Looking at broad themes and making them easily approachable – that’s how we focus on learning and make it more inspiring for young students.

The British School of Sofia (BSS) primary school recently held its March PYP summative assessments, wrapping up the Where We Are in Place and Time unit of inquiry.

Where We Are in Place and Time is an inquiry into where we are and how we got there. The theme looks closely at civilisational evolution, personal histories, discoveries, the migrations of humankind, and the immensely wonderful characteristics of the physical world that we live in.

While this theme is incredibly broad and rich, it also takes a look at the individual and their connection to predecessors, human progress, and geographical location. We looked at the topic from both a local and a global perspective, allowing for varied interpretations and a more personalised approach to knowledge acquisition.

Each grade adopted a trans-disciplinary approach when looking at the theme and how it’s connected to the various academic disciplines that make up the British School of Sofia curriculum.

So, what does this broad unit of inquiry look like when we approach individual projects that our primary school teams worked on?

Grade 1 students explored significant historical events that shaped the world we live in today. They also looked at geographic locations that are considered significant and the reasons behind that importance. 

Grade 2 focused on climate and how it differs from one place to another. The impact climate has had on sustaining life also turned into a key element that allowed for trans-disciplinary knowledge exploration.

The features of the planets in our solar system and the ways we use maps gave third-grade students the opportunity to look at specific aspects of the theme that align with their academic programme.

Everything that the Ancient Greeks accomplished – from democracy to the Olympic games – allowed our fourth graders to research specific developments and historic concepts still relevant and applicable to our world today.

Grade 5 traced human migration through the centuries and the way these shifts have had a profound effect on culture over time.

Finally, Grade 6 looked at the rise and evolution of civilisations and how these are influenced by human exploration, movement, and innovation.

The PYP summative assessment is the culmination of a six-week study period that gives the primary grades the opportunity to look deep into a topic and uncover some of the most interesting details that make the theme universally relevant and worthy of exploration. 

So far this academic year, the British School of Sofia has held four summative assessments. The first three looked at the Who We Are, How We Organise Ourselves, and How the World Works units of inquiry.

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British School of Sofia is a candidate school* for the PYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.

* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-Related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.

For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org.