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The Organized Chaos In The PYP Classroom

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"Getting students to think, and to notice their own thinking, is vital if students are going to gain a sense of where they're going."
Frey, Hattie, and Fischer Developing Assessment-Capable Visible Learners
We often talk about differentiation and scaffolding as ways to tailor instruction to individual needs. But what if the goal was for both educators and students to become assessment-capable?

It's not just about teachers knowing where a student starts from; it's also about helping students make that realization. In this blog post, we'll explore how assessing prior knowledge can go beyond informing instructional decisions to empowering students to take charge of their own learning journey.

The Traditional Role of Assessing Prior Knowledge

You probably start your unit with some form of assessment to gauge what your students already know. This is a cornerstone in teaching; it helps you plan lessons that are appropriate for your students' level. That's what we call differentiated instruction. You match the learning experiences to the students' readiness level, ensuring everyone can access the curriculum.
Examples:

Pre-tests or quizzes to find out what students already know about the topic.

KWL charts where students list what they 'Know,' 'Want to know,' and eventually, what they 'Learned.'

Quick polls or show of hands to understand the familiarity of the class with the topic at hand.

The Shift from Teacher-Led to Student-Centered Assessment

While the first approach is foundational, there's a whole other level we can reach. What if we turned students into active players in this assessment game? When they actively engage in assessing their own prior knowledge, two important things happen.

First, they develop what we call " metacognition," or thinking about thinking. This skill is not just academic; it's a life skill. It helps students become assessment-capable by making them aware of their learning processes, thereby turning them into more independent and confident learners.

Second, it opens the door for them to make connections to their own experiences and previous learning. This isn't just about what's in the textbook; this is about applying their own real-world understanding to new concepts, and transfer learning. When a student says, "Oh, this is like when I learned about X in another subject or at the museum," that's a win.

Strategies for Involving Students in Assessing Prior Knowledge

What it is: Provocations are designed to stimulate thought, ignite curiosity, and start conversations. They can be questions, statements, or scenarios that challenge existing perspectives.

How it's used for prior knowledge assessment: A well-crafted provocation can bring out what students already know or think about a topic, providing teachers with insights to tailor the plans.

Examples:

Early Years: https://www.mlfmonde.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ProvocationsStart-UpGuide-1.pdf
Lower Elementary: Show students a plant and an artificial flower. Ask, "Which one needs water?"
Upper Elementary: Share a picture of a pyramid and ask, "Why do you think people built these?"
Middle School: Start with a statement like, "The most important part of a story is the villain."

Visible Thinking Routines:

What it is: A set of practices to help students articulate and visualize their thinking processes and become more metacognitive. https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines

How it's used for prior knowledge assessment: By asking students to make their thinking visible, teachers can get a snapshot of what students already know or wonder about a subject.

Examples:

Early Years: Use "See-Think-Wonder" with a story cover.

Lower Elementary: "Chalk Talk" about what they know about landforms.

Upper Elementary: "Think-Pair-Share" to discuss prior knowledge about fractions.

Middle School: "Claim-Support-Question" about the water cycle.

Simulation:
What it is: A practical, often hands-on, activity that mimics real-world scenarios.

How it's used for prior knowledge assessment: A simulation can quickly show how much students understand about a topic as they will draw on their prior knowledge to navigate the simulation.

Example: To assess students' knowledge about ecosystems, hand each child a card of different biotic and abiotic components like polar bears, ocean, lake, cactus, snakes, etc. Ask Students to form groups without any set criteria, however, they must give logical reasoning for their grouping. Encourage the students to reflect by discussing the most crucial factor in their ecosystem and why it's important.

Discussion :

What it is: An open conversation about a topic, often facilitated by the teacher. Discussions can be facilitated by asking a question, using a provocation, or starting a debate.

How it's used for prior knowledge assessment: Initiating a class discussion can quickly give you a sense of the vocabulary, concepts, or misconceptions that students have.
Concept Mapping:
What it is: Concept mapping is a visual tool that allows students to organize and represent their understanding of a particular topic or concept. It helps to uncover the relationships between ideas and can reveal gaps in knowledge.

How it's used for prior knowledge assessment: By asking students to create a concept map, you get to see their existing understanding of a topic, how they organize their thoughts, and what connections they're making. It can also help them if you provide a partially completed concept map and ask them to complete it. These maps can be referred to at the end of a unit for students to edit their initial thoughts or add to them.

As educators, our role is not just to convey knowledge but to cultivate thinkers who can navigate and connect the dots in their own learning. The strategies laid out here aren't just tools for you to assess your students' prior knowledge. They also empower your students to assess themselves, to think critically, and to own their learning. Make the shift from merely teaching to creating a classroom of assessment-capable learners.

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Prior knowledge assessment Assessment capable students Agency PYP

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The Organized Choas in the PYP Classroom

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If you're in the PYP world like me, you're probably familiar with the idea of encouraging our students to self-assess their learning. The Enhanced PYP, updated in 2018, nudged us to take it a step further by adding self-adjustment into the mix. In 'From Principles to Practice,' the IB outlines what makes an educator assessment-capable. By teaching our students how to self-adjust, we're helping them become assessment-capable learners themselves.

So what exactly is self-adjustment? And, more importantly, how can we set our students up to do it successfully?

What Is Self-Adjustment?

Let's start by breaking it down. is when students look back on what they've learned and measure their understanding. It's reflection, pure and simple.

goes a step beyond. It's not just looking back; it's also looking . Students not only identify their strengths and weaknesses but also make changes in real time to improve.

Why Is It Important?

Self-adjustment fosters independence and builds problem-solving skills. Instead of waiting for feedback, students are empowered to recognize their own mistakes and correct course as they go along. It empowers student agency as it gives them of their learning.

The Role of Success Criteria in Self-Adjustment

What is Success Criteria?

Before diving into the how-to, let's first understand what success criteria actually are. In simple terms, success criteria are specific, measurable, and clear goals that lay out what success looks like for a task or project. They're like the GPS for your students, showing them the way from "I'm not sure what to do" to "I totally nailed this!"

Here are some examples of success criteria:
Math - Early Years
Success Criteria:

I can count objects in a set, up to 10.

I can match the number of objects to the correct numeral.

I can use counting to solve simple problems, like '2 apples + 1 apple'.

Writing - Lower Elementary Success Criteria:

My sentence has a subject and a verb.

My sentence expresses a clear idea or action.

I can use descriptive words to add details.

Science - Upper Elementary Success Criteria:

I can identify the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.

I can explain how temperature affects states of matter.

I can demonstrate the transition between at least two states of matter.

Why are success criteria so valuable in the classroom?
So, why bother with success criteria?

Well, for starters, they remove ambiguity. When we spell out what success looks like, students aren't left wondering what's expected of them. This saves time and energy that can be better spent on learning.

Secondly, success criteria provide a self-check tool that students can use independently. Knowing the criteria lets students be their own judges, spotting mistakes and fixing them. This promotes self-adjustment and takes some of the burden off the teacher for constant monitoring.

In a nutshell, success criteria make the learning goals crystal clear for students, which in turn, makes it easier for them to self-assess and self-adjust effectively.
This is how it looks in practice ... Math - Early Years
Task: Count objects in three different sets and then match those numbers to the corresponding numerals.

Self-Assessment: Place a card with the numeral next to each set. Step back and see if the numbers and sets align.

Self-Adjustment: If there are any mismatches, correct them by recounting the objects.

Learning Goal: Count up to 10 objects by myself and match them with the right number.
Writing
Task: Write a sentence describing what you did over the weekend.

Self-Assessment: Read your sentence out loud and use colored markers to underline the subject in blue, the verb in red, and the adjectives in green. Ask yourself, "Does it sound like a complete thought? Is it detailed?"

Self-Adjustment: Use descriptive words to add details to your sentence.

Learning Goal: I want to be able to use adjectives to add details to my sentence.
Science
Task: Conduct an experiment to demonstrate the transition between at least two states of matter.

Self-Assessment: Film the experiment and review the footage to see if you accurately demonstrated and explained the transitions between the states of matter.

Self-Adjustment: Use your notes to edit or add to the sections of your presentation that were not clear or missed a point.

Learning Goal: I want to accurately explain how temperature changes cause matter to transition between states.

Your Roadmap to Promote Self-Adjustment in the Classroom

So, you've read about the 'why' and the 'what' of self-adjustment and success criteria. Now, let's get down to the 'how.' Here's your roadmap for implementing these key components in your classroom.

Follow these steps to guide your students towards becoming more self-adjusting, empowered learners.

1. Identify the Learning Objectives: Before anything else, you need to be clear about what you want the students to learn. What's the bigger picture?

2. Develop Success Criteria: Translate these objectives into student-friendly language. Remember, they're supposed to be the GPS guiding the kids, so make them clear and specific.

3. Share and Discuss: Don't just hand out a list. Discuss the success criteria with your class. Make sure everyone understands what they mean and why they're important.

4. Create Tasks that Align: Design your classroom tasks and assessments so they directly relate to the success criteria. This ensures a smooth road for the kids to follow.

5. Embed Self-Assessment: After tasks are completed, allow time for students to self-assess. Use a variety of methods - written reflections, peer discussions, or simple checklists.

6. Prompt Self-Adjustment: Encourage students to review their self-assessment and set new learning goals based on their observations. This can be done as a class, in small groups, or individually.

7. Monitor and Guide: Initially, you'll need to closely monitor how students are managing self-assessment and self-adjustment. Provide support, mini-lessons, or additional resources as needed.

8. Reflect and Adjust: Finally, take some time to reflect on how it's going. What's working? What's not? Adjust your approach and keep refining.

By following these steps, you're not just teaching your students the curriculum. You're teaching them how to learn, how to adapt, and how to pave their own way towards success.

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Navigating Self-Assessment and Self-Adjustment: A Teacher's Roadmap to Student Success

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If you're in the PYP world like me, you're probably familiar with the idea of encouraging our students to self-assess their learning. The Enhanced PYP, updated in 2018, nudged us to take it a step further by adding self-adjustment into the mix. In 'From Principles to Practice,' the IB outlines what makes an educator assessment-capable....

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 4 - Assessment in a Playful Classroom

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 4 - Assessment in a Playful Classroom

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The Organized Choas in the PYP Classroom

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Inquiring through play allows us to explore concepts authentically, wonder, communicate with others, have fun, and investigate, and it is for older children as well as the little ones.

A human being's natural instinct is to explore, and we can see it happening naturally with babies; if you tell a baby to stay away from touching a hot object because it will hurt, they won't stop until they try it themselves. We learn about how the world works through first-hand experiences, we see things or approach unfamiliar situations, and our minds go a mile a minute wondering how it works or why it is the way it is. In my opinion, this is the reason people enjoy learning through play the most, and when I say "we," I mean adults as well as children.

Pyle and Danniels (2017) introduced the continuum of play-based learning; they identified the role of educators in each play type.

Free play is ...

child-initiated,

not teacher-directed by any means,

an opportunity for the children to authentically and confidently demonstrate their learning and demonstrate their skills,

Educators' Role: Observe, Reflect, Facilitate.

an opportunity for the teachers to step back, observe, and learn about children's abilities and interests,

facilitated by teachers by offering resources needed and uninterrupted playtime.

Inquiry Play ...

is child-led,

is guided by educators,

supports children in developing skills, acquiring knowledge, and making connections,

provides authentic opportunities for children to develop their literacy and mathematical skills and understanding.

Educators' Role: Extend child-initiated ideas & explorations through questions, provocations, investigations

Educators listen to children and extend their thinking by asking open-ended questions.

Educators provide an environment that supports children's inquiries.

Collaborative Play ...

is child-led,

is directed by educators as they provide support.

Children have fun while learning.

Children learn from peers and educators.

Educators' Role: Use opportunities to enter children's play & incorporate targeted skills into their play.

Involves intentional integration of literacy materials.

Educators can target specific skills and learning outcomes by playing with children.

Playful Learning ...
Focus on targeted skills in learning experiences that can incorporate children's play narrative.

Planned by educators as a response to children's interests.

Learning outcomes and specific skills could be integrated into the process.

The environment is set up to ensure children are able to meet specific outcomes.

Even though educators plan it, it still honors student agency as it honors their interests and supports their natural tendency to learn and have fun.

Children are encouraged to self-assess as they play.

Learning Games ... Prescribed activities "focused skills, usually literacy & numeracy skills."

is educator-guided,

is guided by literacy, numeracy, and other learning outcomes.

Children acquire social skills and are exposed to different conflict resolution strategies.

Structured and following rules is critical.

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Inquiring through play allows us to explore concepts authentically, wonder, communicate with others, have fun, and investigate, and it is for older children as well as the little ones. A human being's natural instinct is to explore, and we can see it happening naturally with babies; if you tell a baby to stay away from...

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Play is central to how children learn-the way they form and explore friendships, the way they shape and test hypotheses, and the way they make sense of their world. Much is known about how play supports learning, yet little empirical research has explored what it might mean to put play at the center of formal schooling. In 2015, the Pedagogy of Play (PoP) research project began investigating the nature of playful learning in schools. Funded by the LEGO Foundation, the project focuses on three core questions: Why do educators need a pedagogy of play? What does playful learning look and feel like in classrooms and schools? How do educators set up the conditions where playful learning thrives?

The answers to these questions can be found in our new book, A Pedagogy of Play: Supporting playful learning in classrooms and schools! You can access a free PDF of the book, or you can purchase a physical copy of the book via the Lulu website.

We began our research with the International School of Billund (ISB) in Denmark, a school whose mission is designed around learning through play. Our research with ISB inspired a working set of playful learning principles, practices, and tools; pictures of practice (stories illustrating playful learning in action); and the beginnings of a pedagogy of play framework. We also developed a research methodology for examining and enhancing playful teaching and learning. Recognizing the cultural variations of learning and play, we expanded our research to include schools in South Africa, the United States, and Colombia. In each context, we sought to understand what playful learning looks and feels like.

On the tabs of this web page, you can find more details about our research, including some key ideas, resources for teachers and administrators to develop or enhance their playful learning practices, and resources for teacher educators who wish to support pre-service or in-service teachers in cultivating playful classrooms and schools. We also invite you to explore our blog popatplay.org, which offers team reflections and activities, stories of playful practice, and insights and experiences from practitioner and research colleagues who support learning through play.

Since 2015, we have been investigating the relationship between play and school. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that play supports children's social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development, and that there is a positive connection between enjoying learning and academic success. But integrating playful practices into school, or embracing play as a strategy for learning, has proven challenging. In part this is due to paradoxes that arise when play and school intersect:

In play, children are in charge. At school, the adults typically set the agenda.

Play can be chaotic, messy, and loud. Schools often need to be orderly and quiet.

Play often involves taking risks. Schools aim to keep children safe.

Both statements in each bullet above are true, and both statements of each bullet should be honored. These paradoxes are the underpinning of why a pedagogy of play-a whole school approach to examining, discussing, and supporting playful learning and teaching-is critical.
Six Core Principles of Playful Learning
Based on literature reviews of learning and play, insights from educators and researchers around the globe, and practitioner action-research with playful teachers and school leaders in Denmark, South Africa, the U.S., and Colombia, our research team developed six core principles of playful learning:

1. Play supports learning

2. Playful learning in school requires play with a purpose

3. Paradoxes between play and school add complexity to teaching and learning

4. Playful learning is universal yet shaped by culture

5. Playful mindsets are central to playful learning

6. Supportive school cultures enable playful learning to thrive

These principles form the foundation of a pedagogy of play. You can read more about each principle in our book, linked on the Overview page.
Playful Learning Indicators
It is easier to talk about, plan for, and assess playful learning with colleagues who share an understanding of what playful learning means. Together with educators, we co-created working definitions of what playful learning looks and feels like in their own contexts. Through interviews with educators and students, observations, focus groups, study group discussions, and examining documentation of student learning, we developed site-specific, culturally relevant maps of playful learning. If you hover over the points marked on the map below, you can see these Indicators of Playful Learning for each site:

For each model, playful learning is represented at the intersection of the indicators; in other words, playful learning is likely to occur when all three indicators are present. The models are explored in depth in our working papers. Educators have used these indicators to develop a whole school approach to playful teaching and learning appropriate for their setting. Perhaps not surprisingly (after all, playful learning is universal), the models also share features across contexts. Looking across our four sites, we noticed patterns and developed a cross-cultural model of playful learning indicators.

The cross-cultural indicators provide a starting point for educators and school communities interested in exploring what playful learning looks and feels like, and how they might foster a pedagogy of play in their school. If you are interested in digging deeper or co-creating your own playful indicators, the Playful Learning Indicator Guide: A Weekly Handbook for Research Teams can be found on the For Educators tab on this website.
Playful Learning Practices & Strategies
How can educators set up the conditions where playful learning thrives? Based on extensive classroom observations and interviews across sites, consultations with key thought partners, a review of literature (including related pedagogies such as inquiry and project-based learning), and our own prior research and experiences in the classroom, we identified the following key practices and strategies that support playful learning and teaching across ages and contexts:

Practices

Strategies

Empower learners to lead their own learning

Get to know your learners

Involve learners in decision-making

Reflect on learning with learners

Build a culture of collaborative learning

Use play to build relationships

Facilitate purposeful conversations to build knowledge

Foster a culture of feedback

Promote experimentation and risk-taking

Design open-ended investigations

Encourage risk-taking as a strategy for learning

Encourage imaginative thinking

Share stories to engage and enhance learning

Use role-play and pretend scenarios

Provide materials and experiences that engage the senses and the body

Ask questions that invite curiosity and imaginative thinking

Welcome all emotions generated through play

Design for joy

Use play to explore complex issues

Support learners in working through frustration

Click here for an expanded description of these practices and strategies which, along with related tools, can be found on the For Educators tab and in our book.
Playful Participatory Research
To promote playful learning for children and older learners, it's important for the adult learning community to also embody and engage in playful learning. We developed Playful Participatory Research (PPR) as a research and professional development approach for educators to reflect on their playful practice. PPR is a form of action research in which teachers collect data, analyze results, and use the knowledge to develop or deepen playful teaching and learning in their own schools. PPR provides opportunities for teachers to play with ideas, take risks, and explore new possibilities, and it provides school communities the opportunity to come together for conversations about a pedagogy of play. You can read more here about our collaboration with the International School of Billund and the impacts of PPR. If you want to learn more and try PPR in your school, you can find a link to the Playful Participatory Research Guide: An Interactive Workbook on the For Educators tab on this website.

One of our goals is to help educators-classroom teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators-incorporate more playful teaching and learning into daily practice. Here, we offer specific tools and resources that support a pedagogy of play.

The Educator Toolbox includes an overview of the playful learning practices and strategies, and eighteen related tools appropriate for all ages and contexts. We invite you to adapt the tools (with integrity!) to fit your needs.

We also offer two guides and accompanying workbooks, designed for educators interested in conducting their own playful research (and research playfully!). The first is the Playful Participatory Research (PPR) Guide: An Interactive Workbook, developed by the Pedagogy of Play research team as a way to support educators' playful learning. PPR is a type of practitioner inquiry or teacher research-research done by educators. It is a reflective and playful way for members of a learning community to explore learning through play together, through collecting and discussing data, analyzing it together, and applying what is learned. The PPR Guide provides an overview of the process, an interactive workbook to play with, and some additional resources to support the research.

The Playful Learning Indicator Guide: A Weekly Handbook for Research Teams helps educators co-create their own definition of playful learning. Modelled after the research process of Pedagogy of Play, the guide is helpful for any team of educators interested in better understanding what playful learning looks and feels like in their classrooms and school.

Welcome to the Pedagogy of Play (PoP) teacher education resource webpage. Here you will find materials for a 14-session course to introduce pre-service teacher candidates to playful learning.

These materials were created with the support, collaboration, and feedback from over 30 teacher educators from around the world. Feel free to adapt them as you see fit, using all or some of the course sessions. The material can also be adapted to use with in-service educators to promote their professional learning. Below, you will find:

An instructor guide with detailed information about each course session

A course syllabus that can be shared with teacher candidates

PowerPoint slides for each course session

Suggested Readings

Resources, such as Activity Cards and Assignments that supplement information in the instructor guide, and a library of classroom videos from a range of age groups and geographies that are referenced in the syllabus to promote discussions of playful learning

Act 1 Why do we need a Pedagogy of Play?

Act 2 What does learning through play look and feel like in different cultural contexts?

Act 3 How can we promote a Pedagogy of Play?

Project Info

FUNDER: The LEGO Foundation

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Play is central to how children learn-the way they form and explore friendships, the way they shape and test hypotheses, and the way they make sense of their world. Much is known about how play supports learning, yet little empirical research has explored what it might mean to put play at the center of formal schooling.

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Daily and Seasonal Changes Play Unit - Lower Elementary

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Daily and Seasonal Changes Play Unit - Lower Elementary

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Properties of Solids and Liquids Play Unit - Lower Elementary

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Properties of Solids and Liquids Play Unit - Lower Elementary

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Soils in the Environment Play Unit - Upper Elementary

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Soils in the Environment Play Unit - Upper Elementary

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Thinking about assessment in the early years

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Thinking about assessment in the early years

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Illustrations of practice for your consideration

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Thinking about assessment in the early years

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Examples from Early Years Classes Around the World 

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Examples from Early Years Classes Around the World 

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https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2018/02/27/supporting-learner-agency-in-the-early-years/

https://learningnplay.blog/2018/04/12/early-years-and-student-agency/

https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2018/05/01/listening-to-learning-agency-in-the-early-years/

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Learner agency in the early years

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/international-baccalaureate/PYP+Playlist/index.html#/page/5c5d69f3ec43cb21c9233835

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 1 - What is Play?

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 1 - What is Play?

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 2 - Small Steps to a Playful Classroom

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 2 - Small Steps to a Playful Classroom

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 3 - A Playful Classroom Environment

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 3 - A Playful Classroom Environment

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 5 - Educator Strategies for a Playful Classroom

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How to get into Play-Based Learning: Part 5 - Educator Strategies for a Playful Classroom

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The Organized Choas in the PYP Classroom

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Observations play a crucial role in the early years, offering insights into each child's unique development. Dive into this infographic to explore the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of observational assessments, and discover practical tools that can enhance your observation process.

Categories Tags Posted on Visuals assessment, Early Years, feedback, feedforward, IB, Play, PYP

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The Power Of Observations In The Early Years

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Observations play a crucial role in the early years, offering insights into each child's unique development. Dive into this infographic to explore the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of observational assessments, and discover practical tools that can enhance your observation process.

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Nothing can replace the power and impact that a carefully designed provocation has on student learning. I've devoted the last several years to better understanding how provocations can be improved on and designed in ways that help students make stronger connections to the big ideas in a unit. A rich and meaningful provocation can:

Although I understand what a good provocation is, a couple of years ago, I challenged myself to better articulate what I truly believe makes for a rich and meaningful provocation. I spent a few hours really thinking my way through different considerations I have when designing provocations. In order to do this more effectively, I decided to create a 'Provocations Design Question Checklist' that zeroes in on important criteria related to designing effective provocations. Once I had created the first draft of this document, I teamed up with well-known educator and author, Trevor Mackenzie, to refine this checklist further. I'm thrilled to be able to share this document, which reflects the work of both Trevor and I.

I rarely like to take a stance on things as I like to remain open to new ideas. However, I found that taking a stance on what I believe to be the key building blocks to designing a rich and meaningful provocation helped me to clarify my own thinking. I wanted this checklist to stimulate teachers' thinking on the power of provocations and what makes a good provocation. At the same time, I hope that teachers can use this resource to create more meaningful provocations in the units that they teach in the single subjects.

Delivering Provocation With Intention and Purpose

In my Toddle Talks webinar, I focus on multiple ways in which a good provocation can impact student learning, especially at the beginning of a unit. Through careful design, a rich and meaningful provocation can help to create strong emotional hooks that grab students' attention. As well-known research John Hattie says, "We have to put students in a receptive frame of mind to help them focus on important outcomes that will guide their learning."

In my webinar, I also present a specific framework for using the initial provocation to help unpack the big ideas and concepts that the unit is focused on. This process involves students co-constructing important success criteria in a unit in order to make learning outcomes explicit and clear. Further, through the use of a driving question, the teacher applies specific strategies to unpack student thinking and make this thinking visual within the learning space. It is essential that teachers create visuals that will help to guide learning the rest of the unit. These visuals can be used for both peer and self-assessment and as a reminder to teachers about what they are observing throughout the unit in regards to student learning and progress.

The example below is from an Athletics unit that I taught when I was teaching PE at the Nanjing International School in China. I broke the main provocation down into three separate parts in the first lesson. Each part of the provocation was used to get students thinking about what important ideas/concepts are important to focus on. My goal was to help them understand the two main ideas for the unit- personal excellence and resilience. The driving question used to unpack the big ideas/concepts was: What are the ingredients for success in Athletics? I designed a provocation that was used across different lessons in the following ways:

Lesson 1:

We watched two different videos and I also had the students take part in a powerful learning experience outside on the oval running track. These three experiences combined allowed them to unpack and discover what the important ideas/concepts were in the unit.

Lesson 2:

Using student ideas, I created a visual that was then used to spark further discussions about the learning outcomes.

Lesson 3:

It was now time to make learning outcomes super explicit and clear with the help of this visual. I also created a checklist of success criteria based on important learning outcomes from the Personal, Social, Physical Education Scope and Sequence (PSPE). This checklist was created in student friendly language and was then used for peer and self-assessments as well as teacher observations and student reflections throughout the unit.

This entire process was only possible because of the rich and meaningful provocation that was identified to help students tune in to the unit. Many teachers understand the importance of a strong provocation at the start of a unit. The provocations I have seen teachers use are generally good, but oftentimes happen in isolation as a one-off activity, meaning that nothing further is done with the provocation.

The framework that I present in my Toddle Talk focuses on enabling students to make deep connections and involving them in co-constructing important success criteria. We also focus on using provocations that can and should be revisited throughout the unit because a good provocation lives on, and has continued power not only in the unit but long after the unit finishes.

Hope you find value in the Provocations Question Checklist and check out the webinar to make the most of provocations in your classrooms.

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The Power of Provocations in IB PYP Single Subjects

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Create more meaningful provocations while teaching single subject units in your IB PYP classrooms through this resource.

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A powerful start point to inquiry is the use of provocations. In the inquiry classroom provocations are prompts, artifacts, images or videos that spark wonders, curiosities, questions and potential inquiries in our learners.

Each and every Monday I publish a provocation as part of a series titled #MeaningfulMonday. Check out how it all began here.

As a sneak peek into Inquiry Mindset I'd like to share with you all one of the amazing sketchnotes from the book. All of the sketches have been created by my talented co-author Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt.

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The Power of the Provocation - Trevor MacKenzie

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A powerful start point to inquiry is the use of provocations. In the inquiry classroom provocations are prompts, artifacts, images or videos that spark wonders, curiosities, questions and potential inquiries in our learners. Each and every Monday I publish a provocation as part of a serie