The POI & UOI
Developing a Transdisciplinary POI
Transdisciplinary POI: Summary
The Program of Inquiry (POI) serves as a framework for our curriculum and illustrates the major concepts that students will be exploring. It is made up of six units per grade level that help students gain an understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Transdisciplinary learning is the exploration of a relevant concept, issue or problem that integrates the perspectives of multiple disciplines in order to connect new knowledge and deeper understanding to real life experiences.
A transdisciplinary programme of inquiry offers students a broad, balanced, conceptual and connected learning experience.
Six transdisciplinary themes form the structure of the programme of inquiry.
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.
The themes capture human commonalities that are significant and relevant across cultures, geographic regions and student learning stages.
A well-designed programme of inquiry ensures students gain a balance of subject-specific knowledge, conceptual understandings and skills, alongside opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile and to take action.
Units of inquiry are collaboratively planned, developed and continually modified based on reflection with students.
Source: ibo.org / Magellan International School
Revised Transdisciplinary Theme Descriptors
The transdisciplinary themes remain the same and continue to be central to the structure of the program of inquiry (POI)
What has changed?The descriptors have moved from commonalities of human experience to a balance between human and natural worlds.
*** Schools can begin using the new theme descriptors now – by September 2027 all PYP schools will be required to be using the new descriptors
Source: ibo.org
PYP Transdisciplinary Themes Posters
Transdisciplinary POI Elements
(Click/Tap to view)The programme of inquiry consists of transdisciplinary units of inquiry that include:
central idea— the primary conceptual lens that frames the transdisciplinary unit of inquiry and support students’ conceptual understandings of the transdisciplinary theme under which it is situated
concepts—key and related concepts that support higher-order thinking and provide lenses for considering knowledge related to the central idea in a range of ways
lines of inquiry—statements that define the potential scope of an inquiry.
Source: ibo.org
Podcast: Developing a Programme of Inquiry
Angeline Aow
Podcast - Developing a POI - Angeline Aow.mp3In this episode, Sarah Gilmore interviews Angeline Aow about developing a Programme of Inquiry. Angeline has been a PYP educator since 2002 when she worked in Nanjing International School, the first full IB continuum school in China. Since 2005 she has worked at Berlin International School and has been a homeroom teacher, music specialist, and PYP coordinator. For more than a decade, Angeline has been a PYP workshop leader, team leader for visits and in these roles, she has worked in the Asia-Pacific, European, Middle-East and African regions.
Candidate Schools - Creating and Revising Your Program of Inquiry
What's included in this resource:
- Strategies and processes you can use to both create and refine your curriculum.
- Learn what is included in a POI?
- Learn how to create your first POI?
Candidate Schools - Creating & Reviewing your Curriculum (POI)
In this video, you will:
- Get a cheat sheet of what is required in your POI
- Access a step-by-step guide for developing a year one outline
- Explore 3 types of curriculum review with tips and things to consider
- Ask questions and get specific advice on how to get started!
Developing a UOI
Guided Student Journal to Support Inquiry in the PYP
Toddle's Chris Gadbury has created a wonderful guided inquiry journal for PYP students. It is a collection of thinking tools that will encourage students to ask questions, reflect, and apply their understandings and skills.
The guided student journal includes:
Visual templates to help unpack your unit of inquiry
Beautifully designed thinking routines to guide student inquiry
Ready-to-use mini lessons for each stage of an inquiry cycle
Tools to help students feel like artists as they document their learning journey
Designing Rigorous Learning Experiences
Unit of Inquiry Idea Banks - Resource
The team at Toddle has created a few units of inquiry that are ubiquitous across school POIs. To help you plan these units better and make deeper connections the following detailed idea banks come complete with resources, best practices and strategies. Use these idea banks to identify transdisciplinary focus, design central ideas, unpack concepts and more!
Click/Tap on an image below to view the UOI
UOI Planning Process & Resources
Source: Micheal Hughes
This wonderful resource created by Micheal Hughes includes a wide variety of planning/teaching/learning resources that teachers can use while creating a Unit of Inquiry.
Evaluating a PYP Unit of Inquiry
As a PYP site visitor, programme leader for PYP, a workshop leader, and independent business owner, I evaluate curriculum for schools on a global scale. I have put together this video based on current IB PYP criteria to help school evaluate the programme of inquiry on their own. It does take a working knowledge of concept-based curriculum and instruction.
by Robin Long - Let Them Learn website
Better World Project - Unit
This video features an inspiring Better World Project accomplished by the Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication (ISAAC) in New London, CT, an EL Education school. It was one of 18 winning Better World Projects selected by a committee of EL Education students, teachers, and leaders, from submissions across the country.
EL Schools are not IB schools, but this project is an example of what an IB UOI could look like - truly transdisciplinary, inquiry & concept based with student voice and choice and connect to being internationally minded - what is means to be human.
** View More EL Better World Projects
UOI Resource Video
This video is both impactful and highly valuable for an in-depth exploration with grade 4-8 students. It serves as a compelling resource, especially when delving into topics such as migration, equity, global citizenship, human rights, ethics, and more. The narrative follows the journey of two polar bears forced into exile by global warming, as they seek to coexist with brown bears they encounter along the way. Beyond the significance of the content, the film-making technique employed provides an additional avenue for inquiry and discussion.
Developing a Central Idea
Crafting Central Ideas - Podcast
In this session you will
- Explore the role of central ideas in collaborative planning
- Engage with a 5 step process to co-create a strong central idea
- Access tools to evaluate and modify central ideas
- Connect to Padlet for more Central Idea ideas
Developing a Central Idea - Podcast
Essential Questions Explained
