A peek at PYP

Inquiry-based learning is at the core of the IB philosophy at Streams in our first grade classrooms.  First grade students are encouraged to be curious, ask questions, and seek answers. Students take an active role in their learning, exploring topics of interest and developing their understanding through research and investigation. Teachers facilitate the inquiry process by providing guidance, resources, and support, helping students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.  Inquiry is fostered through the development of creativity and innovation, exploring new ways of understanding and solving problems.

In 2nd grade we introduce the 12 IB Attitudes to our students. For their first IB lesson of the year, students read the The Days the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, tying in each IB attitude to the different crayon characters in the story. Students then reflect and choose one of the IB attitudes that describe themselves most accurately. These IB attitude crayons remain on display in the classroom throughout the year. In addition, 2nd graders choose one IB attitude that helped them as a learner through different units on their PYP Portfolio Reflections. The units included in their portfolios are: Our Class and Community, Pioneers and US History , World Culture: Japan Solids and Liquids, and Literature Study: Fairy Tales. 

One of the culminating projects in third grade focuses on the theme: How We Express Ourselves. Students chose a country to focus on throughout the year and each lesson circles back to a previous Transdisciplinary Theme we have explored. For example, for the theme How We Organize Ourselves, student study the organization of our American Government system. They then learn about their country of study’s government system. Each theme is represented as they study their country and the students find unique ways to display their learning in a country scrapbook.   

Students created a collaborative mosaic that is hung inside our school at the Gym entrance. The mosaic was designed by the students. They learned every step of the process including drawing out the design learning how to nip and glue tiles to the concrete board as well as grouting the final mosaic. This mosaic incorporated imagery that the students drew thinking about empathy and thinking about others.