IB Community Theme in the PYP

1. IB Community Theme in the PYP Sharing Our Humanity Irene Davy Sunnybrook School, Toronto, Canada

2. How might we best approach the IB Community Theme in the PYP?

3. There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. ~Marshall McLuhan, 1964

4. How do we help our children navigate on spaceship earth? The IB Community Theme represents a unifying direction that IB World Schools can collectively strive to follow. This is a voluntary programme, with the purpose of assisting schools in addressing international mindedness in the school and the curriculum.

5. The Community Theme is a voluntary programme of the IB This power point was developed as a reflection by a school practitioner for sharing with PYP colleagues. It is meant to be a tool for schools who wish to explore the community themes in their school. Colleagues should feel free to use this power point and alter it to suit their needs in their school. It represents one educator’s view of the potential of the community theme and possible approaches.

6. What are the issues of the Community Theme? • Global poverty • Peace and conflict • Education for all • Global infectious diseases • Digital divide: the uneven distribution of access to electronic media • Disasters and emergencies

7. In the PYP we can lay the groundwork for understanding the issues of the Community Theme by teaching the related concepts. That will best be done within the familiar and powerful framework of the Programme of Inquiry

8. Suggested connection of a transdisciplinary theme to the community theme issues Who we are: An exploration of the nature of the self; of our beliefs and values; of personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; Global infectious diseases of our families, friends, communities and cultures; Peace and conflict of our rights and responsibilities; Education for all of what it means to be human

9. Under ‘Who we are’ students could explore: • The effect of poverty on people locally and globally • Peace in the context of the classroom and the school • How education helps us grow and contributes to our opportunities in the future • The impact of illness and health on our lives • The power and importance of technology • The impact of natural disasters around the world

10. Some Transdisciplinary themes lend themselves better to exploring the community theme issues in relation to other units: Where we are in time and place An inquiry into orientation in place and time; Where are natural disasters located, connections between location and diseases… personal histories; The potential impact of disease, conflict, natural disasters on family histories… homes and journeys; Migrations caused by conflict, disease or natural disasters… the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; The fight against disease… the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives How disease travels and affects populations, the phenomenon of refugees, the impact of natural disasters near and far…

11. Connecting a transdisciplinary theme to the community theme issues How the World Works An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; Disasters and emergencies The interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; Global infectious diseases; disaster and emergencies How humans use their understanding of scientific principles; The digital divide; global infectious diseases; disasters and emergencies The impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment The digital divide; education for all; global infectious diseases

12. Connecting a transdisciplinary theme to the community theme issues How we organize ourselves: An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human made systems and communities; The digital divide the structure and function of organizations; Peace and conflict societal decision making; Disasters and emergencies economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment

13. Connecting a transdisciplinary theme to the community theme issues Sharing the Planet An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; Global poverty; digital divide communities and the relationships within and between them; Peace and conflict access to equal opportunities; Education for all; global infectious diseases; the digital divide peace and conflict resolution Peace and conflict

14. How might we further explore the ideas of the community theme ‘conflict prevention’ in units of inquiry? A kindergarten unit, under who we are, with the Central Idea: The way we think and act affects our relationships. And the following lines of inquiry: • Different relationships • How friends act and think towards each other • Behavior that will help our relationships with others • Why relationships are important Could include a line of inquiry such as: • The effect of conflict on relationships

15. How might we further explore the ideas of the community theme ‘education for all’ in units of inquiry? A grade 6 unit with the Central Idea: Learning is a physiological process which defines our humanity and connects our selves to our world. And the following lines of inquiry: • How we learn • The biology of learning • The uniqueness of human learning • Kinds of learning Could include a line of inquiry such as: • The relationship between education and learning

16. How might we further explore the ideas of the community theme ‘disasters and emergencies’ in units of inquiry? A grade 5 unit with the Central Idea: Throughout history people have moved and brought about change. And the following lines of inquiry: • Reasons people migrate • Where they come from and where they go to • Effects on indigenous populations Could include a line of inquiry such as: • The impact of natural disasters on human migration

17. How might we further explore the ideas of the community theme ‘the digital divide’ in units of inquiry? A grade 3 unit with the Central Idea: Technology helps us to organize ourselves. And the following lines of inquiry: • Types of technology • How we use technology • How technology has changed the way we organize ourselves Could include a line of inquiry such as: • How our lives would be different if we had no access to technology in today’s world

18. What knowledge will a school focus on when addressing the community theme? These are some ideas of areas to address: • What does poverty look like, at home and abroad? • What is conflict, and where is it found in the world? • What is peace and how can we work towards it? • Why is education important for all people of the world? • What are the diseases threatening humanity and how can they be fought? • The role of technology, and its impact on our lives • The causes and consequences of natural disasters

19. Another approach to the CT would be to look at related concepts within the CT, and see where you might be able to address those within existing units of inquiry. i.e. Global poverty Some Related Concepts: • Wealth • Equality • Inequity • Opportunity • …

20. Another issue of the CT would require different related concepts which may suit one or more of your units. i.e. Global infectious diseases Some Related Concepts: • Health care • Prevention • Immunization • Nutrition • Treatment

21. Action - every school will discover its own unique opportunities for action within the community theme Much action occurring in schools already will be relevant to the CT. Every school who participates may wish to make the connection between their actions and the CT more explicit.

22. Inquirers Thinkers Communicators Knowledgeable Principled Well Balanced Open Minded Caring Risk Taker Reflective It would also be possible to explore connections between the Learner Profile and the CT.

23. Good Luck with the Community Theme!