C37 (Intro): Understanding the Transdisciplinary Theme Descriptors

Our second challenge will have two parts to differentiate based on where you are on your PYP journey. 

​Part A (Introduction):  we will review the big ideas of each part of transdisciplinary learning, so everyone is on the same page.  If you already have a solid understanding of that part of transdisciplinary learning, then feel free to skip it and go straight to the challenge,  

Part B (challenge):  we will complete a challenge and post it in on Twitter @thinkchat2020 or LinkedIn @Lu Gerlach https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-gerlach-9721991a8/

Determining our Goal

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In the last challenge, we talked briefly about the six transdisciplinary theme descriptors.  Now, we will delve further into them and their power to magically transform your curriculum design.

Just like baking, we must first decide what it is we are going to create, so we can determine which tools and ingredients we will need.  

To create units of inquiry, we will delve deeper into the construction of the transdisciplinary theme descriptors to help understand their unique parts and how they impact our unit design. 

Unpacking the themes

We are going to zoom into the descriptor for How We Express Ourselves to help you better understand how to use it. 

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.
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I have underlined portions of the descriptor, because they are concepts or big ideas that can be explored from multiple lenses.  Concepts are big ideas that are nouns and have universal impact and application.  In this theme descriptor, it is pretty easy to see that the concepts are:  ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and value, creativity, appreciation, aesthetic.  In other theme descriptors, it can be a little more challenging. 

For example, let’s explore 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.

In this descriptor, it can be a bit harder to identify the root concept.  The root concepts I have identified are self, beliefs and values, health, relationships, rights and responsibilities, and human.  At first glance, you might contest that families, friends, communities, and cultures are also concepts. You would be correct.  In this context, they are sub-concepts under relationships. 

​I told you, this is pretty tricky. When planning, it will take a moment to decide on which type of health or relationships to focus on.  Does that make sense? ​

Why is this important? 

The transdisciplinary theme descriptors are important, because they provide an anchor for your unit of inquiry.  They are your north star throughout the process to help you make connections.  They are so important that you will use them to guide your creation of the central idea and lines of inquiry.  

When teaching a unit, you can use the transdisciplinary theme descriptor as a whole to help you plan and teach, but your team will zoom into a portion of the descriptor to focus and connect throughout the unit. 

For example:  In Who We Are, one of the concept families is human relationships, which includes families, friends, communities, and cultures.  Depending on age, we may choose family and friends.  Another grade level may choose communities.  A third grade level might choose cultures.  The important bit to remember, one grade level is not responsible to cover the entirety of a concept family.  By the time a child has gone through your entire PYP program, they will have explored all of the concept families in the descriptor.  Amazing, eh?  

We will take a look at how to do this process with content standards in the next episode.