About IB

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) offers a curricular framework which fosters the growth of internationally-minded people. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the transdisciplinary curriculum designed for learners aged 3-12. It focuses on the total growth of the developing child, touching hearts as well as minds and encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development.

The PYP can be adopted by any school in any place in the world. It does not need to have an international student body.

Organizing Structure for the PYP Programme 

• Units of Inquiry are designed by teachers to focus on the six transdisciplinary themes.  These six themes drive the process of inquiry that occurs throughout the year.
• The Learner Profile describes the attributes emphasized in the PYP programme. In this way the PYP Programme encourages social, physical, emotional and cultural growth while offering an academically challenging curriculum.

• An essential part of the PYP Programme is the knowledge and application of a second language. At Brown, students will learn Spanish in addition to a well-rounded curriculum including art, music, and dance.

What, You Might Ask, Are Units of Inquiry?

The philosophy at the heart of the PYP is a commitment to structured inquiry as an ideal approach to learning. Teachers and students are guided by a series of basic questions as they design curricular units for exploration and study. Ideas of local and global significance reveal concerns shared by people of all nations.

At each grade level, six transdisciplinary themes are explored through specially selected, globally significant Units of Inquiry: Sharing the Planet, Who We Are, How We Organize Ourselves, Where We Are in Place and Time, How the World Works, and How We Express Ourselves.

Each Unit of Inquiry has a central idea, which is expressed in one or two sentences. For example, a class studying human dwellings may use as its central idea, "Humans' shelter reflects their needs and the surrounding environment."

A small sampling of Units of Inquiry titles and their lines of inquiry at Brown include:

Home Sweet Habitat: where animals live, what they need to survive
Safe and Sound: safety rules, people that protect us
Who Am I?: physical characteristics of people, feelings and emotions
Move Along: purpose of transportation, geographic influence on transportation choices
Let's Celebrate: what, how and why people celebrate, family traditions
Sprouting Up: growth process of plants, how plants help sustain other living things
You Are Here: mapping systems, identifying and using map features
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head: the water cycle, tools used to predict weather
We Built This City: planning a community, organizational structure and systems in a city
Get a Job: different jobs and how they are connected 
Roots: family origin and ancestry, cultural similarities and differences between families
Pure Energy: how energy is used, impact of energy use
I'm a Poet and I Know It: forms of the written word, poetry as an expression
You Say You Want a Revolution: motivating factors to a revolution, violent and nonviolent action
Run, Reign, Rule: forms and functions of government, relationships to constituents
Into the Great Wide Open: exploration, impact of exploration on native populations

... and many, many others!

      

Field trips have taken children to many wonderful places along the Front Range, including Anderson Farms, Plains Conservation Center, Barr Lake National Park, Dinosaur Ridge, the Denver Zoo, and others.

That Kid's Got Attitude!

The IB Attitudes and IB Learner Profile are demonstrated daily throughout Brown. We see evidence of students understanding these terms and taking responsibility for actions and words on a daily basis. The IB Attitudes, which can and should be reinforced at home, are Tolerance, Appreciation, Commitment, Confidence, Cooperation, Creativity, Curiosity, Empathy, Enthusiasm, Independence, Integrity and Respect.

The IB learner profile describes ways for students to learn and live as internationally minded people: Inquirer, Thinker, Communicator, Risk Taker, Knowledgeable, Caring, Balanced, Open Minded, Reflective and Principled.