1. Audio Tour – Grade 2 | ‘Animals Come Alive’

2. Duration
6 weeks
Understanding Goals
(Make regular connections to this throughout the unit of inquiry.)
1.How can a space be made more interesting / meaningful / useful for its’
users?
Purpose
• To build necessary language skills
• To develop problem solving skills
• To apply skills to a real-world situation

3. Essential Questions (For the Teacher)
Diagnostic / Clarifications / Puzzles / Connections
Establish Goals
1. Is the zoo an interesting space?
2. What makes a place interesting for children?
Explore / Guide the Issue
3. What is the one thing that you want to add or change so the zoo becomes a
place you would like to go back to?
Elicit an Answer
4. How are the animals ‘sorted’ in the zoo? Is there a special rule?
Challenge an Assumption
5. Why do we need zoos?
6. Should animals be caged?
Awaken Thought / Prompt Reflection
7. What does being free mean to you?

4. Resources
Visits
• Sundervan (zoo)
• Kankaria (zoo)
• Gandhi Ashram (Audio Tour example)
• Heritage Walk (Audio Tour example)
Experts
• Environmentalist
• Zookeeper
• Recording expert
• Architect (map-making)
Audio / Visual
• Born Free (movie)

5. WHAT WILL THEY KNOW
Vocabulary / Facts / Names / Dates / Skills / Processes
Terminologies / Vocabulary Skills
Habitat Reading
Sanctuary / zoo Writing
Adaptation Speaking
Wild / domestic Classification
Endangered Compare and Contrast
extinct Research
Questioning
Design Thinking
Communication
Logical and Mathematical Thinking

6. Teacher Note:
To ensure the success of this project it is important that the teacher visits the authorities
prior to starting the unit to share about the audio tour and the value it would add to the
Reptile Section at the zoo.
It is also important that she stays in constant communication with the authorities
throughout the project.

7. NOTE: Guided Inquiries are sessions that are grouped together based on a common purpose. One guided inquiry can
be completed in one session or can happen over multiple sessions.
Guided Inquiry 1: Hook / Visit
Purpose
To initiate curiosity about what makes spaces interesting for their users
Suggested Method
 The class visits the Kankaria Zoo.
 In a discussion following the visit, students talk about what they observed,
how they felt, and what information they gathered.
 Based on the responses, the teacher guides the discussion further with
questions such as:
• Is the Reptile Section an interesting space?
• What makes a space interesting for children?
• What things would you add or change so the zoo becomes a place you
would like to go back to?
Showcasing Understanding:
 Each student lists possible solutions to the problem of the Reptile section
being a “boring” place for children to visit.

8. Visit to the Kankaria Zoo (Reptile Section)

9. Guided Inquiry 2: Visits
Purpose
To identify elements that makes a space interesting for children
Suggested Method
 Review the list of possible solutions.
 Revisit the Reptile section and try to apply the solutions in the actual setting.
 As a class, select the ideas which appear to achieve the goal.
 Subsequently, visit the Gandhi Ashram, where a previous grade has
created an Audio Tour for visitors. Prior to the visit:
• Discuss the solutions selected by the class and why.
 During the visit:
• Divide the class in two groups: one with the Audio Tour and one without.
• After the tour, students write an explanation about whether they found
the place interesting or not.
 After the visit:
• Students compare and contrast the experience of each group. Discuss
which group had a more enriching experience and why.
• Students finalize a solution for the reptile section.
Homework
Share with parents why the audio tour will make the reptile section more interesting. Parents give
feedback on whether the student made appropriate connections and gave valid reasons.

10. Visit to Gandhi Ashram (Taking the existing Audio Tour)

11. Guided Inquiry 3: Group work
Purpose
To determine the components of an audio tour (what will engage the audience?)
Suggested Method
 Showcasing Understanding:
• As a class, do a CAF (Consider All Factors), where all the elements that
need to be planned for and incorporated in the audio tour for the reptile
section are listed.
• Determine the sequence in which the factors will be addressed.
Note: Older students who are familiar with audio tours may be asked to interact with the
class and assist them in refining their list.
• Identify skills needed to accomplish each task on the list.
 Lead a dialogue about the importance and need of committees. Stress the
interdependence amongst the committees for a successful output and the
value of each person and committee.
 With the class, identify the committees necessary for the audio tour and their
roles and responsibilities (connect to tasks already identified for the audio
tour). Possible committees:
Script writing Narration
Budget Technology
Map Making Documentation
Research Communication

12. Mind map of all relevant factors for Audio Tour
List of roles and responsibilities for
each committee

13. Guided Inquiry 3: Group work
 Students select a particular committee and provide the reasons why they
should be on that committee (identify strengths / skills, prior experience, etc.)
 Showcasing Understanding:
• Students write the 1st draft of the application letter for the committee they
would like to join.
 Discuss the importance of a well-written and well-presented application letter
(grammar, spelling, handwriting) to convince the reader to hire them.
 Based on feedback from 1st draft, students edit and write the 2 nd drafts.
Provide ongoing feedback as they complete their work.
Homework
 Complete the final draft of application letter, with necessary corrections.
 In class, connect the application letter to interviews for committee selection by
having a dialogue about the purpose of an interview. Review posture, tone of
voice, etc.
 Students are interviewed by teachers from other classes. Students must
convince the interviewer about why they have chosen a particular committee.
 From interviews, teachers select students for the appropriate committee.

14. Committee Interview

15. Interview rubrics

16. Guided Inquiry 4: Authentic Experience
Purpose
To see value in the skills being learnt at school
Suggested Method
 Re-look at why the class is designing the audio tour - Who is the audience?
How will it benefit others?
 Students identify the process of getting the audio tour into the zoo and used
by visitors (i.e., convincing the proper authorities to using the product that is
being created).
** The discussion leads to students identifying writing a letter requesting permission from
the appropriate zoo authorities.
Showcasing Understanding:
 Each student writes a formal letter requesting permission to create an audio
tour for all visitors in the reptile section. Criteria for assessment:
• Purpose visible
• Convincing tone
• Grammatically correct
• Neatness / Legibility

17. Drafting permission letters

18. Guided Inquiry 4: Authentic
Experience
 The teacher identifies the letters that
meet the criteria. The writers of those
letters work as a group to create a
final draft.
Teacher Note: Regularly make connections to
the importance of building language skills to
communicate effectively.
Final letter to authorities

19. Guided Inquiry 4: Authentic Experience
 Go through the necessary protocol to get permission.
 Once permission is granted, students begin to work in their respective
committees (re-look at the roles of each and identify the process by how
they will work in their committee to achieve the goal).
 Students build their background knowledge through research (reading
informative books, reading data at the Reptile House, watching videos,
interviewing caretakers, interacting with recording experts, meeting an
architect for map-making, etc.).
 Committees regularly update each other with what is happening, what has
been accomplished and what needs to be done.

20. Reading informative books on animals
Researching the best device options Interviewing the zoo caretaker

21. Guided Inquiry 5: Application of Design Process / Visit
Purpose
To test and refine, keeping the user in mind
Suggested Method
 Test out the audio tour with students / teachers on campus.
 Visit the zoo to test the audio tour with zoo authorities and get their
feedback.
 Showcasing Understanding:
• Identify problems in the audio tour based on feedback.
• Discuss why it was important to test the audio tour – how it helps meet
the purpose.
• Based on the feedback, students make the necessary changes to
create the final audio tour.
• Analyze whether the testing and feedback made the product better.

22. Testing the audio tour with students Testing the audio tour with zoo authorities

23. Culmination (Showcasing Understanding):
 Add value to the city and make the product visible:
• Hold an event to launch the audio tour.
• Interact with media, authorities, and parents to share about the process
and the product.
Audio Tour Launch

24. Buddy Interaction
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