Knowledge- What do we want students to know about?
In order to ensure that our students are experiencing the best possible education teachers at South Lake are writing units of inquiry that are:
- Engaging- Of interest to the students, and involving them actively in their own learning.
- Relevant- Linked to the students' prior knowledge, experience, and current circumstances therefore placing learning in a context that is connected to the lives of the students.
- Challenging- Extending the prior knowledge and experience of the students to increase their competencies and understanding.
- Significant- Contributing to an understanding of the transdisciplinary nature of the themes, and therefore to an understanding of common human experiences.
Six Transdisciplinary Themes
The units that South Lake teachers are writing are organized under six themes that have global significance. The six themes help us to write units that connect the Michigan content standards and different subject areas together. This is important because we are preparing our students for a world in which there is not a specific reading, writing, social studies or science time but an interconnection of all.
Another key aspect of the PYP is that these themes will be revisited each year but with a different focus. This will give our students an in depth understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Who we are
An inquiry into:
- the nature of the self;
- beliefs and values;
- personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health;
- human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures;
- rights and responsibilities;
- what it means to be human.
Where we are in place and time
An inquiry into:
- orientation in place and time;
- personal histories;
- homes and journeys;
- the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind;
- the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
How we express ourselves
An 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;
How the world works
An 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.
How we organize ourselves
An 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.
Sharing the planet
An inquiry into:
- rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things;
- communities and the relationships within and between them;
- access to equal opportunities;
- peace and conflict resolution.