International Baccalaureate

German International School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an internationally recognized curriculum framework developed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). The PYP is designed for young learners aged 3-12 and fosters social, emotional, and academic well-being through its focus on strong personal values and international-mindedness. The PYP emphasizes collaborative inquiry and integrative learning, and the framework honors student voice, curiosity, and contributions to their own learning. Through the cultivation of student agency--that is, by supporting student voice, choice, and ownership--students become aware of how individual and collective action can build community while making positive differences in the world. Fundamental to the PYP programme is the cycle of inquiry. This inquiry-based approach encourages learners to take ownership of their own learning at all stages and includes exploring, analyzing, taking action, and reflecting on personal understanding, all of which support the growth and development of the attributes, or traits, of the IB Learner profile.

The PYP has been developed as a flexible, transdisciplinary framework which addresses six broad themes that span between, across, and beyond traditional subject-centered disciplines. These six themes are: Who We Are; Where We Are in Place and Time; How We Express Ourselves; How the World Works; How We Organize Ourselves; and Sharing the Planet. Examining themes and issues in a global context supports a cohesive learning experience and fosters a deeper understanding of human commonalities while also nurturing a lifelong enjoyment of learning and molding globally minded citizens who can make a positive difference in the world.

GIS has developed a Programme of Inquiry (POI) in accordance with the PYP curriculum framework. This POI supplements the curricula from Thuringia, Germany, and Beijing, China, upon which the German and Chinese Tracks are respectively based. The POI outlines what, when, and how learners of different ages and grade levels engage with the six transdisciplinary themes at GIS. The Programme of Inquiry ensures that GIS has a coherent and balanced curriculum that is aligned both vertically by theme and horizontally by grade level. Each unit of inquiry (UOI) focuses on one of the six transdisciplinary themes and explores a central idea with related lines of inquiry. Each unit also emphasizes key concepts and approaches to learning necessary for developing both conceptual and subject-specific knowledge. The POI is dynamic and offers space for new inquiries, explorations, and directions of study within each unit. As such, the POI offers an overview of the PYP curriculum framework as it is currently implemented and evolving at GIS.

IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) at GIS