The beginning of a new school year is a time of fresh starts, new faces, and boundless potential. As elementary teachers, it’s crucial to set the tone for an engaging and meaningful learning experience right from the start. One way to accomplish this is by planning exciting unit topics that capture students’ curiosity and ignite their passion for learning. In this blog post, we’ll explore three inquiry unit topics that are perfect for kicking off the school year with enthusiasm and joy!
3 unit topics for the start of school!
Inquiry Topic #1: An inquiry into community
In this first of the three unit topics, your elementary students will dive into everything community. They’ll ask questions like, “What is a community?,” “Is everyone in a community exactly the same?,” “To which community(ies) do I belong?” – and more!
Beginning by examining themselves and what makes them unique, students will then think in increasingly expanding concentric circles. They’ll examine their family community, class community, school community, neighborhood, etc. From there, it’s fruitful to discuss how communities – including your own classroom community – support one another. Check out some of my favorite community read-alouds here!
Inquiry Topic #2: An Inquiry into Growth Mindset
I’d be preaching to the choir if I wrote all the reasons a Growth Mindset is integral to our learners (and us) – ! Start the school year strong by launching an inquiry into the brain and how we learn. Some essential questions we’ve explored in my classroom have been:
- How do our brains learn new things?
- Does everyone learn in the same way? Why or why not?
- How can we support our brains as we learn?
- How do our brains make sense of language? (perfect for our bilingual class!)
This inquiry invites so many cross-curricular topics: brain science, social studies, art, and more! My second grade students loved creating a “learning profile” that could teach me, their new teacher, about how their brains learn best. These also served as a good resource to reference throughout the school year as students gained more insight into their learning preferences! Read more about our class’s Growth Mindset Inquiry here!
Inquiry Topic #3: An inquiry into school around the world
In this inquiry unit, take your students on an exciting journey of exploration with a unit topic focused on geography and world cultures! Through maps, globes, and virtual field trips, students can discover how school is done in different countries and circumstances. Explore these essential questions together:
- Why do schools exist?
- Are schools the same everywhere? How or how not?
- How are schools similar and different? Why?
Your students will love learning about how others get to school and what their school is like! I highly recommend read-alouds of “This is the Way We Go to School” by Edith Baer and “This is How We Do It” by Matt Lamonthe. We’ve also enjoyed studying the biography of Malala Yousafzai, a world-renonwned education advocate.
What inquiry topics will you choose to start the year?
The start of a new school year is a time filled with endless possibilities, and by choosing engaging and exciting unit topics, we can create a learning environment that captivates our elementary students’ minds and hearts. From fostering a sense of community to nurturing scientific inquiry and exploring the wider world, these five unit topics provide an excellent foundation for an exciting and meaningful start to the school year. By igniting their curiosity and fostering a love for learning, we set our students on a path of discovery, growth, and success throughout the year and beyond.
