Australian International School

Programme of Inquiry 2016 2017

Order of Units

Who we are
An inquiry into the nature of
the self; beliefs and values;
personal, physical, mental,
social and spiritual health;
human relationships
including families, friends,
communities, and cultures;
rights and responsibilities; what
it means
to be human.

Year 1

Kindergarten

1st Unit
Central Idea
Awareness of our
characteristics, abilities and
interests informs our learning
and development

Year 2

2nd Unit
Central Idea
An inquiry into our immediate
physical environment and the
systems that impact our lives

(Year long Unit)

VLC Collaboration
Central Idea
Healthy relationships depend on
developing a variety of skills and
attitudes.

PE & VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
Making informed choices
contributes to having
balanced lifestyles.

PE Collaboration

Year 3

Where we are in place and time

An inquiry into orientation in
place and time; personal
histories; homes and
journeys; the discoveries,
explorations and migrations
of humankind; relationships
between and the
interconnectedness of
individuals and civilizations,
from local and global
perspectives.

Central Idea
Relationships are enhanced by
learning about other peoples
perspectives and communicating
our own.

How we express ourselves

How the world works

How we organise ourselves

Sharing the planet

An inquiry into the ways in

which we discover and
express ideas, feelings, nature,
culture, beliefs and values; the
ways in which we reflect on,
extend and enjoy our
creativity; our appreciation of
aesthetic.

An inquiry into the natural

world and its laws; the
interaction between the natural
world (physical and biological)
and human societies; how
humans use their
understanding of scientific
principles; the impact of
scientific and technological
advances on society and the
environment.

An inquiry into the

interconnectedness of humanmade systems and
communities; the structure and
function of organizations;
societal decision-making;
economic activities and their
impact on humankind and the
environment.

An inquiry into rights and

responsibilities in the struggle
to share finite resources with
other people and with living
things; communities and the
relationship within them;
access to equal opportunities;
peace and conflict resolution.

3rd Unit
Central Idea
Plants sustain life on Earth and
play a role in our lives.

Central Idea
Interactions between living
things are essential to our
environment.

Art Collaboration

Central Idea
People can establish practices in
order to sustain and maintain the
Earth's resources.

Central Idea
Central Idea
Products we consume and use are Understanding how materials
a result of human-made processes. behave and interact determines
how people use them.

Central Idea
There are many people in our
community who help us in different
ways.

Art Collaboration

VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
A variety of signs and symbols
facilitate local and global
communications.

Central Idea.
Human action affects habitats and
ecosystems

Year 4
Year 5

. Central Idea
W ater travels on a
journey and is used
and re-used along the
way.

PE Collaboration

Central Idea
Central Idea
Understanding different ways of
Human migration is a response to
challenges, risks and
learning allows people to respond
to their own learning needs as well opportunities.
as those of others.

Year 6

Art & Music Collaboration.

Central Idea
Leadership can be a social
function that creates changes that
benefit a community.

Music, PE & VLC Collaboration

6th Unit

Do not do

Do not do

Central Idea
The circumstances of a childs life
impacts on their present and
future well-being.

Central Idea
The human bod relies
on interacting systems
and external factors.

Art & Collaboration

Central Idea
People create ways to buy and
sell their goods and services.

VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
The physical and chemical
properties of matter can be
altered to address needs.

Central Idea
Imagination allows us to think,
create and express ourselves in
new ways.

Art, Music & PE Collaboration

VLC Collaboration

Art Collaboration

VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
We express ourselves in many
different ways

5th Unit

VLC Collaboration

PE & VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
Systems have developed to meet
the needs of people.

4th Unit

Central Idea
Musical styles from around the
world provide a reflection of
cultures, beliefs and values.

Central Idea
Our lives and personal
histories are journeys.

Music Collaboration

Central Idea
Over time the environment and
technology change; this
influences how people play.

Central Idea
People use simple machines to
make life easier.

Central Idea
W eather and climate are
affected by seasons,
geography and the
atmosphere.

Central Idea
Regions of the world have
distinctive features that represent
people, places, ideas and
historical events

Art, Music, PE & VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
Authors use different text
types for specific purposes.

Art, Music & PE Collaboration

Music & VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
People influence the way we live
through ideas, actions, and
attitudes.

Central Idea
Natural forces have an
impact on the planet

Music & VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
Finding solutions to conflict leads
to better quality of life.

PE Collaboration

Central Idea
Humour is a universal form of
expression.

Art & Music Collaboration

Central Idea
Central Idea
Extraction, conversion and storage The Arts is a unique way of
of energy affects communities and expressing our feelings, beliefs
and ideas.
their environments.

PE Collaboration
Art, Music & VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
Digital Technologies enables
us to communicate powerful
messages

The PYP Exhibition

Art & Music Collaboration

VLC Collaboration

Central Idea
During our life there are changes
that affect us physically and
emotionally.

PE Collaboration

This Programme of Inquiry (POI) is accurate as of publishing August 2016, subject to change throughout the year as units of inquiry are reviewed and revised.