Transdisciplinary Learning @ Spicewood

A common misconception about a PYP education is that there is a “PYP time” of day, dedicated to focusing on inquiry and student exploration. Conversely, the PYP curriculum framework provides the platform for inquiry based teaching and learning to occur throughout the school day, hopefully extending to the home as students share ideas, conversations and concepts explored in the classroom.

How is this achieved?

With lots of intentional planning and collaboration among all of our teachers on Spicewood’s campus, units of inquiry are written that provide students with meaningful learning experiences that transcend all subject areas- including our specials; art, music, PE, and Spanish. With this transdisciplinary approach, students are able to explore concepts that transcend a particular subject area, in turn allowing them to acquire skills in context and make authentic connections to construct their knowledge.

Our specials teachers have a special role to play as we are all working together to educate the whole child. This week we’re highlighting how some of our specials are currently connecting to some of our classrooms:

art

ART

2nd Grade: Sharing the Planet

Central Idea: Living things share natural resources.

Students will create a painting with a living thing and a natural resource using rings and shades to portray depth. Students are drawing from observation natural resources and living things in Spicewood’s atrium.

swesartconnection

music

MUSIC

4th Grade: Who We Are

Central Idea: Our individual rights and responsibilities impact our world.

At the beginning of the school year, fourth graders explored the Who We Are transdisciplinary theme in their homeroom classes and in music class. The repertoire that is included in their music program, which will take place on October 27th, reinforces the central idea that our individual rights and responsibilities impact our world.

picmonkey-collage

Our PE and Spanish are also connecting to classroom units of inquiry and learning experiences. We’ll share ways in which they connect next week! Stay tuned!