Prospect Primary Years Program (PYP)
The arts are a powerful mode of communication through which students explore and construct a sense of self and develop an understanding of the world around them.
There are six units or trans-disciplinary themes that constitute our schools program of inquiry which are Who We Are, Where We Are in Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How the World Works, How We Organize Ourselves and Sharing the Planet. In visual art class we make connections to the concepts, the central idea and lines of inquiry when appropriate.
Here is a sample of three of the themes with a brief descriptive outline and photos of example lessons that made connections to the unit of inquiry.
How The World Works – Third Grade
- Central Idea: People understand the natural world by investigating the earth’s differences and changes.
Key Concepts: Change, Causation, Form
Related Concepts: Geology, Cycles, Properties
How We Organize Ourselves – Fourth Grade
- Central Idea: Conflict can be a catalyst for citizens to organize, cooperate and strive for resolution.
Key Concepts: Function, Responsibility, Perspective
Related Concepts: Resources, Production, Innovation
Sharing the Planet – Fifth Grade
- Central Idea: Organisms link to each other and to environments in a web of relationships.
Key Concepts: Connection, Causation, Function
Related Concepts: Interdependence, Conservation, Responsibility, Adaptation