IB PYP Concept Discussion Mats for Every Theme

Your IB PYP students will be mastering the art of communication, critical thinking and collaboration as they are tuning into their inquiry through these concept mats. This complete bundle of concept discussion mats is packed full of images that all relate to the concepts within the IB PYP transdisciplinary themes:

• Who We Are
• How We Express Ourselves
• Where We Are in Place and Time
• Sharing the Planet
• How the World Works
• How We Organise Ourselves

This resource is exactly what is going to save you time as you are equipped with highly engaging images that will stretch the children’s thinking as they make connections between the related concepts and develop their ATL communication skills, specifically through the sub-skill of exchanging information. (UK & USA spelling) Ideally suited for grades 3-5.

These concept-based Discussion Mats are designed to get students talking, providing high-engagement picture prompts to provoke curiosity and asking open-ended, guiding questions. Sentence stems provide support to beginning and intermediate ESL level students. 

• •Activate background knowledge
• •Tune into the related concepts
• •Provoke curiosity
• •Introduce key vocabulary authentically
• •Develop collaborative discussion skills –accountable talk, listening to respond etc.

This tool covers the concepts within the each of the IB PYP transdisciplinary themes.

Includes: Expression, Organisation, Scientific Principles, Place & Time, Conservation, Sustainability, Influence, Media, Celebration, Culture, Tradition, Style, Communication, Language & so much more!

The Discussion Mats are formatted for partners AND small groups. Your students will love "playing" and practicing their oral language skills with this fun activity.

What's Included:

• •Differentiated, editable discussion mats
• •Conversation bingo chart
• •Roll and Talk activity
• Self/Peer assessment rubrics and recording charts

With over 120 ready-made discussion mats that will engage so you are absolutely set to pick and choose for multiple related concepts within the IB PYP Programme of Inquiry for grades 3-5.

• •High engagement images that link to the related concepts within the IB PYP theme enabling greater understanding of the big ideas and connecting with ANY unit of inquiry for the upper grades.
• •Differentiated graphic organisers with guiding questions, ideal for using with whole class discussions and collaborative groups.
• •Self/Peer assessment rubrics and recording charts enable inclusive assessment of the ATL skills in practice, supporting student agency and accountability.
• •Blank templates for each theme to add your own provocation materials. Works great with the IB PYP Exhibition prep.

This bank of high interest material will keep your inquirers thinking, talking and collaborating throughout the entire programme of inquiry, as you integrate it into your learning experiences, use with on-going reflection and even assessment of skills.

You will find skills focused communication charts supporting implicit skills practice of:

• •Observation
• •Making connections
• •Using our schema
• •Analysing data
• •Literal thinking vs. inferential thinking
• •Synthesising
• •Formulating conceptual questions
• •Accountable talk
• •Collaborative thinking

You may also be interested in my complete units of inquiry, providing transdisciplinary activities for all of the themes. Take a look here or look at the store of my website for a larger selection.

You can find many more inquiry based tips and tools in my store an on my blog, PYPteachingtools.com

ENJOY!

Susan Powers