What is the PYP Exhibition?
Inquiry-Based Learning
To understand the aims of the Exhibition, perhaps we first need to recap a little about inquiry-based learning. Throughout the PYP students are encouraged to be actively involved in their learning. They are encouraged to think for themselves, to solve problems, to work out where and how to find answers. Often students are given the chance to inquire about their own interests and wonderings. Throughout their time at UNIS Elementary School, students have been encouraged and guided by their teachers to become independent learners. This approach is known as inquiry-based learning and it is a very common approach in education systems throughout the developed world.
Inquiry in Action
The PYP Exhibition is a special unit of inquiry which occurs at the end of elementary school. It takes place in all IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) schools all worldwide. The Exhibition is a chance for the students to put all of their inquiry-based learning into action. The PYP approach is always student-centred, however The PYP Exhibition unit of inquiry is even more student-centred than usual: more of the decision making and control is handed to the students.
Celebration of Learning
The Exhibition is an opportunity for the students to show off their skills, knowledge and attitudes. It is a right of passage into Middle School and a celebration of their learning during the IB Primary Years Programme. Although it is rigorously assessed, The Exhibition has no influence on Middle School entry, placement or movement into other schools. The benefits of The Exhibition are the experiences, the sense of achievement and the learning gained through the whole process. While we aim for every child to be successful and support them to be so, the Exhibition is not intended as an examination with a pass or a fail - we just want children to do their best.
Global or Local Issue
At UNIS The Exhibition falls under the theme known as Sharing the Planet. Early in the process the students choose an issue about Sharing the Planet which interests them. So long as their interest fits this theme their issue may be anything they like.Typically students choose topics such as racism, child soldiers, pollution, endangered animals or equal rights for girls; but these are only examples The Exhibition should be based on something which really interests the students, often something which they have experience during a previous unit of inquiry, read about or experienced through an outside interest.
Research and Collaboration
Once the students have determined their interest, they work in small shared interest-groups to reasearch about their passion. They must draw upon all of their inquiry skills to find out as much as they can about the issue. The students have to collaborate and decide how they can best find out: drawing on experiences they have gained over the years at UNIS and former schools. Ways of finding out include books, the Internet, field trips, interviewing experts, writing to organizations, watching videos, carrying out experiments and so on. Not only is the research process itself challenging, but so are the group dynamics: the students have to share the responsibility and decide together who does what. They have to create action plans and follow timelines: it is not easy!
Action
It is an expectation that once the students have reseaerched their issue then they actually do something about it. We call this 'taking action.' We hope the students will try and improve the situation and make a possitive difference to the issue. This action may be as small as raising awareness here at UNIS, writing a letter to influence someone or it may be a larger scale action such as giving up their time for a sustained period to work with a charity or organization.
Performance
At the end of the inquiry the students have to present their findings and the action they have taken (or intend to take) to the school and wider community. This happens during special Exhibition Days. During these days we invite other schools, other students here at UNIS, parents and the wider Hanoi community to join in the celebration. This year these days fall on the 24th, 25th and 26th of April. There are some special requirements about how the children share their learning including the use of information technology, language and one or more of the arts.
To understand the aims of the Exhibition, perhaps we first need to recap a little about inquiry-based learning. Throughout the PYP students are encouraged to be actively involved in their learning. They are encouraged to think for themselves, to solve problems, to work out where and how to find answers. Often students are given the chance to inquire about their own interests and wonderings. Throughout their time at UNIS Elementary School, students have been encouraged and guided by their teachers to become independent learners. This approach is known as inquiry-based learning and it is a very common approach in education systems throughout the developed world.
Inquiry in Action
The PYP Exhibition is a special unit of inquiry which occurs at the end of elementary school. It takes place in all IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) schools all worldwide. The Exhibition is a chance for the students to put all of their inquiry-based learning into action. The PYP approach is always student-centred, however The PYP Exhibition unit of inquiry is even more student-centred than usual: more of the decision making and control is handed to the students.
Celebration of Learning
The Exhibition is an opportunity for the students to show off their skills, knowledge and attitudes. It is a right of passage into Middle School and a celebration of their learning during the IB Primary Years Programme. Although it is rigorously assessed, The Exhibition has no influence on Middle School entry, placement or movement into other schools. The benefits of The Exhibition are the experiences, the sense of achievement and the learning gained through the whole process. While we aim for every child to be successful and support them to be so, the Exhibition is not intended as an examination with a pass or a fail - we just want children to do their best.
Global or Local Issue
At UNIS The Exhibition falls under the theme known as Sharing the Planet. Early in the process the students choose an issue about Sharing the Planet which interests them. So long as their interest fits this theme their issue may be anything they like.Typically students choose topics such as racism, child soldiers, pollution, endangered animals or equal rights for girls; but these are only examples The Exhibition should be based on something which really interests the students, often something which they have experience during a previous unit of inquiry, read about or experienced through an outside interest.
Research and Collaboration
Once the students have determined their interest, they work in small shared interest-groups to reasearch about their passion. They must draw upon all of their inquiry skills to find out as much as they can about the issue. The students have to collaborate and decide how they can best find out: drawing on experiences they have gained over the years at UNIS and former schools. Ways of finding out include books, the Internet, field trips, interviewing experts, writing to organizations, watching videos, carrying out experiments and so on. Not only is the research process itself challenging, but so are the group dynamics: the students have to share the responsibility and decide together who does what. They have to create action plans and follow timelines: it is not easy!
Action
It is an expectation that once the students have reseaerched their issue then they actually do something about it. We call this 'taking action.' We hope the students will try and improve the situation and make a possitive difference to the issue. This action may be as small as raising awareness here at UNIS, writing a letter to influence someone or it may be a larger scale action such as giving up their time for a sustained period to work with a charity or organization.
Performance
At the end of the inquiry the students have to present their findings and the action they have taken (or intend to take) to the school and wider community. This happens during special Exhibition Days. During these days we invite other schools, other students here at UNIS, parents and the wider Hanoi community to join in the celebration. This year these days fall on the 24th, 25th and 26th of April. There are some special requirements about how the children share their learning including the use of information technology, language and one or more of the arts.
How do teachers guide the students during the Exhibition?
Although more of the decision making is handed to the students during the Exhibition the teachers monitor, guide and support the process very closely. The students are provided step by step guidelines to follow. They are given regular 'check-ups' and conferences to keep them on track. In addition to their homeroom teachers each group is assigned a mentor teacher, the mentor meets regularly with each group to ensure the students are sharing their responsibility, to guide them to suitable resources, to ensure they are on track and to basically set them up for success. Specialist teachers such as the PYP Coordinator, The Arts Teachers and the Technology Coordinator are also heavily involved supporting the students through the process.
The IB PYP Exibition Guidelines for Teachers
For detailed information about the PYP Exhibition, please read the document below. This document is supplied by the International Baccalaureate Organisation and is intended for teachers to read. It guide schools how to undertake The PYP Exhibition.
the_ib_pyp_exhibition_guidelines.pdf | |
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