PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY

School Year 2014-2015

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

Inquiry into the nature

of the self; beliefs and
values; person,
physical, mental,
social and spiritual
health; human
relationships including
families, friends,
communities, and
cultures; rights and
responsibilities; what it
means to be human.

Inquiry into orientation in

place and time; personal
histories; homes and
journeys; the discoveries,
explorations and
migrations of humankind;
the relationship between
and the
interconnectedness of
individuals and
civilizations, from local and
global perspectives.

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.

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 on the
environment

Inquiry into the

interconnectedness of
human-made systems
and communities; the
structure and function of
organizations; societal
decision-making;
economic activities and
their impact on
humankind and the
environment.

Inquiry into rights and

responsibilities in the
struggle to share finite
resources with other
people and other living
things; communities
and the relationship
within and between
them; access to equal
opportunities; peace
and conflict resolution.

Central idea
Through play we express our
feelings and ideas and come to
new understandings

Central idea
The Earths natural cycles
influence the activity of living
things.
Key concepts
causation, change, connection

Central idea
Knowing how we are the
same with and different from
others help us understand
ourselves.
Key concepts
causation, perspective,
reflection
Related concepts
movements, growth
similarities and differences
Lines of inquiry
Physical and personal
characteristics
Personal abilities and
preferences

Key concepts
function, connection,
perspective
Related concepts
imagination, creativity,
communication
Lines of inquiry
Communicating through
play
Imaginative use of
materials
The role of toys in play

Related concepts
cycles, interaction, pattern
Lines of inquiry
Natural cycles (eg. night
and day, weather patterns,
seasons)
The actions people take in
response to Earths natural
cycles
Patterns of behaviour in
living things related to
Earths natural cycles

Central idea
Animals and people interact
in different ways in different
contexts.
Key concepts
connection, form,
responsibility
Related concepts
characteristics, relationship,
needs
Lines of inquiry
The different roles of
animals play in peoples
lives
Suitability of particular
animals for specific
functions

 Similarities and
differences between
ourselves and others
PK

Our responsibility for the

well-being of animals.

Central idea
Family relationships
contribute to shaping our
identity.

Central idea
Stories can engage their
audience and communicate
meaning.

Key concepts
form, responsibility,
reflection

Key concepts
form, connection, perspective

Lines of inquiry
Diversity of families
Responsibilities within
the family
How families influence
who we become

Central idea
Awareness of our
characteristics, abilities and
interests informs our
learning and development.
Key concepts
form, connection, reflection
Related concepts:identity
similarities & differences,
relationships, well-being
Lines of inquiry
Our concept of self
Our capabilities and
limitations
How our concept of self
affect our personal
development and our
relationship with others

Central idea
The choices people make
affect their health and wellbeing.

Central idea
Homes reflect cultural influences
and local conditions.
Key concepts
causation, connection,
perspective
Related concepts
culture, needs, locality
Lines of inquiry
What constitutes a home
How homes reflect family
values
How homes reflect local
culture
Factors that determine where
people live

Central idea
History links generations.
Key concepts

Central idea
Plants sustain life on Earth
and play a role in our lives.

Key concepts
causation, change, connection

Key concepts
causation, function,
responsibility

Related concepts
form, function, cycles,
transformation, similarities and
differences

Related concepts
interdependence,
appreciation, goods

Lines of inquiry
How to construct an
effective story
What stories can convey
How stories are created and
shared
Feelings and emotions that
stories evoke

Lines of inquiry
Patterns of growth
How living things change
over their lifetime
Factors that can influence
life cycles

Lines of inquiry
Caring for plants
Products we derive from
plants
How plants contribute to
life on Earth

Central idea
Celebrations and traditions are
expressions of shared beliefs
and values.

Central idea
Materials behave and interact
in certain ways, which
determine how people use
them.

Related concepts
communication,
characterization, expression

Related concepts
relationships, culture,
connection, similarities and
differences, roles

Central idea
All living things go through a
process of change.

Key concepts
form, connection, perspective
Related concepts
beliefs and values, symbols,
culture, family

Key concepts
function, causation, change
Related concepts:
behavior, prediction, innovation

Lines of inquiry
Features of different
celebrations
Symbolic representations
of celebrations and their
meanings
How celebrations and
traditions reflect family
beliefs and values

Lines of inquiry
Behavior of materials
Changing properties of
materials
Manipulation and
application of materials to
new purposes

Central idea
Images communicate ideas and
information.

Central idea
People apply their
understanding of forces and
energy to invent and create.

Central idea
People play different roles in
the communities to which they
belong.
Key concepts
form, function, responsibility
Related concepts
community, rules, interaction
Lines of inquiry
Various communities we
belong to
Roles of people who are
part of our community
How communities are
organized

Central idea
Physical and virtual public
spaces provide people with
opportunities to make

Central idea
People interact with, use and
value the natural
environment in different
ways.
Key concepts
causation, responsibility,
reflection
Related concepts
order, conservation,
interdependence
Lines of inquiry
Local Natural
Environment
Human use other local
environment
Actions that benefit or
harm the local
environment

Central idea
People can make choices
and establish practices to
sustain the Earths
resources.

change, connection, causation

Key concepts
causation, responsibility,
reflection

Lines of inquiry
Similarities and differences
between and amongst
generations
How the past generations
affect the present generation
Artifacts, heirlooms or rituals
that have meaning in the
family

Lines of inquiry
Image as a medium of
communication
How images reflect beliefs,
values and culture
How we interpret and
respond to images

Central idea
Relationships between the
community and individuals
impact ones beliefs, values
and action.

Central idea
Interpretation of artifacts
contributes to our understanding
of peoples' histories.

Central idea
Through the arts people use
different forms of expression to
convey their uniqueness as
human beings.

Related concepts
interaction, relationship,
beliefs and values,
interdependence
Lines of inquiry
How we develop
relationships
Roles and
responsibilities within
relationships
Impacts of communitys
beliefs and values to
relationships

Central idea
Complex factors affect
human growth and
development.
Key concepts

Key concepts
form, function, reflection
Related concepts
artifact, history, value
Lines of inquiry
How people analyze artifacts
How artifacts contribute to
our understanding of the past
Why people keep or discard
artifacts

Key concepts
form, function, causation

Related concepts

Related concepts wellbeing, balance

choice, influence
communication,
perception,values, culture
Lines of inquiry
How different factors
affect our choices
The effects of the
choices we make on our
health
The responsibility of
people in maintaining a
healthy lifestyle

Key concepts
causation, responsibility,
function

Related concepts
history, influence, heritage, time

Key concepts:
function, perspective, reflection

Key concepts
function, perspective, reflection
Related concepts
perception, self-expression,
uniqueness
Lines of inquiry
The diverse ways in which
people express
themselves.

Related concepts
technology, ingenuity,
forces, energy
Lines of inquiry
Inventions that impact
peoples lives
How circumstances lead to
the creation of important
inventions
How understanding forces
and energy helps inventors

Central idea
A variety of energy sources
impact the world.
Key concepts
perspective, responsibility,
change
Related concepts
energy, matter,interaction
Lines of inquiry
Different forms of energy
uses
How energy is used
How uses of energy affect
the world

How everyone can express

their uniqueness in the
arts.
How uniqueness can be
manifested through arts

Central idea
The development of global
perspectives is supported
through understanding our place
in the world in relation to others.

Central idea
People can create or
manipulate messages
to target specific audiences.
Key concepts

Central idea
Natural materials can undergo
changes that may provide
challenges and benefits for
society and the environment.

connections and establish a

sense of community.
Key concepts
function, connection,
responsibility
Related concepts
purpose, interaction, behavior,
community
Lines of inquiry
Different purposes of
public spaces
How people connect in
public spaces
The responsibility of
people in public spaces to
maintain or promote a
sense of community
Central idea
Systems need to be in place to
maintain the organization in
communities.
Key concepts
change, responsibility,
connection
Related concepts
interdependence,
organizations, systems
Lines of inquiry
The concept of
organization
Different systems of
organization that we use
personally
Different systems of
organization in our
community
Collection, storage and
use of information for
organization

Central idea
Economic activity relies on
systems of production,
exchange and consumption of
goods and services.

Key concepts
form, responsibility, change
Related concepts
resources, survival,
sustainability,
balance
Lines of inquiry
Earths renewable and
nonrenewable resources
Issues related to the
changes of Earth and its
resources
How personal choices
and practices impact the
environment

Central idea
When interacting with natural
habitats, humans make
choices that have an impact
on other living things.
Key concepts
form, causation,
responsibility
Related concepts
habitat, interdependence,
behavioural adaptations,
diversity
Lines of inquiry
Balance between rights
and responsibilities when
interacting with natural
habitats
How living things
respond to changing
environmental conditions
Relationship of living
things

Central idea
Distribution of wealth affects
communities and individuals
access to equal
opportunities.

function, responsibility,
change
Related concepts
system, lifestyle, growth,
development

Related concepts
context, location, orientation

function, perspective, reflection

Related concepts
media, advertising, propaganda
Lines of inquiry
How images, text and music
are used to influence
behaviour of target
audiences
Critical evaluation of
messages presented in the
media
How people respond to
messages

Lines of inquiry
Organs and their
function in a system
Internal and external
factors affecting human
growth and development
Impact of lifestyle to
human growth and
development

Lines of inquiry
How we represent place
Representation of place
through time
The relationship of our
location to other parts of the
world

Central idea
Interactions amongst the
body systems contribute to
health and survival

Central idea
A communitys response to
significant events provides an
insight into the history and values
of that community.

Central idea
Using different materials,
creativity can be enhanced
through imagination and
appreciation of art.

Key concepts
causation, perspective, change

Key concepts: form,

perspective, change

Related concepts
impact, bias, evidence, values

Related concepts
characteristics, appreciation,
creativity, imagination

Key concepts
connection, function,
causation
Related concepts
interdependence, health,
system
Lines of inquiry
Body systems and how
they work
How body systems are
connected to function
properly
Impact of lifestyle
choices on the body

Key concepts
connection, perspective,
responsibility

Central idea
Changes people experience
at different stages of their
lives affect their evolving
sense of self.
Key concepts

Lines of inquiry
The ways in which significant
events may be recognized,
locally and/or globally
How a significant event has
an impact on a community
Why viewpoints differ about
significant events

Central idea
Evidence of past civilizations can
be used to make connections to
present-day societies.
Key concepts
causation, change, connection

Lines of inquiry
How different materials can
be used to express
creativity
Learning about art through
different lenses develop
appreciation
Relating properties of
materials to the objects they
are made into

Key concepts
change, function, responsibility
Related concepts
sustainability, transformation,
industrialization
Lines of inquiry
Conditions that cause
reversible and irreversible
changes in materials
How societies take
advantage of the properties
of materials
The impact of retrieval,
production and the use of
materials on the
environment

Central idea
Human survival is connected to
understanding the continual
changing nature of the Earth
Key concepts
form, function, connection
Related concepts
conservation, transformation,
interaction, cycle
Lines of inquiry
How the different
components of the earth
interrelated
How the Earth has changed
and is continuing to change
Why the Earth changes
Human response to the
Earth changes

Central idea
A persons behaviour and how
they choose to present
themselves project aspects of
their identity.

Central idea
Understanding of scientific
knowledge is constantly
evolving and has an impact on
peoples lives.

Key concepts

Key concepts
form, reflection, responsibility

Key concepts
function, connection,
responsibility
Related concepts
interdependence, inequity, fair
trade

Key concepts
form, causation, reflection
Related concepts
wealth, power, access

Lines of inquiry
The role of supply and
demand
The distribution of goods
and services
Our responsibility as
consumers

Lines of inquiry
Relationship between
wealth and power
The impact of distribution
of wealth on communities
and individuals
Equitable access to
resources and
opportunities

Central idea
Communities provide
interconnected services
designed to meet peoples
needs.

Central idea
Biodiversity relies on
maintaining the
interdependent balance of
organisms within systems.

Key concepts
function, reflection, connection

Key concepts
connection, responsibility,
function

Related concepts
cooperation, community,
culture, geography
Lines of inquiry
Distinct characteristics of
communities
Services needed to
support the community
How different communities
contribute to national
development

Central idea
Government systems influence
the lives of citizens.
Key concepts
function, perspective,
responsibility

Related concepts
Balance, biodiversity,
interdependence
Lines of inquiry
Interdependence within
ecosystems, biomes and
environments
Ways in which organisms
are interconnected in
nature
How human interaction
with the environment can
affect the balance of
systems

PYP Exhibition

function, change,
responsibility
Related concepts
identity, maturity, well-being,
system
Lines of inquiry
Changes that happen as
individuals grow
Physical, social,
emotional and
intellectual responsibility
for our own identity
Factors that contribute
to well-being during
adolescence

Related concepts
continuity, progress, difference,
influence
Lines of inquiry
Characteristics of civilizations
and societies
Connections between past
and present.
Implications for the future
Processes involved in
collecting, analyzing and
validating evidence

causation, perspective,
reflection
Related concepts
identity, status, image,
impression
Lines of inquiry
How appearance and
behaviour influence our
perception of a person.
The influence of cultural
and social norms on how
we choose to present
ourselves
Fashion as a form of
expression

Related concepts
creativity, progress, ethics,
discovery

Related concepts
equality, citizenship,
governance, law

Lines of inquiry
What leads to advances in
scientific knowledge and
understanding
The role of technology in
scientific understanding
The effects of scientific
advances on people and
the environment

Lines of inquiry
How government systems
function
How decision-making
practices reflect human
rights
Impact of government on
citizens
The rights and
responsibilities of the
government and the
citizens