Exploring how we are different and similar to others

In Grade 2, our year-long Unit of Inquiry is 'Who We Are.' This unit provides us with a great opportunity to explore and build relationships, express ourselves positively even during conflict through recognizing emotions and how these affect our behavior and choices. This will be one of the first of many collaborative learning experiences between our Grade 2 classes and is aimed at building teamwork, leadership, problem-solving skills, and communication.

We Fit Together- Jigsaw Activity
Each student in Grade 2 completed one piece of our Grade 2 puzzle. They each identified personal information about themselves and then began to look for other students they are connected with to complete the puzzle.

Following this learning task the students completed a seesaw reflection. Students were asked to reflect on the whole Grade interaction when they had to fit their jigsaw pieces together. Guiding questions included:

• What did you do?
• How did you feel?
• What did you find out about your grade?

Students explained their reasoning, how they worked together, and how they problem solved when they couldn't get the puzzle to fit together.

Haeun Kim (G2MM) summarized the activity nicely when she said, 'I am so proud of all of Grade 2 and how well we all worked together. We were caring and helpful. We are all different in some ways and the same in others'.

By Rebecca Armstrong,
Junior School PYP Teacher