PYP Newsletter - Manchester International School

Annual Day

Dear Parents,

This edition of the PYP Newsletter comes just after one of our annual school

milestones, Annual Day. For students, the whole process of developing and presenting

the Annual Day programme is very exciting. From the day it begins, there is a current

of electricity in the air and a constant buzz of interest among the children.

For this year’s Annual day students were cast in principal roles that involved group

performances. Many other students had opportunities to do a special turn with movie,

dance or dialogue that revealed their growing understanding of stagecraft. As always,

the magic of the evening’s performance came to an end all too quickly. How we would

love to play it all again! However, part of the magic of live theatre is its evanescence.

It is over now, though we can still enjoy it in retrospect.

As we reflect on our Annual Day programme, it is interesting to see how we have

supported learning and skills development through this activity which implicates all

students and teachers, from Kindergarten through Grade 8. The weeks of rehearsal

give every student an opportunity to develop social, communicative and

self-management skills. All the practice paid off on Saturday, 7th February, when the

children performed for you, their beloved parents and relatives. Please take some time

to talk with your child about this experience.

You could start a conversation about the responsibilities your child took in the

Annual Day production. These included learning movements, entrances, exits and

steps of the dance sequences. Practice sessions required a strong commitment to

cooperation, waiting a turn, helping others learn their parts and being courteous to

others. Many times, students were asked to try different ways of moving, speaking or

singing. Sometimes children had to step out of their comfort zone to try something

new or difficult. Often, these efforts led to the most memorable and effective moments

of performance. That is a reward of being a risk-taker.

Date: 19th February , 2015 Volume 4

IB Learner Profile Attrib-

utes:

• Inquirers

• Knowledgeable

• Thinkers

• Communicators

• Principled

• Open-minded

• Caring

• Risk-takers

• Balanced

• Reflective

School Events

February

28th: Singapore & Malaysia

Trip

March

5th March: Holi

Celebrations

6th March: Holi holiday

April

3rd: Good Friday Holiday

4th: PTM & Last working

day for KG students

11th : Last working day for

Grades 1-8

2nd week : PTM

Suggestion

Ask your child

how he /she

has demon-

strated one of

the attributes

PYP Newsletter

Communication skills have been extensively developed through the Annual Day practices and performance. Listening

in a purposeful way, to get and retain important information, is a skill students have used constantly throughout the

rehearsal period. When they listened to the directions of the choreographers, dance coaches and directors of the An-

nual Day show, the children knew that they were expected to hear directions just one time and remember them.

They also gathered information from kinesthetic communication, as the dance coaches and directors showed them

how to move, gesture and place themselves on the stage.

Children should have a chance to take pride in their accomplishments. Often, they are only partly aware of the sig-

nificance of what they have done. Parents, as well as teachers, play an important part in helping the child look back,

reflect on the process, and recognise these accomplishments as worthy and important ones. Please take some time

to talk with your child about Annual Day, the challenges it presented and the success it represents.

With this, I present the last edition of this PYP newsletter for this academic year.

Please read further for UOI and other curriculum updates to be accomplished this term before the end of the aca-

demic year.

Regards

Kapil Mehrotra

PYP Coordinator

This is the old unit which started earlier and will continue till March end

Unit of Inquiry : 4

Trans-disciplinary Theme: Sharing the Planet

Central idea: Animals and People interact in different ways in different contexts.

Key Concepts: Connection, Perspective, Responsibility

Lines of inquiry:

• The different roles animals play in peoples’ lives.

• Suitability of particular animals for specific functions.

• Our responsibility for the well-being of animals.

In this unit, the students will be know about characteristics, relationships and need for the animals. The different

roles animals have in our life

Kids exercising in play area

and ball room . Physical exer-

cise and warm up activities are

a routine task

Every activity starts with an in-

quiry. In this activity kids choose

their own colours to complete

their masterpiece.

Kids involved in a collage work

to create traffic signal

Curriculum Updates

Grade : KG1

Duration : 8 Weeks

Language within the unit ( Integration)

• Alphabets Completion

• Animals and their young once names

• Types of animals

Language Standalone

Vowels blending with consonants

• Two letter sounds

• Puzzle boards

Math within the unit ( Integration)

• Skip counting and comparison.

• Reverse counting

Math Standalone:

• Object addition and missing numbers

Science Integration through Key and Related

concepts

Study of related concepts through the key concept:

Responsibility and Connection

Related Concepts:

• Endangered creatures

• Characteristics

Social Studies Integration through Key and Re-

lated concepts

Study of related concepts through the Key concept:

Perspective

Related Concepts:

• Social Awareness

• Animal welfare organization

Core subjects curriculum updates

Curriculum Updates

Grade : KG1

Duration : 8 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• Eight Silly monkeys

• Bunny Farm

• A very merry mouse country Christmas

• Let’s go to the zoo

• On the farm

• About Animals

• Oh Brother, Someone’s Fighting

• The friendly duck

• Animals of Farthing Woods

Reference links

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?

direction=desc&sort=extinction_status

http://www.animals-zone.com/national-animals-of-

countries-a-photographic-list

http://www.goodnet.org/articles/512

http://www.stray-afp.org/?

gclid=CODQsczogcMCFRIrjgodT20AFg

http://www.petaindia.com/

http://www.ifaw.org/united-states

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/

fantastic-organizations-fighting-to-protect-endangered-

species/

Activities that can be done at home

• Animals Face mask

• My pets and I care for it photos

• Sharing animals stories heard from their grandparents

• Collect photos on different animals

• Group project separating wild and pet animals

• Booklet animals and its uses

• Clay modeling

• Domestic and wild animals project

• Animals products

Endangered Wild Domestic Occupation Carrier

Trunk Skin Milk Birds Animals

Organization Zoo Skin Feathers Meat

Celebration Colours Caring Calf Infant

Nations Long Big Unity Survival

This is the old unit which started earlier and will continue till March end

Unit of Inquiry : 4

Trans-disciplinary Theme: Sharing the planet

Central idea: Environment remains peaceful by resolving conflicts and sharing of resources.

Key Concepts: Causation, Perspective, Responsibility

Lines of inquiry:

• Reasons for conflicts

• Impact of conflicts

• Our responsibility in resolving conflicts through caring and sharing of resources

In this unit, the student will be exploring about the causes and impacts of conflicts. They will also learn about

their responsibility in maintaining peace around them by being caring citizens and sharing the resources wisely.

We were very surprised to see

the egg beater, how it breaks

down and sends out the eggs.

Celebration never ends without

cakes and sweets. We went to K.R

Bakes baking unit to see their

process of making them.

We celebrated Aashrutha’s and

Bhoomi’s birthday.

Curriculum Updates

Grade : KG2

Duration : 8 Weeks


• Usage of noun, verbs and adjectives

• Sentence formation

• Rhyming words

Language Standalone

Vowels blending with consonants

• Jolly Phonics

• Solving puzzles


• Measurement– Length, Mass, Capacity

• Cardinal and Ordinal numbers

Math Standalone:

• Numbers– Backward counting


concepts


Responsibility

Related Concepts:

• Resources


lated concepts


• Perspective

Related Concepts:

• Conflict

• Peace


Curriculum Updates

Grade : KG2

Duration : 8 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• Why are you afraid to hold my hands?

• Just be nice to your little friend

• Sharing surprises

• Jobs people do

• Where people live?

• The care and keeping of friendship

• Life, friend and everything

• Places in Tamilnadu

• A-z books

• Tell the time

Reference links

• www.ameaningfulexistence.com/2010/03/22/

know-these-five-causes-of-conflict/

• http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2010/08/10/75-

reasons-for-conflict/

• http://www.livestrong.com/article/91391-causes-

family-conflict/

• http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/conflict-

between-friend-12768.html

• http://www.livestrong.com/article/186764-conflict

-between-children/

• https://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/

citizen/citizen.pdf


• Sharing with family members

• Serving in the family

• Not wasting food, water

• Proper usage of electricity

• Forgiving

• Helping parents in the household work

Peace Friendship Resources Conflict Argument

Sharing Caring Family Neighbors Forgiving

Responsibility Impacts Loving Environment Resolve

Reason Values Expectation Ignore Attitude

Communicate Open minded Physical Mental Emotional

Unit of Inquiry :6

Trans-disciplinary Theme: Sharing the planet.

Central idea: Plants sustain life on Earth and play a role in our lives.

Key Concepts: causation, perspective, responsibility

Lines of inquiry:

• Caring for plants

• Products we derive from plants

In this unit, students will learn about plants, their growth and uses

Children enthusiastically convey

the life cycle of butterfly by singing

a song with their sweet voice

Kids express their curiosity as they do

a group activity in which they speak

about their own developmental

stages.

Curriculum Updates

Grade : 1

Duration : 6 Weeks


• Parts of speech review

• Writing sentences

• Complete thoughts

Language Standalone

• Enjoy reading

• writing different process and experiments

• tell about visual effects, for example, features,

layout, border, frame

Math Standalone:

• understand that information about themselves and their surroundings can be obtained in dif-ferent ways

• construct simple graphs on paper and using concrete objects


• solve word problems related to all four opera-

tions

• use tally marks to represent data while counting

objects


concepts

Study of Related concepts through the Key concept

Causation and Responsibility:

Related Concepts:

• Plants

• Living things

• Conservation


Children discuss and show some

objects to each other as they form

compound words in a think pair

and share activity

Curriculum Updates

Grade : 1

Duration : 6 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• I explore science

• Environment

• Green Genius

• ABC s of natures

• Thousand things about plants

• Living Science

• The plant Kingdom

• Complete book of science

• Know about environment

• Plants

Reference links

• www.mbgnet.net/bioplants

• www.theplantlist.org/

• www.sankalptaru.org

• www.biology4kids.com/files/

plants_main.html

• www.fao.org/biodiversity/components/

plants/en/

• www.indiaplants.com/

• www.mnn.com


• Make student grow any interior plant and take care of it

• Ask specific questions about plants life.

• Research on different types of plants habitats

• Explore about classification of plants

• Discuss about peculiar plant species (carnivorous plants)

• Research on the amazing facts about kurunji plant.

• Practice the ways to take care of plants

• Investigate the ways of reproduction in plants

Root Leaves Consume Products Grassland

Lawns Chlorophyll Photosynthe-

sis

Spices Medicines

Cereals Pulses Vegetables Salad Creepers

Shrubs Climbers Herbs Spinach Lettuce

Herbivo-

rous

Garden Surroundings Survival Nature

Unit of Inquiry

Trans-disciplinary Theme: How we express ourselves

Central idea: Writing allow us to express our thoughts and feelings

Key Concepts: function, perspective, reflection

Lines of inquiry:

• The different elements used in writing

• The use of writing to express our thoughts and feelings

• The ways we respond to writing

In this unit, the students will express their thoughts using different forms of text/genre

Students creating posters to

understand the concept “How

to conserve electrical energy”

Students involved in rubbing hand

activity to identify the transforma-

tion of energies

Students making simple machine

tools which they use in their day

to day life using clay . .

Curriculum Updates

Grade : 2

Duration : 6 Weeks


• Story writing

• Explanatory writing

• Descriptive writing

• Report writing

• Letter writing

• Planning & drafting

Language Standalone

Comprehension— The adventure story

Grammar– Interjections, Articles & Tenses

Math Standalone:

• Measurement & Conversions

• Money—(4 basic operations)


lated concepts

Study of Related concepts through the Key concept:

• Perspective and Reflection

Related Concepts:

• Perception

• Self expression


Curriculum Updates

Grade : 2

Duration : 6 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• Vampire diaries

• Snow white and the seven dwarfs

• Princess annual 2011

• Wonderful world of knowledge

• A tiny miracle

• Magic locket

• Cinderella

• Kitty’s new doll

• The little mermaid

• The sleepy book

Reference links

• http://blog.airfoilpr.com/airfoilpr/2011/08/the-six

-elements-of-your-writing-style.html

• http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Page/20393

• http://www.learnnc.org/lp/edit ions/few/684

• http://valenciacollege.edu/wp/cssc/documents/

TheElementsofEffectiveWriting.pdf


• Encourage your child to write diary regularly based on

their routine

• Ask your child to paraphrase any incident that happened

in their life

• Encourage your child to read newspaper regularly

• Motivate your child to verbalize their feelings, emotions

and reflect for later reference

• Make it mandatory for your child to read bed time sto-

ries.

Listen Speak Definition Brief Description

Fantasy Novels Fairy tales Thrill express

Imagine Describe Conversation Composition Fiction

Story Explanation Bibliography Conclusion Conventions

Situations Secret Moral Motivation Encourage

Unit of Inquiry Sharing the Planet

Trans-disciplinary Theme: Sharing the Planet

Central idea: When interacting with natural habitats, humans make choices that have an impact on other liv-ing things.

Key Concepts: causation, change, responsibility

Lines of inquiry:

• Balance between rights and responsibilities when interacting with natural habitats

• Human impact on natural habitats

• How living things respond to changing environmental conditions

In this unit, students will learn about natural habitats and adaptation

Students reflected on history

of photography using the Time-

line graphic organizer.

Students curiously watched the

video on history of motion pic-

tures.

Students posing for Close up

shots to understand the concept

of digital photography.

Curriculum Updates

Grade : 3

Duration : 6 Weeks


• Report writing

Language Standalone

• Letter writing

• Parts of Speech Review


• Data handling

Math Standalone:

• Decimals and Percentages

• Word problems

• Review on fractions


concepts


• Change, Responsibility

Related Concepts:

• Adaptation

• Conservation


lated concepts


• Causation

Strand- Human and natural Environments

Related Concepts:

• Impact

• Population

• Settlement


Curriculum Updates

Grade : 3

Duration : 6 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• Planet Earth

• Backyard Science

• Clean Green Technology

• Extreme 3d weird animals

• The world around us

• Reptiles and Amphibians

• Birds of prey

• Endangered Animals

• Polar lands

• Habitats and the environment

Reference links

• www.youtube.com/watch?

v=fRX2JtKFUzk

• www.youtube.com/watch?

v=7AUeM8MbaIk

• www.slideshare.net/bbraley1552/life-

cycle-of-the-butterfly

• www.slideshare.net/Blair616/

adaptation-powerpoint

• www.britannica.com/


• Dioramas

• Collecting pictures of extinct species from magazines/

news papers

• Survey report on settlements

• Photo collages

• Collecting articles regarding conservation of endangered

species from magazines/news papers/ encyclopedias.

Extinct Erosion Infant Fertilization Behavior

Adaptation Pollution Adolescent Hibernate Elevation

Habitat Species Nymph Embryo Latitude

Instinct Germinate Mammals Pollen Metamorphosis

Survive Migrate Planet Environment Reflex

Unit of Inquiry

Trans-disciplinary Theme: How the world works

Central idea: Energy may be converted, transformed and used to support human progress.

Key Concepts: form, causation, responsibility

Lines of inquiry:

• Different forms of energy sources (renewable and non-renewable)

• How energy is used (transformation)

• Sustainable energy practices

In this unit, the students, will inquire about different forms of energy, its transformation and conversion.

Students displaying their post-

ers on organizations that sup-

ports children

Students made simple machine

models and explained the advan-

tages of using these machines

Students project work on child

labour

Curriculum Updates

Grade : 4

Duration : 6 Weeks


• Explanatory writing

• Persuasive writing

Language Standalone

• Letter writing

• Types of sentences

• Direct and indirect speech

Math Standalone:

• Shape and space

• Real life applications.


concepts


form

Related Concepts:

• Energy , Force

• Heat, Light and Magnetic

• Energy conservation and transformation


lated concepts


causation

Related Concepts:

• Renewable and nonrenewable resources

• Resources and environment


Curriculum Updates

Grade : 4

Duration : 6 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• Books related to Energy

• Solar energy

• Wind power

• Global warming is a global warming

• Energy from the heart of hydrogen

• Reduce Reuse Recycle

Reference links

http://cases.soe.umich.edu/plans.php?

nav=showplan&dqid=160&lpid=102

http://www.ignitelearning.com/science/Energy.pdf

http://inside.mines.edu/~afilatov/

EnergyLessonPlan.pdf

http://kenanfellows.org/kfp-cp-sites/cp09/cp09/

lesson-4-energy-transformations/index.html

http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/transforming-

energy/

http://www.eia.gov/kids/


• Promote the use of alternative energy

• Speak and practice the importance of conserving energy

and water at homes

• Discuss how do you save energy at homes

• Discuss about the importance of solar energy and how it

helps the environment

• Make them to learn success stories about conservation

of energy.

Accumulator Battery Biodiesel Biofuel Biomass

Geothermal Nuclear en-

ergy

Sustainable Generator Combustion

Transmission Renewable Conservation Appliance Global warm-

ing

Thermal en-

ergy

Fossil Alternating

current

Environment Utilities

Tidal power Greenhouse

effect

Efficiency Electricity Pollution

Unit of Inquiry

Trans-disciplinary Theme: How the world works

Central idea: Understanding of forces and its scientific principles has led to inventions which has

impacted the society.

Key Concepts: Form, Function, Causation

Lines of inquiry:

• Types of forces and their scientific principles

• Application of forces

• The impact of inventions on society

Shreya reflected on the attrib-

ute “Principled”, emphasizing

the importance of ethics in ad-

Students analyzed most of the

advertisements and discussed

about the persuasive techniques

with their peers.

Integration of Math with the ad-

vertisement: students made ob-

servation of advertisements in

TV and made conclusions.

Curriculum Updates

Grade : 5

Duration : 6 Weeks


• Scientific and procedural writing

• Explain and discuss their own writing with

peers and adults.

Language Standalone

• Active and Passive passive

• Direct and Indirect speech


Measurement:

• Use a variety of instruments and tools to

measure data accurately

• Mass, Volume, SI units

Math Standalone:

• Ratios and proportion

• Probability

Science Integration through Key and Related con-

cepts

Study of Related concepts through the Key concept: form

Children will inquire the fundamental forces :

• Action- at a distance – Gravity, magnetic, electric ii.

Contact – friction, air-resistance, applied

• Explore how inventions and technology work.

• Consider scientific models and applications of the

same

Social Studies Integration through Key and Related

concepts

Study of Related concepts through the Key concept: cau-

sation

• The different traditional machines used in different cultures.

• Identify inventions and technology from past and present and the reasons why they were invented


Curriculum Updates

Grade : 5

Duration : 6 Weeks

Vocabulary Words

Reference Booklist

• How everything in the home works

• Invention

• Do you know how?

• Make it work!

• Know about science-1

• Amazing Machines

• Big Book of science projects

• Spectrum

• How does it work?

• Inventions and Discoveries

Reference links

• http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/

• http://tag.wonderhowto.com/make-homemade-

science-projects/

• http://www.parenting.com/gallery/easy-science-

fair-projects-kids

• http://listverse.com/2007/12/03/top-10-coolest-

home-science-experiments/

• http://www.hometrainingtools.com/a/science-

projects

• http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/

• http://www.howstuffworks.com/


• Allow your child to explore the simple machines found at

home.

• Question students on “why” of every machine and their

working.

• Students use a variety of household items to learn about

forces, e.g. magnetism and friction.

• Using their knowledge and understanding of scientific

principles they create machines for a specific purpose

• Give opportunities to your children to read about famous

scientists and their inventions.

Force Scientific Acceleration Gravitation Electricity

Velocity Transverse Transformer Translucent Wave

Pulse Diffuse Static Dynamics Resistance

Potential Frequency Momentum Attractive Magnetic

Principle Friction Elasticity Theory Newton

PYP Newsletter - Manchester International School

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