SCHOOL
I.B. PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAM
Primary Years Program (PYP) is for students from age 3 to grade 5. The PYP prepares students to become lifelong learners who care for others and respect differences. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer who is curious and questioning, both within and beyond the classroom.
PYP emphasizes early international mindedness. We weave trans-disciplinary and global themes into developmentally appropriate units from early childhood through elementary, enhancing each student’s life-long understanding in 6 essential areas.
There are six units (for K-5 students) and four units of inquiry (for age 3-Pre-K students) under the six trans-disciplinary themes listed below. Early childhood students are required to complete a unit under How We Express Ourselves and Who We Are.
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Who we are
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Where we are in place and time
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How the world works
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How we express ourselves
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Sharing the planet
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How we organize ourselves
Essential Elements of PYP
Knowledge
The units of inquiry
Key Concepts
The eight key concepts are for in-depth understanding that is beyond the subject area.
Skills
Students develop and apply these skills in class and the outside world such as cooperating as a social skill or organization as a self-management skill.
Action
An in depth inquiry will lead to responsible action for students in each unit of inquiry.
Unit content is based on the common core Science and Social Studies skills which have been reorganized to have deeper focus and connect to global issues.
PYP has different types of assessment that are done to understand students’ pre-knowledge and the process as well as the end result.