1. Concepts

3. Explanation of a
phenomenon Two or more concepts
stated in a relationship.
Generally they are
Mental construct that timeless and abstract.
umbrellas different topics. Enduring understanding
They are timeless, universal
abstract, different examples.
A higher level of abstraction Organised set
than topics because of the of facts
generalisability
Specific examples of
people, places,
situation or things

4. Environments can be
interconnected and are effected by
human behaviour
• The feature of different ecosystems
• How ecosystems are interconnected
• The impact of human behaviour on
ecosystems.
Environments
Systems
Responsibility
Rainforests
• Rainforest have different
animals and plants
• Rainforests are located in
around the equator
• Some rainforests are being
destroyed

5. What does the IB say about concepts?
• Education for the understanding of significant ideas
has often been sacrificed for the memorization of
isolated facts and the mastery of skills out of
context. The expansion of the curriculum and the
pressure to cover the syllabus have resulted in many
students leaving school with superficial levels of
understanding.

6. What does the IB say about concepts?
By starting with the students’ prior knowledge, and
by confronting and developing their earlier
conceptions and constructs, teachers can begin to
promote real understanding.

7. What does the IB say about concepts?
The exploration and re-exploration of concepts lead
students towards an appreciation of ideas that
transcend disciplinary boundaries, as well as towards
a sense of the essence of each subject area. Students
gradually work towards a deepening of their
conceptual understanding as they approach those
concepts from a range of perspectives.

8. What does the IB say about concepts?
Transdisciplinary units, where concepts are used to
support and structure the inquiries, provide a
context in which students can understand and, at
the same time, acquire essential knowledge, skills
and attitudes.

9. What does the IB say about concepts?
A concept-driven curriculum helps the learner to
construct meaning through improved critical
thinking and the transfer of knowledge.
Transdisciplinary concepts increase coherence
across the curriculum

10. Is it possible to identify a set of concepts around
which to structure a curriculum?
Read, Making the PYP Happen, pages 16 and 17

11. Concepts
• Concepts represent different levels of complexity and
generality (general validity)
• Concepts can range from macro concepts to micro concepts.
Macro (Key Concepts)
Form, Function, Causation, Connection, Reflection,
Responsibility, Perspective, Change
Macroconcepts are important because they are the broadest
category for structuring knowledge

12. Micro (Related Concepts)
Systems, relationship, impact, family, behavior, belief,
pattern, culture, invention
Represent the deeper knowledge of a discipline.
Macro gives the breadth
Micro gives the depth
Key Concepts gives the breadth
Related Concepts gives the depth

13. Concept Cut Up

14. Unit Design
Read and explore newspaper articles from a range of newspapers.
• Is there something significant, relevant, engaging and challenging?
• What is the issue?
• Determine what Transdisciplinary Theme the issue of the article
could belong to
• What concepts, both key and related, are evident?
• What subjects/disciplines could be used to explore this?
• Develop a Central Idea that explores the ideas in the article, making
sure the concepts identified earlier are present