PYP Programme of Inquiry

PYP – Programme of Inquiry

2012-2013

Transdisciplinary
Themes: / Who We Are / Where We Are In
Place And Time / How We Express Ourselves / How The World Works / How We Organize Ourselves / Sharing The Planet
High 5 / Central Idea: We use play to learn how to become part of a group.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Communicating and developing friendships
*Learning rules and routines
*Sharing
September - November / High 5 participates in four units of inquiry / Central Idea: Favorite stories and nursery rhymes foster and nurture our imagination.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How stories can be told in different ways
*The appreciation of stories
*Myself as a storyteller
November - January / Central Idea: People and nature grow and change.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How we have changed over the year
*Signs of growth in spring
*How nature affects the growth cycle
April - May / High 5 participates in four units of inquiry / Central Idea: The world provides animals with what they need to live.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Animals on land and sea
*Physical adaptations
*Animals past and present
January - March
Kindergarten / Central Idea: People express themselves through celebrations.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How and why people celebrate
*Celebrating people, seasons, beliefs, traditions, and places
*What a celebration is and what we could celebrate
October - November / Central Idea: Games connect us through generations and across cultures.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Why we play games
*How games bring us together
*Games around the world
January - February / Central Idea: We learn about language through rhymes, poems, and songs.
Lines of Inquiry:
*The meaning of rhyme
*Poetry as a form of expression
*How songs help us learn
November - January / Central Idea: Plants have an impact on society and the environment.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Parts of a plant
*How different plants fulfill a variety of needs
*How we depend on plants
April - May / Central Idea: Classrooms are organized to help us learn and play together.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Routines – how our classroom works
*How we take care of our classroom and each other
*How we communicate in school
August - October / Central Idea: We have a responsibility in sharing the world with animals.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Diversity of animals and their observable characteristics
*The environments animals live in
*How humans and animals co-exist
February - March
First Grade / Central Idea: Personal choices affect our well-being
Lines of Inquiry:
*Healthy eating
*Exercise and rest
*Personal hygiene
*Safety
October – November / Central Idea: Communities change according to place and time.
Lines of Inquiry:
*School communities
*Family communities
*The impact of time on community
September - October / Central Idea: Readers and writers think critically to express and discover meaning through text.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Reading as an active process
*How readers interact with characters
*How authors and illustrators develop their ideas
February - April / Central Idea: Earth materials affects life.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How earth materials provide shelter
*How earth materials provide food
*How the size and movement of earth materials impact life.
January – February / Central Idea: Citizens participate in community
Lines of Inquiry:
*School citizenship
*Neighborhood citizenship
*Country citizenship
December - January / Central Idea: There are similarities and differences in all living things.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Characteristics of living things
*Lifecycles
*Habitats and the basic needs of living things
April – May
03/15/14
Who We Are / Where We Are In
Place And Time / How We Express Ourselves / How The World Works / How We Organize Ourselves / Sharing The Planet
Second Grade / Central Idea: The struggles, contributions, and accomplishments of people influence our lives.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Influential people-past and present
*Character traits of influential people
*Struggles human beings experience
October - November / Central Idea: Where we live affects how we live.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Representations of the earth
*Types of community
*Why people live the way they do
January - February / Central Idea: Writers use their personal experiences to express themselves.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How culture and background influences story-telling
*Tools and strategies writers use to express their ideas
*How authors write for a variety of purposes
April - May / Central Idea: What we know about solids, liquids, and gases helps us build useful things.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Properties of matter
*How matter changes
*The challenges and benefits of how matter is used
December – January / Central Idea: Goods and services are exchanged in many ways.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Different marketplaces
*Function of currency
*Resources
March – April / Central Idea: With rights come responsibilities.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Rights, responsibilities, and privileges
*How problems can be solved
*The constitutions of communities
September - October
Third Grade / Central Idea: Understanding how our body functions helps us take care of ourselves.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Body systems and their functions
*How body systems work together
*Consequences of not taking care of the healthy body
January - February / Central Idea: Ancient civilizations influence our lives today.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Ancient Egyptians, Mayans, and Greeks
*Rituals and customs
*Governmental systems
April - May / Central Idea: People tell stories in order to understand a society’s beliefs and values.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Elements of folktales, myths, & fables
*What we learn about culture from these stories
*How the arts are used to tell stories
November - January / Central Idea: The solar system influences life on earth.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Structure of the solar system
*Movements within the solar system
*The influence of the solar system on earth
October - November / Central Idea: Communities are designed to meet people’s needs.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Rules and laws
*Roles and responsibilities of citizens and government in a democracy
*Values of a community
*Resources we use to learn about communities
August - October / Central Idea: Plants and animals survive in environments where their needs are met.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Structures of plants and animals
*Adaptations of plants and animals
*How plants and animals impact each other
February- March
Fourth Grade / Central Idea: We bring experiences from different places to form a community and we impact the world around us.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Our personal stories
*What we bring to and need from the community
*The impact we have on our community
September - October / Central Idea: Geographical features of land affect where and how people live.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How regions are the same and different from one another
*The different ways of life in a country
*How humans adapt to and/or modify the physical environment
*How different resources provide different opportunities
October - November / Central Idea: We connect to other people through communication.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Visual and performing arts
*How writers express feelings through prose
*Verbal and non-verbal communication
March - April / Central idea: Electrical energy is found in various forms and it impacts our daily life.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Energy sources
*How electricity works
*Our responsibility as consumers of energy
January - February / Central Idea: A community is impacted by decisions made by its members.
Lines of Inquiry:
*The process of decision-making
*Understanding and meeting the needs of the community
*The Action Cycle
November - January / Central Idea: Water is essential for all life.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How we obtain water
*How we use or misuse water
*The impact of water on the earth
April - May
Fifth Grade / Central Idea: Language and images are used to influence beliefs and values.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How media is used to influence choices and perspectives
*How media chooses to use different types of strategies
*Making informed choices
December - January / Central Idea: Throughout history, people have experience conflict; resolved and unresolved.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Exploration and its effects on indigenous people
*How people try to solve conflict
*Current conflicts around the world
*Positive and negative effects of risk-taking
January - February / Central Idea: People express who they are through multiple perspectives.
Lines of Inquiry:
*The visual, written, and technical arts
*How events are influenced by multiple perspectives
August - October / Central Idea: Over time innovation impacts how humans live.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Technology over time
*Ways people solve problems
*The advantages and disadvantages of human innovation
February - March / Central Idea: Governmental systems and decisions directly affect the way people live.
Lines of Inquiry:
*Rights and responsibilities of citizens
*Structure of government
*Function of government systems
October - November / Central Idea: Humans change environments in ways that are beneficial or harmful.
Lines of Inquiry:
*How environments and habitats are interconnected
*Choices we make that have an impact on the environment
*The long-term impact of sustaining the environment
April - May