Primary Years Programme
Primary Years Programme Curriculum Model
Developed by educators from all over the world, the Primary Years Programme engages students in a uniquely international program focused on the total growth of the developing child, touching hearts as well as minds. It embraces a structured, in-depth inquiry into curriculum that complements the Alberta Education Program of Studies. The PYP culminates with an exhibition at the Grade 5 level. Also, the IB Learner Profile is an important element of the PYP programme.
PYP Concepts: What Do We Want Students to Understand?
Central to the philosophy of the PYP is the principle that purposeful, structured inquiry is a powerful vehicle for learning that promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage with significant ideas. Therefore, in the PYP there is also a commitment to a concept-driven curriculum as a means of supporting that inquiry. The PYP provides a framework for the curriculum, including seven key concepts as one of the essential elements. It is accepted that these are not, in any sense, the only concepts worth exploring. Taken together, they form a powerful curriculum component that inspires the teacher- and/or student-constructed inquiries that lie at the heart of the PYP curriculum.
- 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?
Knowledge: What Do We Want Students to Know About?
The PYP recognizes 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. Ernest Boyer proposed that students explore a set of themes representing shared human experiences such as "Response to the Aesthetic" and "Membership in Groups". He referred to these as "Core Commonalities". In the PYP, this idea of human commonalities shapes the transdisciplinary themes.
- Who We Are
- Where We Are in Time & Place
- How We Express Ourselves
- How the World Works
- How We Organize Ourselves
- Sharing the Planet
Approaches to Learning Skills: What Do We Want Students to Be Able to Do?
There are five sets of skills that are acquired through all disciplines in the PYP programme:
- Thinking Skills
- Communication Skills
- Social Skills
- Research Skills
- Self-Management Skills
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