Challenge your upper elementary students with this inquiry-based math project! The Global Christmas Village engages Grades 4–5 learners in real-world problem solving with number sense, measure and design thinking using festive, global themes.

Transform Math into a Real-World Inquiry

In my Grade 4/5 classroom, the Global Christmas Village Math Inquiry became a highlight of our pre-holiday weeks. What began as a set of differentiated problem-solving sheets evolved into a bustling global village of characters, traditions, and beautifully measured designs all imagined, calculated, and constructed by the students themselves.

This project turned abstract math concepts into something tangible. My students weren’t just solving word problems; they were earning their way into creating a global Christmas village filled with characters and celebrations from around the world.

What the Project Involves

The goal of the activity is to collaboratively create a global village of Christmas tradi...

Maths is so much more than “finding the answer.” When we connect it to everyday experiences, it becomes about seeing patterns, asking questions, and making sense of the world.

One simple but powerful guiding question is:

Where’s the maths here?

This question opens the door to authentic inquiry, giving students the chance to explore mathematics through curiosity, context, and connection. Below are five strategies you can use with any age group to nurture student agency and highlight maths through a conceptual lens.

I'm bringing you 5 ideas that can be applied with ANY age and really support student agency, identifying those threads for inquiry and all through a conceptual lens. 

 When we connect maths to everyday experiences, it becomes less about “finding the answer” and more about seeing patterns, asking questions, and making sense of the world.

Find the threads for inquiry.

Consider the big question: Where's the maths here?

Here are 5 simple, hands-on ways to bring that spiri...

 Inquiry, Empathy & Action in Anti-Bullying Month

Every October, schools worldwide focus attention on raising awareness about bullying, promoting kindness, and empowering students to act. National Bullying Prevention Month offers a timely frame for engaging learners in inquiry that leads not just to awareness, but to student-led action for positive change.  

Within an IB PYP classroom, we can leverage this month to deepen conceptual thinking (e.g. perspective, responsibility, relationships, identity, fairness) while scaffolding students’ capabilities to inquire, reflect, and act in their communities. Below I've suggested  a structure, some practical classroom examples, and ways to incorporate ready-made tools that encourage student agency.

BOOK LIST: And, Im including a book list for you too with some of my favourites for exploring the concepts of relationships, peace & conflict and caring. Scroll down😊

Core Research / Inquiry Skills in Anti-Bullying Projects

When framing an inqui...

Slow Looking to Spark Inquiry: Using Look & Wonder Story Mats to Build ATL Skills in the PYP

One of my favourite parts of an inquiry is that moment when my students’ eyes widen and they lean forward, eager to share a question or idea that just popped into their minds. That’s when I know I’ve sparked genuine curiosity. Over the years, I’ve experimented with different provocations to tune into new units of inquiry, but one tool has really transformed the way my learners engage in those early stages: Look & Wonder Discussion Mats. What I didn’t anticipate at first was how powerfully they would support the IB PYP Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills - not just in the early years, but all the way through to upper primary.

Observations were superficial and questions were shallow. 

How to Use Look & Wonder Story Mats to Develop Observation, Thinking, and Communication Skills

I created these mats to help my students slow down, notice details, and wonder out loud. At first, their observati...

Fall into Conceptual Learning with the PYP

The leaves are turning already in Scotland and the air becoming crisp. It's actually my favourite time of year. Autumn provides a rich backdrop for inquiry in the IB PYP classroom. Seasonal changes are not just fun and exciting for children; they are also filled with opportunities to develop conceptual awareness. By connecting those additional concepts of harvest, change, natural cycles and patterns together with  autumn traditions to the PYP specified concepts and the Learner Profile, teachers can design learning experiences that are hands-on, inquiry-driven, and deeply meaningful. 

To help bring these ideas to life, I'm delighted to introduce our guest writer and fellow PYP educator,  Amber Reynolds, originally from the United States, now living and teaching in Albania. Amber has created a brand-new Fall Collection of resources that align with the IB PYP specified concepts. These activities combine the excitement of the season with the dep...

 A Creative Approach to Launching the IB PYP Exhibition 

written by Jahnavi Aswani, Podar International School, Mumbai                                                                             

Within our IB PYP community, it is a privilege and a joy to meet so many creative teachers who bring their perspective and flair to our pedagogy. Please enjoy this article written by guest blogger, Jahnavi Aswani as she shares how she and her colleague, Hetal Mehta, brought a creative and immersive experience to their recent PYP Exhibition. Look for the fabulous concept tree and the wonderful stories connecting the concepts with application of attributes and skills. Wonderful work! 

 In the journey of inquiry, questions are more powerful than answers—and understanding comes alive when learners engage with ideas, not just information. As we began our Grade 5 learners’ PYP Exhibition journey at PIS, we set out to help them explore the specified concepts that would guide their thinking throug...

Making Sense of IB PYP Learning Progressions: A Teacher's Guide to Supporting Student Growth

Let’s be honest: when you first come across the term learning progressions in the IB PYP, it can feel a bit abstract. I know it did for me and, quite honestly, my first question was, "Well, aren't we already monitoring learning progression? What's the point of this new thing?". If you're anything like most of the amazing PYP teachers I work with, you're already balancing a lot—unit planning, inquiry scaffolding, ATL integration, and of course, the day-to-day magic of keeping your classroom buzzing with curiosity. Let me give you a simplified opinion, share how it can look in the classroom and hopefully clarify things. Read on. 😊

So where do learning progressions fit in? Are they another “thing” to do? And is this something "new" to have to learn? 

Here’s the good news: they’re not a burden. They are NOT mandated.

They are a tool to support you and your students.

 In fact, once you underst...

Helping Every Inquirer Grow

If you've been teaching within the IB PYP framework for a while, you’ll know that differentiation is more than a concept—it’s a mindset. It's an approach to teaching.  It’s about meeting every learner where they are, guiding them forward with intention, and designing experiences that are as inclusive as they are rigorous.

In an inquiry-based classroom, differentiation doesn’t mean multiple lesson plans for 25 learners (phew!)—it means providing the right level of support and challenge so that each student can think deeply, inquire independently, and feel successful.

Let’s break it down into three essential aspects: form, function, and assessment. The video is a snippet from Essentials for Inquiry members' community. Each month, I share professional learning along with classroom ready tools to support your application of this learning within your planning and teaching.  Find out more about the membership here. 😎

1. Form of Differentiation: What Does It Lo...

Books for Teaching the IB PYP Learner Profile

There are so many wonderful books for helping to teach children about the character traits of the IB Learner Profile. Books bring the Learner Profile to life as children learn what these attributes LOOK-SOUND-FEEL-ACT like. Over the years however, I keep returning to a few that I feel reinforce those profile traits really well. I’ve used these books with 3rd grade up to 6th grade equally successfully, even though they may seem to be a wee bit young for those age groups. They work well as quick read alouds and can be utilised to reinforce many reading skills and strategies too: inferring, questioning, synthesising, figurative language and more.

This page is a list of my favourite books for pulling together the Learner Profile traits. I like to use some of them within our units of inquiry or simply as a stand alone exploration when the opportunity presents itself to look more thoroughly at a particular profile trait.

I have grouped them...

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, chang...