Duration of the units

With the launching of the Enhanced PYP in 2018, schools and teachers have been given extended flexibility with the duration of units of inquiry. All six transdisciplinary themes are to be addressed in a given school year (with the exception of early years classrooms who will address four units of inquiry). Typically, these inquiries unfold over the course of four to six consecutive weeks. However, teachers have found that they may benefit from varying this approach.

Some examples of this may include learning and teaching from multiple units of inquiry simultaneously, pausing a unit and returning to it later in the year, having a unit span the entire school year, etc. One scenario in which this may happen is a unit centered on the related concepts of celebration or traditions. To highlight celebrations and traditions throughout the school year, learners may be engaged in this learning for several consecutive months while also engaging with other transdisciplinary units.

This figures shows the different possibilities for how units of inquiry may be situated within a school year.

-PYP From Principles into Practice “A transdisciplinary programme of inquiry” section