Unpacking Project Based Learning in the IB PYP

Unpacking Project-Based Learning for the IB PYP: A Concept-Based, Transdisciplinary Approach

Consider all the benefits of experiential learning and the myriad ways it reaches ALL learners and learning styles. This is why I love authentic inquiry-based projects for ALL disciplines and project-based learning (PBL) is just another powerful way to engage students in the inquiry cycle, enhancing their research skills and connecting their learning to real-world issues. In the IB PYP, inquiry-based math projects offer powerful opportunities for students to explore math in a way that connects to real-world issues Let’s look at how the PBL approach can be adapted for the IB PYP classroom within our concept-based, transdisciplinary approach to teaching. 

I have provided several examples for both upper and lower grades. Read on to find high-engagement ideas for your students' age and ability level. 

 Why Project Based Inquiry?

I create inquiry-based projects and activities for my students because I know the difference it makes when there is purpose to their learning. I've experienced the positive impact in their engagement levels and it also allows for multiple strategies of their own learning to be used.  Some of these inquiry projects may only last for one day whilst others may last the entire 4-6 weeks of our unit of inquiry.  It doesn't matter about the duration so much as the buy-in of the students as they are challenged to stretch their learning potential through authentic, meaningful inquiry.

Authentic, Purposeful Learning

The maths inquiry below, Plan An Ice Cream Business, became a concept-based project to plan and design a business through the concepts of economy, environment and interdependence. This was the conduit to present what the children had learned in our maths content ( fractions) and to put it into practice together with building upon prior knowledge and understanding.  You can link to another article about connecting PBL with student led inquiry here.  

1. Building Inquiry Skills in Project Based Learning

PBL in the IB PYP framework means guiding students through stages of:

• questioning
• investigating
• note-taking
• hypothesising
• design thinking
• planning & creating
• presenting
• reflecting
• And so much more! 

 All of these skills are implicitly applied and students investigate open-ended, authentic problems. Inquiry-based learning challenges students to become active learners who take ownership of their investigations. I have several examples for upper & lower grades that will demonstrate the components of authentic concept-based inquiry projects in action. 

A super-fun example is the Global Christmas Village Math Project for upper grades, which combines math, research, and global concepts through multi-step word problems. By researching global holiday traditions and then calculating various figures all relating to those multi-cultural traditions and legends, students practice real-world math as they are invited to wonder about multi-cultural traditions and celebrations which provokes questions, leading towards learning about cultural diversity. They’re not just practicing math skills but diving into an investigation about social and cultural exploration that builds conceptual understanding. Can you see how it all becomes meaningful learning? Your students are literally in the driving seat for creating their own global Christmas village. 

Lower Grades Example: Create A Global Christmas Village

For younger learners, the Christmas Village Research Project for Little Kids  provides an introduction to research skills through simpler more structured tasks. The children are invited to wonder through front loading simple reading passages and provocation images. From there they have structured graphic organisers to support the fundamental formulation of questions, which is where they inquiry stems. They can then conduct initial research with reading materials providing front-loading and scaffolding investigative, note-taking strategies. As they sort their information they can then craft visual representations, presenting their learning and fostering inquiry without the complexity. This is a scaffolded approach that helps young learners grasp the essentials of the research process in an age-appropriate way. 

Sharing the Planet: If the World Were A Village

Grades 4-6

If the World Were a Village is a resourceful book that opens up discussions about global population inequalities, aligned with themes like Sharing the Planet and Who We Are. Using the Build A Global Village Math Inquiry  your students can dive into concepts like measurement and geometry by planning and building their own global villages. 

My students were able to apply math skills such as volume, fractions, ratios, and geometry to design structures representing different continents. There was purpose to the activity and it naturally provoked wonder, driving the inquiry through the children's questions. The hands-on investigations require so many skills: 

• critical analysis
• collaborative problem-solving
• creative thinking
•  research

as students explore various cultures, educational systems, and homes worldwide. In addition, they compare their findings with their peers' villages, leading to rich discussions and reflections on global inequities.

2. Fostering Concept-Based Inquiry

A concept-based approach in PBL emphasises big ideas over memorising isolated facts.

Using these inquiry-based projects, students can explore concepts such as interdependence, perspective, and systems in connection with the disciplinary concepts that you might be covering from your scope and sequence. This approach is a win-win strategy and completely aligns with the concept-based approach to teaching where internalisation occurs implicitly as the children engage in the inquiry process within project-based learning.

Who We Are: Community & Connections - Our School

Grades 3-5

How We Organise Ourselves: Design A Chicken Run

 Your upper-grade students working on measure through area & perimeter can discover how these maths concepts are interconnected systems working in connection with the process of design. The value comes, not only from this authentic inquiry, but also that the project inspires students' action and, from this natural participation, comes a sense of ownership and accountability. 

CONCEPTS BRING CONTEXT TO THE CONTENT

How We Express Ourselves: Create A Global Christmas Village

For younger students, simpler projects introduce foundational research skills through investigation of concepts, like culture, community and celebration. Through the Global Christmas village exploration your students are guided through research skills all while applying maths skills. Its absolutely amazing how much your little ones can do! For example:

• analyzing data
• note-taking
• identifying important details
• summarising information
• presenting understanding

3. Connecting PBL to Transdisciplinary Themes

A strong PBL framework aligns with the IB PYP transdisciplinary themes, These conceptual themes create a bridge between core subjects and students’ daily lives, making learning more meaningful. For instance, the Global Christmas Village resource can link math and cultural studies under the Where We Are in Place and Time or the Who We Are theme, providing students a lens to understand global interdependence.

How the World Works: Adaptations, Habitat and Connections 

Grades K-2: Research Skills

Bring research skills into practice with this highly-engaging, concept based activity  as you investigate dinosaurs and their adaptations and habitat. You have EVERYTHING (map, images, science experiments, text, graphic organisers) you need in this complete research based inquiry project to explicitly teach the fundamental research skills and enable student agency as the children are learning collaboratively. It ends with a fun, eye-catching display of dinosaurs that the children select for themselves based on interest. Win-win!

4.Differentiated Inquiry

Project-based learning naturally supports differentiation by offering flexible, student-centered activities that meet varied learning needs. Through PBL, students explore topics in ways that align with their interests, their learning styles, and strengths, fostering deeper engagement. We can adjust tasks, resources, and assessment methods to cater to individual student abilities, making PBL an adaptable, inclusive approach that encourages each learner to reach their full potential. 

5. Practical Takeaways for Teachers

When using PBL, consider the following strategies to encourage deep inquiry:

• Support Student Agency: Plan ahead with your options to support differentiation and then ask the children to be a part of the decision making,  catering to individual student abilities and preferences for learning.
• Scaffolded Research Tasks: Break down research skills into manageable steps, especially for younger students. And use the project as an opportunity for implicit practice of those skills that you have explicitly taught. 
• Guided Reflection: Provide regular opportunities for students to reflect on their learning, building metacognitive skills
• Transdisciplinary Projects: Encourage students to connect what they learn across subjects through our thematic inquiries.

These projects help nurture globally-minded, curious learners who are prepared to engage with complex, real-world issues.

For further details on implementing these resources in your classroom, you can explore the collection of inquiry based learning projects here. These resources are designed to inspire inquiry, promote active research, and build conceptual understanding through the lens of global perspectives.

Whether you're looking to travel through time, explore and build skeletal structures or simply plan a popcorn party, you'll find something engaging to meet your learners' needs and supply knowledge, empowerment and understanding through a fun learning experience.

For more resources like these, follow along with my TPT store for support and inspiration with concept-based inquiry. 

Happy inquiring! 

P.S. If you are looking for support with understanding concept-based inquiry and putting it into practice within your classroom, take a look at my online video course, Essentials for Inquiry: Getting Started with Student Led Inquiry