The Primary Years Programme

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The Primary Years Programme
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What is the International Baccalaureate
Organisation (IBO)?

• The IBO is a not for profit educational
  foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland. It
  offers the Diploma Programme (final 2 years of
  school), the Middle Years Programme (11- 16 years
  of age) and the Primary Years Programme (3 12
  years of age).
• The IBO provides curriculum assessment
  development, teacher education, information
  sessions, electronic networking and other
  educational services to IB schools.

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IBO Mission Statement

• The International Baccalaureate
  Organisation aims to develop inquiring,
  knowledgeable and caring young people who help to
  create a better and more peaceful world through
  intercultural understanding and respect.
• To this end the organization works with
  schools, governments and international
  organizations to develop challenging programmes
  of international education and rigorous
  assessment.
• These programmes encourage students across
  the world to become active, compassionate and
  lifelong learners who understand that other
  people, with their differences, can also be
  right.

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The Primary Years Programme (PYP)

• The PYP is a transdisciplinary programme of
  international education designed to foster the
  development of the whole child.  
• It is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It
  focuses on the total growth of the developing
  child, touching hearts as well as minds and
  encompassing social, physical, emotional and
  cultural needs in addition to academic
  development.
• The PYP draws on research and best practice from
  a range of national systems with a wealth of
  knowledge and experience from international
  schools to create a relevant, engaging,
  challenging and significant educational framework
  for all children.

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Inquiry Based Learning
The PYP promotes the education of the whole
person, emphasising intellectual, personal,
emotional and social growth through all domains
of knowledge, leading to a life of active,
responsible citizenship.At its heart there is a
commitment to structured inquiry as the leading
vehicle for life-long learning.Six
transdisciplinary themes provide the framework
for the exploration of knowledge. Teachers and
students are guided by these themes as they
design units of work for exploration and study.
Students explore subject areas through these
themes, often in ways that transcend conventional
subject boundaries. In the process, they develop
an understanding of important concepts, acquire
essential skills and knowledge, develop
particular attitudes and learn to take socially
responsible action.
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The IB Learner ProfileThe philosophy of the PYP
is expressed in a series of desired attributes
and traits that characterise students with an
international perspective. Taken together they
create a profile of PYP students. These values
infuse all elements of the PYP.

• Inquirer
• Knowledgeable
• Thinker
• Communicator
• Principled
• Open-minded
• Caring
• Risk-taker
• Balanced
• Reflective

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Essential Element Attitudes

• Alongside the curriculum, students are explicitly
  taught to practice certain Attitudes. These help
  to define a person who is a responsible citizen
  of the local and world community.
• Students should demonstrate the following
• Tolerance
• Respect
• Integrity
• Independence
• Enthusiasm
• Empathy
• Curiosity
• Creativity
• Cooperation
• Confidence
• Commitment
• Appreciation

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Essential Element ConceptsThe PYPs fundamental
concepts are articulated as key questions and
they drive the inquiry process. Each questions
is comprehensive and integrates many ideas.

• Form What is it like?
• Function How does it work?
• Causation Why is it like it is?
• Change How is it changing?
• Connection How is it connected to other things?
• Perspective What are the points of view?
• Responsibility What is our responsibility?
• Reflection How do we know?

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Essential Element SkillsInquiry Based Learning
aims to provide students with skills that are the
foundation for life-long learning.

• Thinking skills Acquisition of knowledge,
  comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,
  evaluation, dialectical thought, metacognition
• Social skills Accepting responsibility,
  respecting others, cooperating, resolving
  conflict, group decision making, adopting a
  variety of group roles
• Communication skills Listening, speaking,
  reading, writing, viewing, presenting, non-verbal
  communication
• Self-management skills Gross motor skills, fine
  motor skills, spatial awareness, organisation,
  time management, safety, healthy life style,
  codes of behaviour, informed choices
• Research skills Formulating questions,
  observing, planning, collecting data, recording
  data, organising data, interpreting data,
  presenting research data

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Essential Element Action

• Student initiated demonstrations of deeper
  learning through service to fellow students,
  school and the community.

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Curriculum ModelThese four Essential Elements
concepts, skills, attitudes and action are
relevant in and across all subject areas and
provide the framework for structured and
purposeful inquiry. They can have different
applications and interpretations, depending on
the subject area. The fifth element is
knowledge, which is considered to be a holistic
understanding of ideas, not merely the
acquisition of facts and skills.This body of
significant knowledge is identified in six
principle subject areas language social
studies mathematics science and technology the
arts personal, social and physical learning and
are integrated into the six transdisciplinary
themes as seen around the outside of the model.
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Essential Element KnowledgeThe PYP recognises
that educating students in a set of isolated
subject areas, while necessary, is not
sufficient. Of equal importance is the need to
acquire skills in context, and to explore content
that is relevant to students, and transcends the
boundaries of the traditional subjects. Hence,
students of the PYP study Units of Inquiry within
each of the following six transdisciplinary
themes

• Who we are
• An Inquiry into the nature of the self beliefs
  and values personal, physical, mental, social
  and spiritual health human relationships
  including families, friends and communities, and
  cultures rights and responsibilities what it
  means to be human
• Where we are in place and time
• An inquiry into orientation on place and time
  personal histories homes and journeys the
  discoveries, explorations and migrations of
  humankind the relationships between and the
  interconnectedness of individuals and
  civilisations, from local and global
  perspectives.
• How we express ourselves
• An inquiry into the ways in which we discover
  and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture,
  beliefs and values the ways in which we reflect
  on , extend and enjoy our creativity our
  appreciation of the aesthetic.

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Transdisciplinary Themes cont

• How the world works
• An inquiry into the natural world and its laws
  the interaction between the natural world
  (physical and biological) and human societies
  how humans use their understanding of scientific
  principles the impact of scientific and
  technological advances on society and the
  environment.
• How we organise ourselves
• An inquiry into the interconnectedness of
  human-made systems and communities the structure
  and function of organisations societal
  decision-making economic activities and their
  impact on humankind and the environment.
• Sharing the planet
• An inquiry into the rights and responsibilities
  in the struggle to share finite resources with
  other people and with other living things
  communities and the relationships within and
  between them access to equal opportunities
  peace and conflict resolution.

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The Inquiry ProcessThe Central Idea

• Every class studies six Units of Inquiry each
  year within the six transdisciplinary themes.
• Each of the units has a Central Idea. This is
  the enduring understanding that we want students
  to take away from their learning experiences
  throughout the unit.
• The Central Idea should be substantial enough to
  generate in-depth inquiry, and should challenge
  and extend students prior knowledge.
• It should be of global significance.
• Some examples of Central Ideas
• Our use of the ocean impacts upon the
  creatures that call it their home.
• Finding peaceful solutions to conflict leads
  to a better quality of human life
• Family histories provide insight into
  culture, and shape who we are today.

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The Inquiry Process

• At the beginning of an inquiry unit, students are
  provided with provocations, experiences and
  opportunities to develop a curiosity about the
  Central Idea.
• This is called the Immersion stage.
• Activities might include excursions,
  multi-literacy discoveries, hands-on experiences
  and analysis of artefacts.
• This time is an opportunity for teachers to find
  out what students already know to inform future
  teaching. This is known as Formative Assessment.

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The Inquiry Process

• Students are encouraged to ask questions related
  to the Central Idea which are used to guide the
  learning experiences throughout the unit.
• Once questions have been raised, students then
  embark on the journey of finding out and sorting
  out.
• This is a time for teachers to support students
  in the acquisition of certain skills, concepts,
  attitudes and knowledge.

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The Inquiry Process

• Towards the end of a Unit of Inquiry, students
  will complete a summative assessment task, which
  is an opportunity for the students to show the
  skills, concepts and knowledge that they have
  developed throughout the unit.
• These tasks might include open-ended tasks,
  dioramas, detailed posters, books, Mind Maps,
  flow charts, verbal presentations, debates etc.

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The Inquiry Process

• Throughout and beyond the units of inquiry,
  students are encouraged to take action.
• The action should be student initiated, and stems
  from a successful inquiry.
• In past units, this action has included tree
  planting, rubbish pick-ups, recycling campaigns,
  seeking out family members to learn about
  personal histories, and finding and sharing
  newspaper articles.

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The Inquiry Process

• Throughout and at the end of every unit students
  are guided in self and peer reflection. This
  encourages students to think critically and
  reflect on their acquisition of the five
  Essential Elements

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Parent Involvement

• Parents can make the Learner Profile part of the
  home life by modelling behaviours and making the
  language explicit.
• Parents are often a fantastic resource and can be
  an expert visitor in the classroom.
• Parent helpers are often welcome on excursions,
  numbers permitting.
• Parents are encouraged to assist their child in
  contributing to the Artefact/Action Table.
  Objects from home can really stimulate classroom
  discussion and further develop the inquiry.
• Parents are invited to the Celebration of
  Learning that happens at the end of each unit.
  These take place during the day and are a great
  way to share your childs successes in an
  exciting setting.
• Talking about the sorts of Inquiries that are
  happening at school in your family, can really
  motivate students to find out more. Encourage
  your child to ask questions and try to find the
  answers together. Read books that relate to the
  topic, and bring them to school to share.
• Encourage your child to take ACTION. Help them
  realise that the way they act really does
  influence the way others feel, think and act.
  They can make a difference!

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Resources

• IBO Website www.ibo.org This website provides
  further information about the PYP.
• Making the PYP Happen available at the office.
  An in depth resource outlining the whole school
  implementation of the PYP