding with their group members (drawn from across sections of Grade 5) and their mentors. The groups formed are –

Sports

Faith (traditions and beliefs)

Food (2 groups)

Story telling

Music and Dance

Folk art

Fashion

Well being

Mentors and students have created essential agreements with their groups which serve as guiding rules for all. A pledge for academic integrity has been signed by each student – wherein they promise to produce only original work and not copy-paste from published sources.

Groups have now started working on broad ideas that they want to explore – which will help in framing the central idea and the lines of inquiry.

As we move  further in our journey, blog updates for each group will be shared with you by the mentors regularly to allow you to partake in the process too.

Updates Dec 5 – Dec 16

UOI (Shivanjali Awasthi 5A)

As part of unit integration, a session was led by the dance teacher to strengthen student understanding of the elements of performance spaces, their evolution, and design considerations. Students also used recycled cardboard packaging to design a prototype of a stage. A guest speaker session conducted by Ms. Shivangi Agrawal, an architect by profession, enabled students to understand the second line of inquiry – considerations to be taken into account when designing a space. Students were divided into four groups, to inquire into learning, working, retail and living spaces. They learned that government regulations, climate, location, topography, budget, culture, local resources, sustainability, health and safety, and the purpose of the space are important considerations. Students collated the information in the form of an infographic. They presented and shared their findings through a gallery walk. Students have now started inquiring into their responsibility to promote sustainability.

English (Roshan 5C)

Students engaged in a unit integrated activity, wherein they read an article on green spaces and framed questions based on it. To enhance their grammar skills, they attempted an exercise on types of sentences – declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory. Students also learned how to convert affirmative sentences into negative sentences. They attempted the spell bee and wrote a creative paragraph with chosen words. Students also participated in an engaging online quiz on types of sentences.

Math (Roshan 5C)

Students attempted a drill on solving questions based on mixed operations of fractions. They shared their prior knowledge of decimals using the VTR ‘Peel the fruit’. They drew the decimal place value chart in their math journals to serve as a reference for writing decimal numbers. Delving deeper into the topic, they solved decimal riddles. They practiced writing decimal numbers in expanded notation and number names. They also revised the concept of decimal place and place value. In accordance with IB’s pedagogy of play-based learning, students from all sections of grade 5 created Math games and displayed them on stations outside their classes. During free play, they indulged in playing the same, hence strengthening their social and thinking skills.

Hindi (Shreeja 5B)

During the Hindi classes, students read and understood a famous story by R.K.Narayan- स्वामी की दादी( Swami Ki Dadi). They identified the difficult words and wrote them in their journals. To enhance their grammar skills, they highlighted  nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs from the story.

Spanish (Pragnay 5E)

Students were introduced to the topic of clothes. They learned new vocabulary to describe clothing items based on their color, material, pattern, etc. In the subsequent week, students attempted the summative assessment based on the concept of time and family.

French (Kavya 5D)

French Students were given a list of -er ending verbs to conjugate them. They were divided into groups using the “clock partner” strategy. They learned using a dictionary to translate given sentences in groups. They also learned how to tell  time in both formal and informal situations.    

ICT (Pragnay)

Students participated in the Hour of Code on code.org to engage for an hour of computer science activities. They were introduced to a new presentation tool called Google Sites. They are currently working on making a google site to present their learning from their current unit based on sustainable spaces.

Dance (Armaan 5E)

Students were exposed to different gestures through an audio-visual presentation to help them understand different types of non-verbal communication. They were also introduced to different types of stage, including proscenium, thrust, and in-the-round, and how those can affect a performance. 

Music (Sreeja 5B)

Students learned an Italian protest folk song “Bella Ciao”. They applied different dynamics into self-compositions to demonstrate their understanding of dynamics.

Art (Kavya 5D)

Students collaborated to make the replica of a still life drawing using the grid method understanding proportion and scale, one of the major principles of Design.

PHE (Armaan)

Athletic trials were held for the upcoming ‘Athletics Meet’ where students participated in 50m and hurdle races. Students also learned some basic steps of Zumba which helped them to hone their gross motor skills. They also enjoyed playing football matches during their PHE lessons.

Library (Kavya 5D)

Students developed their social skills by working in small groups to create books. They strengthened their competence in planning, gathering information, working together and synthesizing information.

Updates till Dec 2……..

In tune with the ethos of International Mindedness at DPSI, a cultural exchange session was organised between our Grade 5 students and those of XX1 Century school, Moscow, Russia.

Unit of inquiry

(Written by Raina Khatri)

The first line of inquiry focused on changes in the design of spaces over time.

Students strengthened skills of planning, data gathering, collaborating, presenting, and sorting through their observations and online research on personal, shared, and public spaces. They researched on the first line of inquiry ‘How spaces have evolved’, by generating guiding questions and choosing different spaces such as sleeping spaces, homes, classrooms, schools, parks, and restaurants. They worked in groups and presented their research findings to each other in the form of oral presentations, supported by posters or MS-PowerPoint presentations.  

English

(Written by Shreeja Tirumalai Kumara)

Students were engaged in writing a descriptive passage based on their camp experience. They used a concept map to plan their writing task. They also identified the parameters for the writing task in a class discussion and created a checklist. They used their creative thinking skills and tried to paint a picture of their adventurous night trek at Jim Corbett in the reader’s mind.            

They used their creative thinking skills to imagine a haunted ghost’s house and how a magical fairy’s house. Incomplete sentence. They also wrote a passage on (a fairy/ghost) house, the ghost in the fairy’s house, or the fairy in the ghost’s house. They also participated in a group activity to revisit the types of sentences and identified the differences between them.

Math

(Written by Roshan Krishna Hariharan)

It was a fun-filled math week as students were engaged in various hands-on activities to understand the concept of fractions. They modeled equivalent fractions with paper and enhanced their knowledge of adding and subtracting like and unlike fractions by solving word problems. They also practised converting improper fractions to mixed fractions. A mental math drill was attempted to strengthen the calculation speed. Students learned to multiply fractions using an area model and solved practise sums too.

Hindi

During their Hindi lessons, students read a story ‘बचाने वाले का अधिकार और स्वामी की दादी using the ‘Relay Reading’ strategy. This was followed by a ‘Listen and Answer’ activity where they strengthened their verbal skills by retelling the story. They revisited the grammar concept of पर्यायवाची (synonyms). Their knowledge of spellings was assessed through dictation.

Spanish

Students collaborated with each other to create names and menus for their make-believe Spanish restaurant. They were divided into groups of ‘camareros’ (waiters) and ‘clientes’(customers). To work on their oral skills, they practised their dialogues and presented role-plays.

French

Students learned the vocabulary to ask questions and express their opinions. They practised the same with their peers. They expressed why and what they liked / not liked about a particular animal. They learned connectors (“et” and “mais”) to join sentences. They also gained an understanding of the “-er” ending verbs.

ICT

Students were introduced to an online tool – Planner 5D to enhance their designing skills. It helped them to make a prototype of a 3D model for a home including architectural, interior design, industrial, and product design.

Dance

Students commenced their dance classes with core strengthening exercises, like jumping jacks and planks. They were introduced to techniques of basic Jazz and modern dance walk. In the next few sessions, students were trained in the basic steps of Jazz and Modern dance elements like chasses, leaps, and turns. They presented their dance compositions using Jazz and Modern dance steps.

Music

Students learned to apply dynamics in self-compositions wherein they were divided into groups and composed their melodic patterns using a Xylophone. They sang them using dynamics.

Art

Focusing on balancing in artwork, students drew a composition using geometric shapes and a line. They wrote their reflections on their understanding of balancing.

They also did a collaborative thinking activity, in which students worked in pairs. Each student used five colors and used them one at a time. Students collaborated and got the opportunity to work on their partner’s artwork. 

Physical education

Students were actively involved in sports lessons where they learned and progressed in different skills, such as sprint race stance, shoulder finish, and rules of athletics running events. They also performed various drills individually as well as a team which boosted their muscle strength, endurance, and sportsmanship spirit.

Social emotional learning

The lesson started with a quick recap of the social-emotional learning skill – responsible decision-making. Students reflected on how they can work towards becoming responsible decision-makers. They were given some real-life scenarios to share their reaction, identify the problem and think of a possible solution to the problem. This interaction amongst peers and facilitator concluded with an understanding that at times, we react without thinking and make decisions that are not so good. They came up with some wonderful solutions as responsible decision-makers.

November 7-18

Glimpse of children’s day celebration……

Children’s Day was earmarked with fun and frolic as students engaged in activities related to music, dance, art and PHE. This also helped them to hone their social and team building skills.

UOI

Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we are in place and time

Central Idea: The design of spaces has evolved to meet changing needs

Lines of inquiry:

•         How the spaces have evolved – Change

•         Considerations to take into account when designing a space – Form

•         Our responsibility in ensuring sustainability – Responsibility Students were tuned into the third unit with a village walk during their annual school camp at Jim Corbett Park. Back at school, they explored the concept of sustainability and sustainable spaces. Students were introduced to the central idea. They identified the key words and were given the option to share their prior knowledge about the same using a mind map / concept map / sketch to stretch presentation. Students shared their wonderings about the central idea. They used different questioning strategies to frame meaningful and relevant questions. They sorted the questions into thick (open ended) and thin (close ended) questions. Students were able to identify the TD theme for the given central idea and justify their opinions. They also highlighted the strands being addressed through the central idea. Students have identified the different spaces that they would like to explore and have now begun their research into the first line of inquiry- How spaces have evolved overtime?

sustainability

SEL

Students worked in groups to brainstorm  the concept of sustainability. They also read an article to understand the importance of sustainability. They were also encouraged to think of some actions they can take to promote sustainability as responsible citizens.

English

Students were tuned into descriptive writing with a nature walk. Focusing on the five senses helped them make connections between sensory inputs (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and descriptive writing. They used a graphic organizer to brainstorm ideas and explore interesting vocabulary to write a descriptive paragraph about nature walk.

Students explored how to frame sentences with detailed information and created a checklist for descriptive writing.  They strengthened their understanding by identifying descriptive sentences from the novel ‘Oliver Twist’.

Math

Students demonstrated their prior understanding of fractions by representing different types of fractions on a number line. They also arrived at equivalent fractions using various numerical and pictorial examples. They attempted various sums to understand the concept of addition and subtraction of like and unlike fractions.

Converting fractions

addition & subtraction of fractions

Hindi

Students read a poem ‘ये पल जाते यहीं ठहर ’ which was followed with  a ‘listen and answer’ activity. They recited the poem and learned new vocabulary words. Students identified the पर्यायवाची शब्द and framed sentences with the same. They also attempted a spell bee activity.

French

Students collaborated to explore the different farm animals on French farms. They described them using different adjectifs and their sounds. They used their previous knowledge of gender and numbers to describe different animals. Students learned to express their choices using the verbs – aimer, adorer, préférer, and détester. They also enjoyed listening to and singing  French song.

https://youtu.be/4eIx1ZQ2RWY

Spanish

Students practiced making menu cards in Spanish. They also worked on their conversational skills using the vocabulary related to la comida. They learned to write a conversation between a waiter and a client.

Dance

Dance lessons started with light aerobic activities, such as walking through a maze or doing a yoga exercise to create momentum and accelerate the heart rate. Students learned that gesture is a form of communication through body movement and that it can be used to express emotions, ideas, and thoughts. They were asked to create their own gestures to communicate different emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Finally, the students combined their gestures to create a short dance sequence.

Music

Students applied dynamics to their self-compositions wherein they were divided into groups and were asked to create a melody on the Xylophone and show their understanding of dynamics.

PHE

Students demonstrated the different shots played in badminton. They learned deep and drop shots which helped them to enhance their neuromuscular coordination.

ICT

Students continued their learning journey and identified a solution to a daily life problem using the Design Thinking process. They created a 3D machine model to present the solution using an online tool, Tinker cad. Students were given detailed feedback on their models which was promptly incorporated by them. Through this learning journey, students developed their social, thinking, communication, and self-management skills. They also learned the importance of citing sources through a video presentation. They were acquainted with the consequences of presenting plagiarized work. Students shared their reflections on the same using an ICT tool – Wakelet

Art

Students were introduced to the basics of design in Art. They saw a video explaining the basic elements of design and learned to balance space in an artwork using basic shapes. Students also aligned their art work with the principles of design.

Library

“When Guru Nanak came, the mist went away and the world saw light” Shri Guru Nanak, the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, is known and believed to be a great saint. The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji is celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurupurab across the globe with lot of devotion and reverence. During library lessons, students were apprised about the principles and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Students discussed the relevance of Prabhat Pheri, Gurudwara visit, Langar system and the Nagar Kirtan as an initiative of developing a global mindset of tolerance and respect.