International School Hilversum “Alberdingk Thijm” Programme of Inquiry Cycle 1
	Who we are An 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 we are in place & 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 understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.	How we organise 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 with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
KG 1 (4/5 year olds)	All about me	What will I wear today?	Let’s play	As the wheels turn	Taking a trip	The rainforest
KG 2/Grade 1 (5 – 7 year olds)	That makes sense	Children around the world	Everyone has a story to tell	Weather permitting	The Dutch way	Animal families
Grade 2/3 (7 – 9 year olds)	Me and my body	I like to move it..!	Cultural festivities	Wonders of the world	Endless (re)uses	Living wild
Grade 4/5 (9 – 11 year olds)	You need rights	Were they civilized? And are we?	I believe	Discovered something new recently?	Bits and bites	Water for life

Kindergarten 1: Cycle 1

Who we are	Where we are in place & time	How we express ourselves	How the world works	How we organise ourselves	Sharing the planet
An 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.	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.	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.	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 understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.	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.	An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
TITLE: All about me	TITLE: What will I wear today?	TITLE: Lets play	TITLE: As the wheels turn	TITLE: Taking a trip	TITLE: The rainforest
CENTRAL IDEA: Every day I learn more about who I am, what I can do and the people around me	CENTRAL IDEA: The world I live in affects the clothes I wear	CENTRAL IDEA: People play to learn, explore and have fun	CENTRAL IDEA: Different types of wheels help us to travel near and far	CENTRAL IDEA: Organizing a trip requires planning and working together	CENTRAL IDEA: The rainforest is a home to many different plants and animals and it needs to be looked after
AN INQUIRY INTO: - who I am - my physical characteristics - what I like and dislike - people who are special to me - how I am growing and changing - what I can do	AN INQUIRY INTO: - the kind of clothes we wear - how weather affects what we wear - how different situations require different clothes - traditional costumes and uniforms	AN INQUIRY INTO: - the reasons for play - the rules for play - what we like to play - games played in other countries	AN INQUIRY INTO: - different ways of travelling about - how transport affects our daily lives - keeping safe when we are travelling - how transportation has changed through time	AN INQUIRY INTO: - where we want to go - when the best time is to go - how we are going to get there - what we will need to take with us - what we will see and do	AN INQUIRY INTO: - what a rainforest is - where the rainforests are - animals living in the rainforest - layers of the rainforest - our responsibility towards the rainforest

Kindergarten 2/Grade 1: Cycle 1

Who we are	Where we are in place & time	How we express ourselves	How the world works	How we organise ourselves	Sharing the planet
An 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.	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.	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.	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 understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.	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.	An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
TITLE: That makes sense!	TITLE: Children around the world	TITLE: Everyone has a story to tell	TITLE: Weather permitting	TITLE: The Dutch way	TITLE: Animal Families
CENTRAL IDEA: We use our senses to gather information about the world around us	CENTRAL IDEA: Children around the world have many similarities and differences because of their geographical environment	CENTRAL IDEA: Stories are informative, give us pleasure and help our imagination grow	CENTRAL IDEA: Living things respond to seasonal changes	CENTRAL IDEA: We live in the Netherlands, which is a European country unlike any other	CENTRAL IDEA: All animals belong to a family
AN INQUIRY INTO: - how our senses work - how we use our senses to gather information - using our senses to keep us safe and healthy	AN INQUIRY INTO: - similarities and differences among children in different countries - similarities and differences in cultures, traditions and religions - similarities and differences in one country between city and village life	AN INQUIRY INTO: - our favourite stories - how stories adapted and changed - how stories make us feel - recording and acting out stories - what we learn from stories	AN INQUIRY INTO: - how and why weather is monitored - seasons - seasonal changes in different parts of the world - how seasonal changes affect humans and animals	AN INQUIRY INTO: - the geography of the Netherlands - things which are uniquely Dutch - how we can be a part of Dutch life	AN INQUIRY INTO: - what the six main animal groups are - similarities and differences of a variety of life cycles - identifying the different and similar roles played by animal mothers and fathers

Grade 2/3: Cycle 1

Who we are	Where we are in place & time	How we express ourselves	How the world works	How we organise ourselves	Sharing the planet
An 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.	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.	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.	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 understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.	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.	An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
TITLE: Me and my body	TITLE: I like to move it…!	TITLE: Cultural festivities	TITLE: Wonders of the world	TITLE: Endless (re)uses	TITLE: Living wild
CENTRAL IDEA: Exercise, well-balanced diet and recreation (i.e. hobbies) are essential to human beings	CENTRAL IDEA: Our journey through life is affected by our movements throughout the world	CENTRAL IDEA: Families all around the world recognise important personal and cultural events through celebrations and traditions	CENTRAL IDEA: Since early mankind, humans have created amazing constructions in their desire to create a legacy	CENTRAL IDEA: Our future environment is in our hands	CENTRAL IDEA: The change in the relationship between animals and human beings has affected the environment
AN INQUIRY INTO: - types of exercise - purpose of exercise - healthy balanced diet - leisure time activities and hobbies	AN INQUIRY INTO: - the homes we have come from - the journeys we have made - our ancestors’ history - people and cultures we experience - who we are now	AN INQUIRY INTO: - reasons for celebrating - types of celebrations - the looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings of celebrations - similarities and differences between various celebrations	AN INQUIRY INTO: - the constructions of ancient civilisations - effects of these constructions on mankind - positive and negative effects of mankinds amazing constructions	AN INQUIRY INTO: - how different materials can be reused - the steps we can take to make use of our waste at home and at school - types of packages for various products	AN INQUIRY INTO: - effects of human behaviour on animal habitat - how animals adapt to their changing environment - human influences on the environment - protecting and caring for animals

Grade 4/5: Cycle 1

Who we are	Where we are in place & time	How we express ourselves	How the world works	How we organise ourselves	Sharing the planet
An 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.	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.	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.	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 understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.	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.	An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
TITLE: You need rights!	TITLE: Were they civilized? And are we?	TITLE: I believe	TITLE: Discovered something new recently?	TITLE: Bits and bites	TITLE: Water for life
CENTRAL IDEA: All children have needs and the rights for those needs to be met	CENTRAL IDEA: Many systems of past civilizations are linked to societies and cultures of the present day	CENTRAL IDEA: Expressions of beliefs are all around us	CENTRAL IDEA: Humans solve problems and make work easier through simple machines	CENTRAL IDEA: Modern media have an influence on our lives	CENTRAL IDEA: Water is an essential and vulnerable resource that is unevenly spread throughout the world
AN INQUIRY INTO: - needs and wants - the connection between needs and children’s rights - the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989)	AN INQUIRY INTO: - the time and place of Egyptian/Roman/Greek civilizations - the systems developed by Ancient Egypt/Romans/Greeks - how do these systems work? - the aspects (systems, artefacts) of above mentioned civilizations - the relevance of examining past civilizations	AN INQUIRY INTO: - values and beliefs - factors that influence values and beliefs - how people express their beliefs and values	AN INQUIRY INTO: - significant inventors and inventions of the last 150 years - how machines make work easier - how people use design and technology to make work easier and solve problems - what simple machines are	AN INQUIRY INTO: New unit, so inquiry points still to be developed	AN INQUIRY INTO: - water as an essential element of our lives - the distribution and availability of water - the impact of human activity on water - the interconnected nature of water systems