Kumamoto International SchoolInquiry Theme
Conceptual
understandings
Inquiry Theme
Conceptual
understandings
Inquiry Theme
Conceptual
understandings

Grade 3

Grade 2

Grade 1

Unit of Inquiry

Primary Years Program (PYP) 2020 Program of Inquiry
Who We Are

Where We Are inTime and Place

How We Express
Ourselves

How We Organize
Ourselves

How the WorldWorks

Sharing the Planet

私たちは誰なのか

私たちはどのような場所と時代にいるのか

私たちはどのように自分を表現するのか

私たちは自分たちをどう組織しているのか

世界はどのような仕組みになっているのか

この地球を共有するということ

Human beings are at theMany influencessame time individuals and contribute to who people
members of different
becomegroups.

Human beings express
People now and in theAll ecosystems are madeCaring for thethemselves in a variety of past have all had to solve
up of the same basic
environment is critical forways
the same challenges
elements
the survival of all living
about meeting their basic
things.
needs.

● People can be part of many groups at
the same time.
● People identify as part of their group.
● Most people choose to be part of agroup for social or protective reasons,● Everyone comes from somewhere,
and has family.
● Environment is a big factor in how
people grow.
● Children look like their parents, andlearn habits from them as well as otherrole models.

● Animation exaggerated facial
expression and body language.
● Our body language tells others aboutus.
● Different cultures express things indifferent ways.

● All living things share the same basic
needs.
● Technology has made meeting certain
needs even easier.
● There is a difference between needs
and wants.

● Plants are the basis of all food chainson earth.
● Animals and plants require certain
things to survive.
● Animals and plants rely on each otherin their environment.

● Some things are renewable, and otherare not.
● Renewable sources of energy help
reduce damage to the environment.
● Modern lifestyles produce a lot of trash
and pollution that hurt the planet.

The physical world and its
geography influences
human settlement

The world today is aconsequence of what
happened in the past.

Human beings
communicate through avariety of verbal and nonverbal means

We use machines tomake our life easier

Matter interacts in avariety of ways

When interacting withnatural habitats, humans
make choices that havean impact on other livingthings.

● There are specific reasons why
humans settle in an area.
● Different locations have advantages
and disadvantages.
● Different groups choose the sametypes of areas to meet their basic needs
as a society.

● The past can be recorded and can berediscovered.
● The world changes over time, and in
multiple ways (physically, economically,socially).
● Humans can learn from their mistakes
for a better future.

● Art takes on many forms.
● Art represents the artist that created it.
● Art is delivered through variousmediums.

● All machines operate on the same
basic physical principles.
● People build machines to help them dothings.
● Machines require some form of energy
to work.

● Matter is the building blocks ofeverything in the universe.
● Heat can change the state of matter.
● Matter has properties thatdifferentiates it, and that people can usethat to to their benefit.

● People affect the earth in many ways
● UN Sustainable Development Goals● Renewable sources of energy help
reduce damage to the environment.

Cultures around the world
tell the same basic stories
in different ways.

Geography and climate
influence humanmigration and conflict

Mass media influences us
in a variety of ways

Human beings form
institutions to provide avariety of necessary
services● The basic elements of a story are thesame everywhere, such as in the Hero's
Journey and creation myths.
● Ghost stories, fables and legends
appear in every culture. (Voodoo,Witches, Yuurei, Monsters)● Stories are used to entertain, but also
to teach morals and values.

● People choose certain areas to live
because of access to resources● Different cultures may fight overaccess to resources.
● Humans migrate to escape danger, or
when resources are exhausted.

● Media broadcasts and advertisements
shape our thinking.
● Different media appeal to different
demographics.
● It is important to be careful about
where we get our news from.

● The same common institutions exist
everywhere.
● People need institutions for society torun smoothly.
● Taxes are important to pay forinstitutions.

Using a variety of means, Human activity affects thewe can learn about how earth in a variety of waysthe earth was in the past

● We can learn about the past by
studying archaeology, anthropology, andpaleontology.
● By studying ancient peoples, we canlearn about how the world has changed.
● Fossils are a picture into the past.

● People are hugely changing the planet- climate change, pollution.
● We can do things to help the earth● UN SDGs are a way to try to help theplanet for the benefit of allKumamoto International School

Inquiry Theme
Conceptual
understandings
Inquiry Theme
Conceptual
understandings
Inquiry Theme
Conceptual
understandings

Grade 6

Grade 5Grade 4

Unit of Inquiry

Primary Years Program (PYP) 2020 Program of Inquiry
Who We Are

Where We Are inTime and Place

How We ExpressOurselves

How We Organize
Ourselves

How the WorldWorks

Sharing the Planet

私たちは誰なのか

私たちはどのような場所と時代にいるのか

私たちはどのように自分を表現するのか

私たちは自分たちをどう組織しているのか

世界はどのような仕組みになっているのか

この地球を共有するということ

Scientific andtechnologicaldevelopments impact
society in many ways

Energy and waves are all
around us

Earth is the perfectenvironment to supportlife

Human beings are
The choices we make Digital Technology can be
motivated by many things today will shape the world
used to create usefulto change themselves andwe live in tomorrowthingstheir environment● Having goals is important to being
happy and allowing us to work hard
● Over time, our daily habits become
who we are - in good ways and bad● Change requires forming new habits● The actions of people in the past
influence us today● Our actions now will influence future
generations● We can make intelligent choices about
how we should act based on studying
history

Human beings organize
themselves for theproduction, distribution,and consumption ofgoods and services

Globalization haschanged the world inmany ways

● Programming allows us to createthings.
● We can express our uniqueness as
individuals by programming.
● We can create art using computers.

● Technological developments have
● We use various forms of energy togreatly increased our quality of life
communicate in a variety of ways
● Technological advancements allow us ● Some forms of useful energy are
to meet our basic needs more easily and dangerous and must be harnessedcheaply
carefully● Technological changes are often good, ●"The Electromagnetic Spectrum" but can also be badcolors, radio waves and microwaves are
all related● The earth is goldilocks planet, and thisallowed life to develop● United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)● What global warming is, how it
happened, and its effects

Companies use a variety
Because the world is
Matter and its interactions Ecosystems are the basisof means to try toconnected, what happens
are all around usof all life on earth
persuade people to doin one place affects whatthings
happens elsewhere● Human beings form units to● Globalization, what is it?
accomplish goals● In a globalized world, some groups● Everyone benefits when different
benefit and some don'tgroups specialize in things they are good ● In many ways, the world has gotten
atsmaller because of digitalization● Cash and credit and how they allow us
to buy things we need and want

● Ads try to persuade us to believe
things or do things● Fake news and deceptive practices
have become very common● Education and research are the best
ways to know what to believe● Digital means of communication havechanged how people communicate● Social networking sites make it easy
for messages, good and bad, to travel
widely● We have to be careful about what webelieve online

Governments are madeby the people and derive
their power from themPower and social
hierarchies exist all over
the world

Human beings can make Human beings engage inFrom Molecules tochoices to help us beconflict for many reasons Organisms, all life andhappierstructure on earth is madeof the same building
blocks● Democratic government is formed bypeople● There are many forms of government
with varying degrees of freedom forcitizens● Can we say which form of governmentis best? If so, why?

● What is power and how can we get it?
● Citizens can organize to change thepower hierarchies in society● Human history is a series of changes
in power between countries and withinsocieties● What does research tell us about whatmakes people happy?
● Human beings can make choices thataffect their happiness● Social networking sites have beenshown to negatively impact mental
health● War occurs for a variety of reasons● Is it really possible to win a war?
● In the age of global warming, allsocieties and people must work together
for the common good

● How matter moves among plants,animals, decomposers, and theenvironment● The carbon cycle and how it relates toglobal warming● The water cycle and how it interacts
with and influences human life anddecision● What are cells how do they work?
● Atoms as a basis of all matter and lifeon earth● Carbon forms the basis of life on earth● Interactions within systems involve thetransfer of energy● Energy - how it gets transferred insystems● Design flow charts of the energy
transfer that occurs from Sun to apex
predators

The microscopic world
affects us in big ways.

● The world we see is formed by atoms● Everything we observe in the world ismade up of the atoms in the periodic
table● Microscopic pathogens affect us daily
in many ways