IB Mission & Learner Profile
What is the main goal of the IB mission?
The IB develops inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through education that builds intercultural understanding and respect.
Guess the ATL: The ability to find, record, evaluate, and use information effectively. These skills include formulating questions, gathering and analyzing data, and presenting findings clearly and ethically.
Research skill
Which key concept encourages learners to identify the observable features, attributes, or characteristics of something?
Form
In the PYP, which structured framework guides students through transdisciplinary learning experiences that connect concepts, skills, and action across subjects?
UOI
What type of assessment is integrated into the learning process to provide ongoing feedback, guide instruction, and help students improve?
Formative assessment
Which LPA is defined as: We give attention to our intellectual, physical, and emotional well-being, and value how each part contributes to a healthy life. We recognize our connections with other people and with the world we live in.
Balanced
Which ATL category includes collaboration and conflict resolution?
Social skills
Which key concept helps learners analyze the underlying reasons or factors that explain events, decisions, or outcomes?
Causation
How do you ensure your Unit of Inquiry is truly transdisciplinary rather than subject-based?
We begin with the central idea and key concepts, then integrate subject skills and knowledge meaningfully to deepen understanding. Subjects support the inquiry instead of driving it, ensuring authentic, concept-based connections.
Give one example of student action in the PYP.
Community involvement: Organizing a school recycling campaign or planting a garden.
Sharing learning: Presenting a project or exhibition to peers, parents, or the community.
Advocacy: Raising awareness about social or environmental issues through posters, digital media, or performances.
Problem-solving: Designing solutions to real-life problems, such as creating a system to reduce food waste in the school.
Personal reflection & lifestyle choices: Making mindful decisions about time management, health, or collaboration based on their learning.
Which attribute is about acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness?
Principled
Give an example of a thinking skill.
Critical thinking – analyzing information, making connections, and evaluating evidence before reaching a conclusion.
For instance: A student examines different explanations for why plants grow faster outdoors and decides which is best supported by evidence.
What key concept helps us explore similarities and differences?
Connection
What is the difference between a central idea and a line of inquiry?
A central idea is the big, overarching concept of a unit, while lines of inquiry are the specific pathways students explore to understand that idea.
How does the PYP portfolio demonstrate student learning over time?
The portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that shows growth, reflection, and achievement across subjects. Students select pieces, reflect on their learning, and set goals, making the portfolio a tool for ownership and continuous improvement.
How do your LPAs influence daily teaching and learning practices in the classroom rather than just appearing in planning documents?
They guide how we plan and teach. Learning is inquiry-based, student-centered, and reflective, with clear opportunities for student voice, choice, and ongoing assessment.
Which ATL category helps students manage time, tasks, and organization?
Self-management skills
Which key concept asks learners to evaluate the impact of their decisions on themselves, others, and the wider community, and to justify ethical courses of action?
Responsibility
Why do PYP units begin with a provocation?
To spark curiosity and questions
How does student agency connect to assessment practices?
They help set success criteria or co-create rubrics.
They choose how to present their learning (e.g., project, presentation, model).
They engage in self- and peer-assessment, taking responsibility for next steps.
How does the IB mission connect to international-mindedness?
Promotes understanding, respect, and responsibility across cultures
Explain how communication skills support inquiry in the PYP.
Students listen actively to others’ perspectives.
They express their thinking through speaking, writing, drawing, or digital media.
They collaborate by exchanging feedback and building on each other’s ideas.
How could you use the concept of Perspective in a unit about history or culture?
Comparing accounts of a historical event from multiple countries or communities.
Investigating how cultural celebrations are practiced differently within or across societies.
Reflecting on how personal experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds shape understanding.
How does the inquiry cycle reflect student agency?
Tuning in / Posing questions → Students decide what they want to explore and what they are curious about.
Finding out / Researching → They choose methods, resources, and ways to gather information.
Making connections / Interpreting → They analyze data, form conclusions, and reflect on their understanding.
Taking action / Going further → They decide how to apply what they’ve learned in real-life contexts or share it with others.
Explain how reflection helps students take meaningful action beyond the classroom.
Students identify connections between their learning and the world around them.
They evaluate the impact of their actions and decide how to improve or extend them.
Reflection fosters responsibility, ethical thinking, and informed decision-making, which leads to purposeful action in their community or daily life.