aics primary Library IB Curriculum

This section is designed to provide teachers and parents with more detailed information on how the library supports the curriculum for the Primary Years Program (PYP). If you would like a general overview of the PYP, please read the IB brochure.

In order to support the IB Primary Years Program, the AICS Library provides resources related to each of the six transdisciplinary themes that are at the heart of the curriculum. Each of the themes below link directly to the related resources in our library catalogue. (We are in the process of updating our catalogue to link to more of our resources related to each of the themes and subthemes below.)

• Who we are
  Inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

• Where are we in place and time
  Inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationship between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

• How we express ourselves
  Inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

• How the world works
  Inquiry into the natural world and its laws, the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment. 

• How we organize ourselves
  Inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

• Sharing the planet
  Inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and other living things; communities and the relationship within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Along with the Primary Years Program (PYP) curriculum, the library supports Primary students in developing age-appropriate library, research, and media literacy skills. Librarians work with heads of school and primary teachers to implement research training related to specific topics of inquiry such as the PYP Exhibition or school projects.

Six Week Research Workshop

Students in groups 4 through 7 take part in specific inquiry sessions that last six weeks. Four of these sessions take place in the Library under the guidance of one of the Teacher Librarians. By the end of the session, each student should be able to say the following:

Group 4

• I can find nonfiction and fiction books in the library.

• I can find nonfiction books on a specific topic in the library.

Group 5

• I can find nonfiction books in the library.

• I can find nonfiction books on a specific topic in the library.

• I understand how the Dewey System works.

• I can look for books in the online Library catalogue and find them afterwards in the library.

• I can find nonfiction ebooks on a specific topic in our Sora ebook collection.

• I can look for the information I want in a book index.

• I am starting to use Britannica.

Group 6

• I can find nonfiction books in the library.

• I can find nonfiction books on a specific topic in the library.

• I understand how the Dewey System works.

• I can look for books in the online Library catalogue and find them afterwards in the library.

• I can find nonfiction ebooks on a specific topic in our Sora ebook collection.

• I can look for the information I want in a book index.

• I learn about the validity of sources and how to use Google and Wikipedia carefully.

• I use Britannica.

• I start gathering information from multiple online resources. 

• I know a bit about the Academic Integrity Policy, and I know how to build a bibliography.

Group 7

• I can find nonfiction books in the library.

• I can find nonfiction books on a specific topic in the library.

• I understand how the Dewey System works.

• I can look for books in the online Library catalogue and find them afterwards in the library.

• I can find nonfiction ebooks on a specific topic in our Sora ebook collection.

• I can look for the information I want through in a book index.

• I am confident in using Britannica, and I use EBSCO.

• I gather information from multiple online resources to seek out a variety of perspectives. 

• I learn about the validity of the sources, how to use Google and Wikipedia carefully and critical thinking skills to assess the information I find online.

• I am aware of the Academic Integrity Policy,  I know how to build a bibliography, and I start to reference my work (Works Cited list).

• I know some basic MLA9 rules and apply them. I am briefly introduced to in-text citations.

• I am introduced to NoodleTools on paper, and I start to use NoodleTools online.

In addition to the research training for Group 7 described above, AICS Teacher Librarians also act as mentors during the Group 7 Exhibition. Mentors meet with their students each week to answer questions and, just as importantly, to ask questions that help students think about their line of inquiry, their sources, their product, and their audience. Feel free to contact the Teacher Librarians to request individual or class mentoring for the PYP Exhibition.

The library supports the AICS Academic Integrity Policy and helps primary students to understand the concepts of thinking critically, being a proactive researcher, evaluating their sources, producing their own work, avoiding plagiarism, and citing their sources, all targeted to their specific age group and level of understanding. For more details, please see the AICS Academic Integrity Policy (link forthcoming).