PYP 1 – Responsible by choice – Mahindra International School

PYP1: Responsible by Choice

While our previous Unit on relationships encouraged the children of PYP1 to take responsibility for their own actions by understanding the impact of their behaviour on their relationships, our current Unit, Sharing the Planet, invites the children to assume responsibility for other living beings. And to imbibe this very important concept, we took our young learners to the Enchanted Gardens plant nursery.

Upon reaching the venue, the children, accompanied by their teachers and our ever-enthusiastic class parents, Mrs. Sood and Mrs. Atulkar, explored the vast varieties of indoor and outdoor plants. We saw plants of different sizes and shapes, all flaunting a plethora of beautiful hues. While most of the children were naturally drawn towards the flowering plants such as the orchids, gerberas, roses, pentas, ixoras, balsams etc, some of our inquirers were curious to explore the more unusual types such as the range of cacti, aglaonema, the floating lotus stalks, the beautiful lily crinum with its wonderfully strange little post-flower bumps and of course, the intriguing touch-me-nots.

Soon it was time for the moment that they all had waited for; it was time to make a choice, a very difficult one at that. The children had to choose one plant among all the many that they had seen and to ensure that their chosen plant was within the budget given to them. Then, in a sudden burst of activity, the nursery came alive with excited voices, animated discussions and the wonderful sound of children thinking, inspecting, examining, thinking again and finally making their life-changing decisions. In a record-breakingly short duration of time, our children had made up their minds and were eager to take their trophies back to school. But not before another quick jaunt, this time outside the covered nursery, out in the open where they were delighted to see the bonsai trees but even more thrilled at discovering baby strawberries.

After the billing was done and the payments were made and it was time to head back to school, the children, carried their own pots to the bus, only too happy to bear the weight of their newly acquired responsibilities. When asked what the best part of the field trip was, the experience of choosing their own plant was the unanimous winner!

Once back in the classroom, their learning continued. With a little help from their teachers, the children gathered information about their plants including their respective names and the special care each variety required. They brainstormed ways in which they could fulfil their responsibility of ensuring that their plants thrive and grow and recorded their earnest promises on Seesaw. The children will be in charge of their plants until the very end of this Unit after which they shall continue looking after them at home.

Do feel free to drop by our class sometime to have a look at our beautiful garden where at least six different varieties of plants grow, but more importantly come in to watch our children as they go about their daily duties and learn, act and grow, to be responsible citizens of the world.

Ms. Karishma and Ms. Shilpa

Human systems and economic activities	The study of how and why people construct organizations and systems; the ways in which people connect locally and globally; the distribution of power and authority.
Social organization and culture	The study of people, communities, cultures and societies in the ways in which individuals, groups and societies interact with each other.
Continuity and change through time	The study of the relationships between people and events through time; the past, its influences on the present and its implications for the future; people who have shaped the future through their actions.
Human and natural environments	The study of the distinctive features that give a place its identity; how people adapt to and alter their environment; how people experience and represent place; the impact of natural disasters on people and the built environment.
Resources and the environment	The interaction between people and the environment; the study of how humans allocate and manage resources; the positive and negative effects of this management; the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment.

Living things	The study of the characteristics, systems and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with their environment.
Earth and space	The study of planet Earth and its position in the universe, particularly its relationship with the sun; the natural phenomena and systems that shape the planet and the distinctive features that identify it; the infinite and finite resources of the planet.
Materials and matter	The study of the properties, behaviours and uses of materials, both natural and human-made; the origins of human-made materials and how they are manipulated to suit a purpose.
Forces and energy	The study of energy, its origins, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines. (IBO, 2009)

PYP 1 – Responsible by choice

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