Grade by Grade
B. People and Environments · The Local Community

Investigating Our Community

B2 B2.2 B2.5 B2.6About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can ask a question about how people use or affect a place in my community.
  • I can gather information with a tally chart, photos or an interview.
  • I can look at my information and make a conclusion.
  • I can share what I found out using the right words and a picture, chart or map.

Words to know

inquiry
Finding out about something by asking questions and looking for answers.
tally chart
A chart where you make a mark (|) each time you see something, then count the marks. Marks are grouped in fives so they are easy to count.
observe
To look carefully and notice things.
evidence
The information that shows something is true.
conclusion
What you decide after looking at your evidence.

Be a community investigator!

You have learned about features, areas, services, maps, and how people and the environment affect each other. Now you can investigate your own community, just like a real social scientist.

We use the same 5 steps as before: Ask → Gather → Sort → Decide → Share.

1. Aska question2. Gatherinformation3. Sortinto a chart4. Decidewhat it shows5. Sharewith others
The 5 inquiry steps a community investigator follows, in order.
StepQuestions to ask yourself
1. AskWhat do I want to find out about my community?
2. GatherWhere can I find information? (observe, count, take photos, interview, look at maps)
3. SortHow can I organize it? (tally chart, picture graph, map, list)
4. DecideWhat does my evidence show? What is my conclusion?
5. ShareHow will I tell others? What words will I use?
The inquiry steps for investigating your community

Example investigation: Mila's park

Mila noticed that the garbage cans at her local park were often full. She asked: "Do people at the park put their garbage in the right bins?"

On Saturday, she sat on a bench with her dad for 20 minutes. She made a tally chart of what she observed.

A park bench next to a garbage can and a blue recycling bin, with a lake in the background.
A park like Mila's, with a garbage can and a recycling bin. You could watch which bin people use and keep a tally. AI-generated image
What people didTallyTotal
put garbage in the garbage can||||| ||||9
put a can or bottle in the recycling bin||||| |6
put a recyclable can in the garbage can||||4
left garbage on the ground||2
Mila's tally chart from 20 minutes at the park. Tally marks are grouped in fives (|||||) so they are easy to count. On paper, the fifth mark is drawn across the first four.
02468109garbage ingarbage can6can or bottlerecycled4recyclable ingarbage can2left onthe groundpeople
Mila's tally chart as a bar graph. The first two bars are good choices (9 + 6 = 15). The last two bars are problems (4 + 2 = 6).
Worked example

Example: Let's decide what Mila's evidence shows

Look at Mila's tally chart. What can she conclude? What could she suggest?

  1. Read the chart. 9 people used the garbage can correctly, 6 recycled correctly, 4 put recycling in the garbage, 2 left garbage on the ground.
  2. Add up the good choices: 9 + 6 = 15 people used the bins correctly.
  3. Add up the problems: 4 + 2 = 6 people did not.
  4. Compare: 15 is more than 6, so most people used the bins well, but some did not.
  5. Think of an action: a sign with pictures showing what goes in the recycling bin might help.

Conclusion: Most people (15) used the bins correctly, but 6 did not. Mila could suggest picture signs on the bins and one more bin.

Sharing what you found

Mila shared her findings by:

  • drawing a map of the park with symbols for the bins and a legend,
  • showing her tally chart,
  • saying her conclusion in a full sentence, using words like recycling, garbage, environment, community, effect.

She also sent a drawing of her sign idea to the city.

Just for fun

Why are tally marks great at parties?

Because they always hang out in groups of five!

Hands-on activity

My community investigation

You need: paper, a pencil, a clipboard or book to lean on, and a grown-up.

  1. Ask: choose one question. Ideas:
  • How do people get to my school? (walk, bus, car, bike)
  • Which community services can I see on my street?
  • How do people use our park in winter?
  1. Gather: with a grown-up, observe for 15 to 20 minutes and make a tally chart. You can also take photos or interview a neighbour or a community worker.
  2. Sort: count the tallies. Make a picture graph or put your information on a simple map.
  3. Decide: finish this sentence: "I found out that ___."
  4. Share: present your chart or map to your family and say your conclusion. Use your new words!

Your turn

1

What are the 5 inquiry steps?

2

What is a tally chart?

3

In Mila's chart, how many people put garbage in the garbage can?

4

In Mila's chart, how many people left garbage on the ground?

5

Name two ways to gather information about your community.

6

What is a conclusion?

7

Write a question you could investigate about your community.

More practice: warm-up

1

How many is this tally: ||||?

2

What does observe mean?

3

Who could you interview to learn about the library?

4

Is a photo of the park a source of information? Yes or no.

5

What is the last step of an inquiry?

More practice: on your own

1

In Mila's chart, how many people recycled correctly or used the garbage can correctly in all?

2

How many more people put garbage in the garbage can than put a recyclable can in the garbage?

3

Ravi counted: 12 kids walk to school, 5 take the bus, 3 come by car. What is his conclusion?

4

Why should Mila observe for 20 minutes instead of just 1 minute?

5

Name two ways Mila could share her findings.

Challenge

1

Mila only watched on one sunny Saturday. Why might her results be different on a snowy Tuesday?

2

Based on Mila's evidence, what is one long-term effect if nothing changes?

3

Plan an investigation: Do people in my neighbourhood use the sidewalk or the road to walk in winter? What would you gather, and how would you sort it?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What is the first step of an investigation?

2.

Which tool helps you count what you observe?

3.

How many does this tally show: ||||| | ?

4.

In Mila's chart, which was the most common thing people did?

5.

What is evidence?

6.

Which is a good way to share your findings?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Students use the inquiry process to investigate how people interact with natural and built features in their community, gather and organize information (tally charts, photos, interviews, maps), draw conclusions from evidence and communicate results using appropriate vocabulary.

How to help at home:

  • Choose a small, safe question you can investigate together in 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Let your child make the tally marks; you can record words for them.
  • Ask "How do you know?" to connect their conclusion to their evidence.

Common difficulties:

  • Tally marks. The fifth mark crosses the first four. Practise counting groups of 5.
  • Conclusions without evidence. Push gently: "What in your chart shows that?"
  • Too big a question. "Is our city clean?" is too big. "Is the park near us clean on Saturday morning?" is just right.