On Thursday, March 17, 2022 Grade 5 students and teachers experienced their PYP Exhibition Launch Day. With a focus on team building, self-reflection of themselves as learners and being introduced to the different aspects of the Exhibition, students had an opportunity to begin this culminating activity that celebrates all that they have developed in their education journey through the IB PYP.
The Exhibition (PYPX) is a culminating, collaborative experience students in their final year of the IB Primary Years Programme undertake. Students will follow a process of authentic inquiry as they are empowered to determine what they are going to research. Connecting as a class on issues that are of personal significance or interest to them, allows students to recognise the power they have to make a difference in their personal, local or global community. Over eight weeks, students will research, document, and synthesise their learning enabling them to share their understanding on May 12th with the MYIS community.
Students have milestones in the PYPX process that they need to accomplish, either weekly or over an extended period of time:
- exploring beliefs and values, behaviours and expression
- writing their own conceptual understandings
- connecting with personal interests
- exploring concepts
- developing questions
- writing questions to support their inquiries
- planning and scheduling time with mentors
- researching
- taking action
- creating in an expressive mode
- staging and presenting
This week students have considered their overarching Central Idea:
As internationally-minded students, we have a responsibility to take action.
By gaining a shared understanding of what action is students were able to brainstorm issues in their world that need greater awareness and attention. Connecting with their peers who shared a similar interest, students formed groups and developed their own central ideas and lines of inquiry.
Over the coming weeks, the students will work both collaboratively and independently to go deep into their units, culminating in a presentation to the community on May 12.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
The role of the mentor in the Exhibition is to support and encourage our students as their work through the PYPX process. This could be in a variety of ways, including:
- Providing expert advice on a specific topic (see the table above)
- Goal setting and providing time management advice
- Offer advice on locating resources and using them efficiently
- Asking probing questions that help students go deeper in their research
- Helping interpret sophisticated/difficult information (including translating)
- Facilitating interviews, telephone calls, any electronic communication
- Assisting students in the synthesis of their research to present to their wider audience
- Celebrate achievements and successes with the students
The PYPX is a wonderful opportunity for the MYIS community to come together and support our senior students. It also provides parents of younger grade levels an insight into what they can expect when their own child is in Grade 5. If you are able to provide some support please complete this GOOGLE FORM.
We will continue to provide updates on how Grade 5 are progressing and hope to see you on May 12 when we learn all that Grade 5 has researched.