The program of inquiry

The PYP Program of Inquiry (POI) is organized around six transdisciplinary themes. It provides a broad, conceptual and connected learning experience for our students.  The teachers at Jessie Thackrey Preschool, Mount Daniel and Oak Street elementary schools have carefully aligned and integrated the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) within these themes. They teach the standards as a tool for helping the students understand the greater concepts and ideas of these themes. This allows students to transfer and connect learning in local and global contexts.  

The six transdisciplinary themes are described below. Students inquire into, and learn about, these globally significant issues in the context of units of inquiry. Each grade level teaches a unit of inquiry that addresses a central idea relevant to a particular part of each theme.

Who We Are

An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including family, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where We Are in Place and Time

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How We Express Ourselves

An 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

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understandings of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and the environment.

How We Organize Ourselves

An 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

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.