IB PYP Inquiry & Women's History Month

Women’s History Month Through a Concept-Based Inquiry Lens

March is a powerful opportunity to inspire our IB PYP learners with the stories of remarkable women who have shaped our world. But how can we go beyond simple recognition and create meaningful, inquiry-driven learning experiences? By integrating Women’s History Month across the PYP transdisciplinary themes, we can deepen students’ understanding of key concepts, cultivate research skills, and connect their learning to the Learner Profile in a way that resonates for all ages. In this article, Im offering ideas for connecting this important recognition of women in society with classroom resources that may be able to support your investigations and align with our IB PYP framework.

Connecting Women’s History to the PYP Themes

Each of the six transdisciplinary themes offers a unique lens for exploring the contributions of women throughout history. By narrowing our focus with concepts such as identity, innovation, revolution, change, responsibility or expression, we can guide student inquiries in a way that makes learning both relevant and personalised.

Who We Are → Identity, Diversity, Values

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• How have women influenced our communities and shaped who we are today?

• What values do these women represent, and how do they connect to the Learner Profile?

• Who are the important women in your life?

Lower Grades Classroom Integration:

For younger learners, start with community helpers—women in their everyday lives who support and inspire. Explore doctors, teachers, shop owners, and firefighters. Use Learner Profile Community Helper Posters to guide students in recognising attributes like commitment, caring, and leadership in the women they meet daily.

Where We Are in Place and Time → Revolution, Innovation, Impact

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• How have women shaped history and influenced change over time?

• What challenges did they overcome, and how did their actions impact the world? Was this impact positive or negative? What makes you say that? 

Grades 3-5: Classroom Integration:

Older students can engage in collaborative research projects exploring women pioneers in various fields. Use the Learner Profile Women’s History Month Research Project to help them research and categorise historical figures by Learner Profile attributes.

How We Express Ourselves → Expression, Perspective, Creativity

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• How have women used art, writing, or activism to make their voices heard?

• In what ways do we see their influence in the world today?

Classroom Integration:
Explore artists, writers, and activists such as Frida Kahlo, Maya Angelou, or Malala Yousafzai. Younger students can engage in storytelling and role play, while older students can analyze primary sources like speeches, paintings, or poetry.

How the World Works → Exploration, Discovery, Problem-Solving

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• What scientific or technological advancements have women contributed to?

• How do women in STEM fields demonstrate risk-taking and critical thinking?

Classroom Integration:
Introduce young learners to inspiring figures like Marie Curie or Jane Goodall through picture books and hands-on experiments. Older students can take on research challenges, looking at how women have broken barriers in science and technology.

How We Organize Ourselves → Systems, Leadership, Responsibility

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• How have women shaped governments, economies, and global movements?

• What leadership qualities do these women demonstrate?

Classroom Integration:
Students can compare different female leaders—from prime ministers to CEOs—and discuss the responsibilities they have carried. Encourage debates or role-playing activities where students take on leadership roles and tackle real-world problems.

Sharing the Planet → Equity, Rights, Sustainability

Suggested Guiding Questions:

• How have women advocated for social or environmental justice?

• What action can we take today to continue their work?

Classroom Integration:
Focus on activists and change-makers who have championed human rights, education, or the environment. Engage students in action-based learning, such as community projects, awareness campaigns, or fundraising efforts that reflect the legacy of these women.

Research Tools to Bring the Learner Profile to Life

Research is a core element of concept-based inquiry, and Women’s History Month provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen ATL skills related to information gathering, synthesis, and presentation. Here are a few tools that make learning interactive and engaging:

• Learner Profile Research Project: Women’s History Month – A structured yet flexible research framework to guide student inquiries into historical and contemporary female figures.

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• Community Helpers & the Learner Profile – A fantastic tool for helping younger students see real-world connections between women in their lives   and the Learner Profile.

•  Picture Books – For younger learners, picture books like Mae Among the Stars (Risk-Taker), I Dissent (Communicator), and  Malala’s Magic Pencil (Principled) help students make meaningful connections to the Learner Profile.

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• Digital Presentations & Inquiry Walls – Encourage students to share their findings through multimedia presentations, collaborative posters, or a classroom Wonder Wall where they post new discoveries.

• Creating Living Biographies- My students LOVE this learning experience, even my most reluctant writers. We have 

Combining the form and function of writing a biography and connecting it with communication & research skills, brings a fabulous opportunity for LIVING BIOGRAPHIES. You can use the living museum strategy or even coat hanger characters, beautifully crafted to hold their own biography. My students were so motivated to master the writing so that they were prepared for their living museum. I created a presentation with scaffolded tools to support biography writing as a means of reporting our research. Click the image to take a closer look. 😊

Bringing It All Together

Women’s History Month is more than a time for celebration—it’s a rich opportunity for deep inquiry, conceptual thinking, and real-world connections. By embedding this learning into the PYP transdisciplinary themes and using the Learner Profile as a guide, we help students see the powerful role women have played in shaping history, science, the arts, and our communities.

Have fun with this empowering inquiry and  integrating Women’s History Month into your PYP classroom! And I hope you're able to find some PYP tools to support your inquiry. 

Enjoy! 

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