AGES 3–11

THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP)

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, the Metropolitan School of Panama is proud to offer the IB Primary Years Programme, an international framework for elementary students that begins in Early Childhood and continues through the end of Elementary School, in Grade 5. The PYP develops students' knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills that are necessary to participate actively and responsibly in our rapidly changing world.
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INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN PANAMA

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) combines the best research and practice from a range of national and international models and helps our students become masters of the English language. It provides children with a relevant and engaging curriculum framework that’s used in IB PYP schools worldwide.


The PYP’s leading educational approach is inquiry-based learning, which means your child will be actively involved in their own learning and will take responsibility for it. Inquiry is the process that moves learners to a new, deeper level of understanding. It involves the synthesis, analysis, and manipulation of knowledge — either through play or through more formally structured learning.

What does inquiry-based learning involve?
  • exploring, wondering, and questioning, experimenting and playing with possibilities
  • making connections between previous and current learning, making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens
  • collecting data and reporting findings, clarifying existing ideas and reappraising perceptions of events
  • deepening understanding through the application of an idea or concept, making and testing theories
  • researching or seeking information, taking and defending a position
  • solving problems in creative ways
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THE PYP'S CONCEPT-BASED LEARNING

Central to the philosophy of the PYP is the principle that structured inquiry is a powerful way to learn and encourage understanding, while challenging your child to engage with significant ideas. The PYP framework includes seven key concepts that provide the underlying structure for the exploration of content throughout the program.

These key concepts include:
  • Form: What is it like?
  • Function: How does it work?
  • Causation: Why is it like it is?
  • Change: How is it changing?
  • Connection: How is it connected to other things?
  • Perspective: What are the points of view?
  • Responsibility: What is our responsibility?
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TRANSDISCIPLINARY LEARNING IN THE PYP

Our PYP curriculum is arranged and taught through large, cross-curricular units of study known as “Units of Inquiry.” Throughout Elementary School, these Units of Inquiry are arranged under six themes that are explored across the different subject areas. Our program offers a balance between learning about the different subject areas and learning beyond them.


The 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
  • Sharing the Planet

These themes are explored across subjects that follow a scope and order; they also place importance on how we create knowledge. The underlying conceptual understandings and learning outcomes provide structure and guidance throughout each phase in the learning continuum.

The subjects are as follows:
  • Language
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Arts
  • Science
  • Personal, social, and physical education
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THE PRIMARY IB LEARNER PROFILE

The aim of all three IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. MET learners accomplish this by demonstrating the IB Learner Profile, which includes 10 attributes shared among and valued by world schools, encouraging the growth of young people who are responsible members of local, national, and global communities. Learn more about the profile and benefits of the IB to our school community.


Continue to learn more about the IB Middle Years Programme, which begins from Grade 6 of Middle School.

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WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Join us for a campus tour or virtual meeting to take the first step in your child’s most exciting academic experience. We look forward to meeting you to discuss what makes us different, our offer to your family, and how our admissions process works.

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