The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. Students are encouraged to be curious, be inquisitive, ask questions and explore and interact with the environment physically, socially and intellectually.
In the PYP we teach our curriculum expectations within six units of inquiry. These units of inquiry are the framework of HOW we teach; our curriculum expectations are WHAT we teach. When planning these units of inquiry, we explore six transdisciplinary themes: Who We Are; Where We Are in Place and Time; How We Organize Ourselves; How We Express Ourselves; How the World Works; and Sharing the Planet. Transdisciplinary simply means across all subject areas. These themes are taught each year in every grade level but focus on different globally significant issues.
For example, in a unit of inquiry about the transdisciplinary theme “Who We Are” students learn about the self, values, health and human interactions. To teach this theme in KG2, students learn about our school community whereas in Grade Five, students learn about our body systems.
To support these inquiries, students develop knowledge and acquire skills from science, social studies, arts, literacy, math and personal, social and physical education. In addition, students develop skills such as decision-making, listening, collecting data and working collaboratively.
All students know that a unit of inquiry involves in-depth exploration of an important idea, and that the teacher will be collecting evidence of how well they understand that idea. Students are expected to work in a variety of ways, including on their own and in groups, to allow them to learn to their best advantage. A PYP classroom is an intelligent place, where success is highly valued.
Kind regards,
Erika van Vogt
IB PYP Coordinator
American International School of Kuwait
an IBO World School
…distinguished in educating and nurturing unique and self-reliant world citizens.
