Dear WIS Community,
Primary staff convened on Tuesday to strategize for the Programme of Inquiry for the next academic year. In the framework of a Primary Years Programme (PYP) school, the shaping and evolution of the curriculum are collaborative efforts undertaken collectively by the entire school community. This undertaking is substantial, requiring considerable planning and thoughtful consideration. Learning thrives when it's rooted in context, allowing children to connect their experiences to what they're learning. For instance, studying the Great Fire of London might not resonate as strongly with a child born and raised in Thailand.
Upon thorough reflection on our "Where We Are in Place and Time" units, it became apparent that there was a need to enhance historical, global, and contextual knowledge among our students. While the Australian curriculum that we use provides valuable guidance, it became evident that supplementing it with context-specific content is essential to enriching our students' understanding.
Outlined below is a framework detailing the key historical, world, and local knowledge we think is appropriate for students from Early Years to Grade 5. Please note that this is an outline, and we still need to decide what is achievable.
Unit | Inquiry Questions | |
Early Years | Personal and Family Histories Who the people in their family are, where they were born and raised and how they are related to each other. How the stories of families and the past can be communicated, for example through photographs, artifacts, books, oral histories, digital media and museums. The different structures of families and family groups today, and what they have in common. How they, their family and friends commemorate past events that are important to them. | What is my history and how do I know? What stories do other people tell about the past? How can stories of the past be told and shared? |
Grade 1 | Clues from the Past The history of a significant person, building, site, or part of the natural environment in the local community and what it reveals about the past. The importance today of an historical site of cultural or spiritual significance; for example, a community building, a landmark, a war memorial. | What aspects of the past can you see today? What do they tell us? What remains of the past are important to the local community? Why? How have changes in technology shaped our daily life? |
Grade 2 | Historical Eras from the Stone Age to the Iron Age Changes in the world from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Compare and contrast the daily lives of people from the Stone Age to the Iron Age with contemporary life. How historical events and innovations have influenced modern society.
Constructing a timeline depicting significant events, artifacts, and historical figures from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Understand the division of time into BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) and apply this knowledge to their timeline project. | What can we learn by comparing how people lived long ago to how we live now? How did things like inventions and important events long ago change the way we live today? What were some important things about each age, like what they used or what they did? How can we show important events from long ago in a timeline? What are BC and AD, and how do they help us understand time? |
Grade 3 | The Great Civilizations of the World | African Kingdoms Explore the achievements and contributions of ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and the Indus Valley. Investigate the unique characteristics and achievements of African Kingdoms. Analyse the impact of geographical factors on the rise and fall of civilizations. Examine artifacts and historical sources to understand daily life in ancient societies and African Kingdoms. Understand the importance of trade and cultural exchange in the development of civilizations and African Kingdoms. | What were some of the remarkable achievements of ancient civilizations, and how do they compare to modern life? How did the geographical features of different regions influence the development of civilizations? What were the key characteristics of African Kingdoms, and how did they contribute to their success and longevity? What can artifacts and historical records tell us about daily life in ancient civilizations and African Kingdoms? How did trade and cultural exchange shape the development of civilizations and African Kingdoms? |
Grade 4 | First Contacts The diversity and longevity of Southern Africa's first peoples. The journey(s) of at least ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts | Why did the great journeys of exploration occur? What was life like for people before the arrival of the Europeans? Why did Europeans settle in Southern Africa? |
Grade 5 | Colonisation of Southern Africa The impact of a significant development or event on a colony; for example, conflict, the gold rushes, internal exploration, the expansion of farming. The reasons people migrated to Africa, and the experiences and contributions of particular migrant groups. The role that a significant individual or group played in shaping a colony; for example, explorers, farmers, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, humanitarians, religious and political leaders | What do we know about the lives of people in Africa’s colonial past and how do we know? How did Southern Africa develop over time and why? How did colonial settlement change the environment? What were the significant events and who were the significant people that shaped Southern Africa? |
How we need your help
History and Geography, with their expansive scope, play pivotal roles in shaping students' understanding of the world around them. While we have a curriculum to provide structure, the essence of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) lies in drawing upon our community's collective wisdom to determine what knowledge is essential.
To help us tailor our curriculum to meet the needs of our diverse community, we kindly request your input through a brief survey. Your insights on what historical and geographical knowledge you consider essential will greatly inform our curriculum development process.
One of our primary challenges lies in sourcing appropriate resources to support these units effectively. We recognize the importance of age-appropriate materials and diverse learning experiences in facilitating meaningful exploration and understanding. Resources can take various forms, including books, guest speakers, field trips, and museum visits. If you have any suggestions or resources you believe would enrich our students' learning experiences, we invite you to share them with us.
Your contributions are invaluable in helping us provide a well-rounded education that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and global citizenship.
Thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration!
Marcelle van Leenen
Primary School Principal