S3 Interdisciplinary Learning Booklet 2015

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet �1

S3 DAREInterdisciplinary

Project

Interdisciplinary Project Workbook

2015

Pupil Name:

IDL Class:

06

introductions//Three ‘welcomes’ for price of one: from parents, teachers and pupils.

Festive wishes from the Parent Council and a warm welcome to the Christmas edition of our fantastic school magazine redblack. With the end of the Christmas term approaching, some prelims finished, others pending, it’s a busy time as always here in St. Joseph’s.

Reading through this magazine you will be amazed at all the activity going on in school and might very well be wondering how on earth staff and pupils find time amidst their classes to accomplish so much of what they do. However, this is Curriculum for Excellence in action, where our children get the chance to excel not only in their academic studies but in everyday school life with enriching experiences developing character, building confidence and contributing to their positive mental health and well-being.

The Christmas concert this week is just one fine example of the true ethos of our school, with pupils, staff and parents/carers working together and enjoying a heart-warming and fun filled festive evening. The huge variety of exceptional talent was plain to see throughout the evening, from the enthusiastic youngsters of St. Andrew’s Primary to the numerous top quality performers right here in St. Joseph’s. Not forgetting of course, the ‘Macarena Movers’n’Shakers’ (Mr Davis & Staff) – video evidence is rumoured to exist!

Moving swiftly on, the Parent Council would like to say a huge thank you to all who supported their annual Christmas raffle on the night, from the local businesses who donated, to all who bought tickets. We do hope you were lucky! We plan to continue our fundraising activities in the New Year and would love to hear your ideas and suggestions. Drop us an email at [email protected] As ever we are delighted to work with you, the Parent Forum, to strengthen communication between parents/carers and school. We have enjoyed gathering your views at parents’ evenings and will continue to do so in the new term, so please come and chat with us at events as your opinions are very much valued by Mr Davis and the SMT.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2015.

Noreen Dunnachie, Chair, Parent Council

What is interdisciplinary learning?

Since you came to St. Joseph’s Academy you have been learning in an interdisciplinary way, mainly through LifeSchool 360. In LS360 you have completed a series of projects, such as Power or Global Village, that explored ideas and skills by learning about them through different subjects or disciplines. Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) is simply learning that involves two or more subjects at the same time. It challenges you to apply what you have learnt in one subject to a task in another subject. For example, you could learn about the experience of soldiers in World War One in History and about gases in Science. Or you could bring the two things together to learn about the effects of poison gas on soldiers in the war and how it changed the way military leaders made decisions.

Why is interdisciplinary learning important?

It’s like real life…There are many things about school that are quite artificial. In ‘real life’ outside school, and when you leave after S6, things are not organised into subjects or packaged into neat 50 minute periods, for example. Real life is messy. You will have to be able to take the skills and knowledge you have learnt at school and apply it to a multitude of situations and experiences. You will need to be creative and problem-solve. You will certainly have to collaborate with others who have different experiences and skills. Interdisciplinary learning prepares you for this.

It matters for jobs and further study…Employers, colleges and universities all place great value on young people leaving school able to think for themselves in a creative way, with the initiative to make decisions and think things through. Interdisciplinary learning projects help you to develop in this way.

It might help you save the world…The great challenges of our time and of the future (the ones we can predict anyway) such as competition for resources, an ageing population, disease, conflict and probable climate change all require solutions that are not found in just one subject or discipline. For example, at the moment teams of scientists, designers, medics and geographers are working together to tackle the Ebola epidemic in Africa. This is an excellent example of interdisciplinary work. Most of the great advances in technology have not been the result of individuals belonging to a single discipline, they happen because people look outside their field of expertise and think in an ‘interdisciplinary’ way.

Interdisciplinary learning is fun, important and should be challenging. It is not usually about finding a right answer, but more about exploring possibilities and creating knowledge. To do it properly you need to be curious, open-minded and determined; you certainly can’t sit back and let the teacher do the work. Your project is your project, no-one else’s. You also need to think carefully about which subjects you will bring together to create your project as you want to be reasonably confident in the different disciplines of your project.

Your interdisciplinary learning project is a key part of your S3 Diploma of Achievement and an important achievement in your first three years of school. Good luck: enter into it whole-heartedly and take it seriously. As we would say at St. Joseph’s: inspire and transform.

Using this bookletYou must use this booklet to keep a record of your progress throughout this IDL project. It will be signed off and checked by your teacher and your parents or carers. You must hand it in at the end of the project as a record of your work and so that you can complete the assessment. Look after it and don’t lose it.


Creating your DARE Project and big (or title) question

You can base your interdisciplinary project on up to three subject areas in the school. Usually the one that is taught by your IDL teacher will be slightly more dominant that the other two.

Complete the diagram on page 5 and answer the questions below to help you plan your project.

1. Why have you selected this class for your IDL project?

2. What is your personal interest in the subjects you are bringing together for your IDL project? (what do you like about them?)

3. What would you like to learn and/ or achieve by the end of this project?

4. What skill(s) specific to the subjects you are bringing together would like to have improved by the end of the project? (e.g. drawing, doing an experiment, writing, playing an instrument)


5. What is your project? Describe what you are doing. (An example is: I am investigating the way in which different shapes of pasta cook differently and are used in different recipes, by investigating how they are used in Italian cookery, how they developed in history and how their shape, design and geometry affect their cooking time and usage. This project links Home Economics, History and Maths.)

6. Give your project a title that is written as a question. Keep it short and simple, but it could be funny or engaging. (An example is: The Geometry of Pasta: what does Maths teach us about pasta? Another example is: How different countries have developed their football teams: does it make a difference which country you play for? - this project brings together Modern Languages, PE and History.)

7. What will you produce as a result of your project? (This could be a picture, a presentation, an object, a model, food, an experience for other people, a design, a service, a website or blog, an exhibition, an invention, a comic, a sculpture, a short story, an article - the list is endless. The only thing you are not allowed as a final product is a powerpoint presentation). The list on page 11 will help you.

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet �4Signed off and dated

Parent/ Carer & Teacher

�

Advice on completing this diagram

To complete this planning diagram, first complete the vertical boxes. Each one represents one of the subjects or disciplines you have brought together for your project.

Write the name of the subject in a box and then a note of the things from that subject that you are going to focus on in your project. Remember, you can only bring together a maximum of three subjects, if you are bringing together less than that then only complete two boxes and leave one blank.

Finally complete the top box with the title of your project written as a question.



The 10 Skills

You will be familiar with our 10 skills for learning, life and work. Look at the list of these again and pick out the ones that you would like to develop in your project.

Describe how you think the project will develop these skills.

Try to pick no less than three, and certainly no more than, five skills.

Your teacher can help you to do this by showing the 10 skills powerpoint that goes into more detail about each skill.

My target for this skill is… (remember to pick no more than 5 skills)

Collaborating

Leading

Observing

Communicating

Listening

Problem-solving

Creating

Enquiring

Reflecting

Organising



Our 8 Values

Now reflect on how this project will develop you as a person by focussing on your character. To do this you should write responses below.

Working Together makes Great Llearning/ Take Part

Who do you need to work with or collaborate with to complete this project?

Be Curious/ Be Open to inspiration

Where will you find inspiration and ideas for your project?

Aim High/ Make Your Mark

What challenges might you face and how might you deal with them?

Make a Difference/ Think of Others

In what way might your project be of benefit to others?



Now summarise your project on the 3 circles graphic below.



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How is your interdisciplinary project assessed?

A. Planning

How well have you thought through your project and completed the planning pages in this learning journal?

Evidence: your journal planning (pages 3 - 8) and any other evidence of planning, such as discussions with your teacher

B. Researching and developing

How well have you looked into the project you are doing? What research have you done at home or in class? How have you worked at developing your project?

Evidence: any research materials such as pictures, sketches, mindmaps etc.; your journal entries in this booklet.

C. Recording and organising

How good are you at using the time and resources available to you? How well have you kept your journal? Did you complete tasks and homeworks/ independent study on time.

Evidence: your journal and observations by your teacher.

D. Character and attitude

Have you shown: ambition, determination, curiosity, grit, commitment, respect, care, attention to detail, leadership, confidence, resilience, resourcefulness, adaptability, enthusiasm?

Evidence: your teacher’s comments and your written reflection on the process

E. Completing and realising

Have you shown: that you can do the best you can to complete your project to a high standard (if may be unfinished, but you did everything you could to complete)?

Evidence: your project itself, evaluations of it by you, your teacher and other pupils, your written reflection

F. Reflecting

Have you shown: that you can review your learning, think about what you learnt and discuss what went well and what did not? Did you develop the skills (from the list of 10 skills) that you intended to develop? Can you write about your project?

Evidence: your written reflection

The most interesting and impressive DARES will be published. Some pupils will be invited for interview to discuss their projects. Special prizes will be available.


Overall Mark Sheet and Teacher Comments

Overall Award /100

Teacher Comment Marks Awarded

Possible Marks

Planning 10

Research and developing 10

Recording and organising 10

Character and attitude 20

Completing and realising 25

Reflecting 25


The Product, Outcome or Form of your DARE

Your DARE could be a:

• picture or poster

• formal presentation

• object

• model

• food

• concert or event or experience for other people

• design

• service

• website or blog

• exhibition

• invention

• comic

• sculpture or installation

• short story

• article

• film

• script or play

• business plan or proposal

• cartoon

• book

• essay or report

• board game or computer game

• experiment

• piece of music or a score

or a combination of the above or something else altogether…

But remember, depending on the class you have picked to do your DARE, your teacher may already have decided the form of your DARE. In some classes your DARE will be undertaken collaboratively with other pupils. If you decide that your product is a written piece, you still need to complete a separate written reflection on the process you have gone through to create it.


Learning Journal Entry 1 Date:

Write a short reflection here on your progress so far since your last entry.






My Learning Plan

On this page you can keep a note of your progress as you go through your project.

Key Tasks and Deadlines

What are the main things you need to do to make you project happen?

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Tick and date when completed

Pages 3 & 4Have you completed these pages? …………………………………………………………………………

Page 5The Boxes - are these completed? …………………………………………………………………………

Page 6The 10 skills - have you completed these ………………………………………………………………….

Page 78 Values - have you reflected on this? ……………………………………………………………………..

Page 8Have you completed the 3 circles diagram? ………………………………………………………………

Pages 12 - 14Have you completed the Learning Journal? ………………………………………………………………



072

Saint Joseph’s AcademyTHIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT

Y Z

was invested as

House Vice-Captain

and, inspired by the example of Christ, St. Andrew and St. Joseph,promised before pupils, teachers, clergy and parents

to live out our shared Gospel values,

lead and serve others, demonstrate in all things our high standards and expectations

and work for the greater good of the school and its community

on this day the TWENTY-SEVENTH of SEPTEMBER in the year 2012.

Ben DavisActing Headteacher

Claire McInallyDepute Headteacher

FIDELIS JUSTUS PRUDENS

UU UUINSPIRE AND TRANSFORM

Saint Joseph’s Academy

Grassyards Rd

Kilmarnock

KA3 7SL

01563 526144

www.saintjosephsacademy.co.uk

@StJoAcad (Twitter)

Acting Headteacher: Ben Davis

[email protected]

S3 Interdisciplinary Learning Booklet 2015

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Transcript of S3 Interdisciplinary Learning Booklet 2015