Inquiry in PYP - Workshop in Punjab

"Construction of the Golden Temple began in 1574 on land donated by the Mughal emperor Akbar. The building project was overseen by the fourth and fifth Sikh Gurus. The temple was completed in 1601, but restoration and embellishment continued over the years. The temple had to be substantially rebuilt after it was sacked in the 1760s.

In the early 19th century, 100 kg of gold were applied to the inverted lotus-shaped dome and decorative marble was added. All this gold and marble work took place under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The legendary warrior king was a major donor of money and materials for the shrine and is remembered with much affection by the Sikh community and Punjabi people."

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/golden-temple-of-amritsar

Funny thing is, if you stand in their way, they sweep you away too!

The fierce gaze...

I could smell history all around me...

India! Vibrant, colourful, alive!

Jallianwala Bagh entrance..I felt like I could almost hear the desperate sounds of the people trapped within these narrow walls.

Unscalable!

Leaving history behind and staring another kind of inquiry...

Lighter moments, but necessary ones...

The participants really enjoyed this activity...

Connecting all their artifacts to highlight the transdisciplinary nature of our curriculum...

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Unravelling the inquiry cycle in a PYP class room

“ People can make choices to support the sustainability of the Earth’s energy resources .” Me to students : Does that make sense? Students to me : (after a while)...not really... Their understanding of "energy" during the pre-assessment task also reflected a superficial knowledge of the term. And thus our unit of inquiry started. As I was browsing the net, I came across this picture prompt- a map, which I thought would serve as a great provocation. The annual energy consumption per person . Kids love guessing where countries are, so it was a great way to address some geography at this point. I had also been reading Craig Dwyer's post which inspired me to change my inquiry cycle and use a simpler one. Wonder (while exploring)- Explore (while wondering)- Create (while reflecting)- Reflect (with subsequent wonderings). I was feeling more at ease now. The map allowed the students to make a lot of inferences based on patterns whi...

Reflections of a Workshop Leader

Source: Cariyon.com I was nervous about flying down to California to lead a workshop that I dreaded the most. I remembered that not-so-very-successful workshop in Vietnam a decade ago. I knew I didn't deliver as I should have. My problems had been compounded by an over-zealous Field Rep who kept popping in and taking over my sessions. Though she apologized later (a little too late in my opinion), my confidence as a fledgling leader was at an all time low. That failure (I will call it that for now) seemed to have found a place in my psyche, shaping my identity. I had done an upskilling course on this workshop. But to be honest with you, it was a blur and though I ticked all the checkboxes for the course, deep down I felt I was far from prepared. But one thing I realize about myself is that I like to face my fears. When the email invitation popped up in my inbox, my heart sank because I knew I would take up the challenge. I had done this workshop several times but they ...

Famous and the infamous

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