Our School

Curriculum

IB Primary Years Program

As an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) School, Discovery School is on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. Our students are considered active participants in constructing their education, which is delivered through our engaging, relevant, and challenging curriculum. Discovery School students receive an education that goes beyond the academic by preparing them to be 21st-century lifelong-learners.

At Discovery School, and IB schools in general, education is facilitated through structured inquiry.

Teaching and learning are organized around six broad conceptual ideas that allow the students to make connections between disciplines and inquire in-depth to meaningful content.

The six transdisciplinary themes are:

List of 6 items.

  • 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

IB Program of Inquiry

Each theme lasts anywhere between 5 and 12 weeks, depending on the age and interest of the students. Each transdisciplinary unit has a central idea that guides the students’ exploration. See the graphic below for our program of inquiry that is unique to Discovery School.
Preschool
Who We Are
Learning about ourselves helps us learn how people are the same or different.
How We Express Ourselves
Play invites opportunity for communication and discovery.
How We Organize Ourselves
Human-made systems connect communities.
Sharing the Planet
People depend on living things.
Pre-K
Who We Are
Choices impact our health.
Where We Are in Place and Time
Homes reflect identity and circumstance.
How We Express Ourselves
Visual art communicates emotion.
How The World Works
Observations generate questions.
Kinder
Who We Are
Choices impact our health.
Where We Are in Place and Time
Homes reflect identity and circumstance.
How We Express Ourselves
Visual art communicates emotion.
Sharing the Planet
Living things rely on their environment for their survival.
Kinder / Grade 1
Who We Are
People in communities have rights and responsibilities.
Where We Are In Place and Time
Signs and symbols help us discover meaning.
Sharing the Planet
Human interaction with the environment is changing our climate.
How the World Works
Everything is made up of matter.
How We Express Ourselves
Imagination can lead to learning.
How We Organize Ourselves
A marketplace serves the needs and wants of a community.
Grade 2
How We Express Ourselves
Language has the power to teach values, motivating action.
How the World Works
Forces simplify tasks.
Who We Are
Traditions and celebrations can unify communities.
Where We Are in Place and Time
Technology has transformed our daily life.
Sharing the Planet
Our use of natural resources can impact the environment.
How We Organize Ourselves
Diagrams communicate our organization of the world.
Grade 3
How We Organize Ourselves
Laws and rules guide and regulate our lives.
Where We Are in Place and Time
History can be analyzed through primary sources.
Sharing the Planet
Risk-taking can lead to equal opportunities.
Who We Are
The human body is an intricate system.
How We Express Ourselves
Poetry reflects culture and self.
How the World Works
Life depends on the ability to adapt.
Grade 4
Sharing the Planet
Conflict can be resolved in a variety of ways.
How We Organize Ourselves
People are organized differently around the world.
Where We Are in Place and Time
Changing factors shape the earth.
How We Express Ourselves
Performance is a form of artistic expression.
How the World Works
Energy transforms societies.
Who We Are
Diversity enhances populations.
Grade 5
How the World Works
Geology exposes the past.
Where We Are in Place and Time
Innovation allows civilizations to grow and develop.
How We Express Ourselves
Religions influence the modern world.
Who We Are
Cells contribute to the health of an organism.
How We Organize Ourselves
Decision-making is optimized through the evaluation of data.
Sharing the Planet
Our passions prompt us to action...(G5)

Exhibition (G6)
It details the transdisciplinary themes and central ideas that for each grade level. Our program of inquiry is reflected upon each year to ensure that our curriculum continues to be innovative and adventurous.
Concepts allow students to discover the intricacies and interconnectedness of knowledge. Teaching through concepts ensures students build their own understanding that can be transferred and applied to various contexts. The seven key concepts that form part of the PYP framework are:

List of 7 items.

  • Form

    What is it like?

  • Function

    How does it work?

  • Causation

    Why is it as it is?

  • Change

    How is it transforming?

  • Connection

    How is it linked to other things?

  • Perspective

    What are the points of view?

  • Responsibility

    What are our obligations?
Examples of these concepts in context could include Pre-K students exploring their responsibility in making positive choices; 1st Grade students analyzing how materials can change; 2nd Grade students learning about how technology impacts our lives; or 4th Grade students inquiring into the form of various performances.

Created through local and global contexts

By framing teaching and learning in real-life contexts and examples, students are encouraged to process new information by connecting it to their experiences and the world around them. The curriculum at Discovery School includes a range of opportunities for students to explore current events and real-world issues from a variety of perspectives. These contexts are supported by our student’s regular access to 20+ acres of woods around our school building. Classes have weekly scheduled woods time that allows them to immerse themselves in nature while learning about a range of academic concepts. Whether students are discussing global pandemics in health class, exploring diversity during Spanish or researching into poverty for their PYP Exhibition, our students not only have a well-rounded understanding of local and global contexts, they also know what action they can take to result in positive change.

Focused on developing teamwork and collaboration

Successful social skills are among some of the most sought-after attributes for employers. By providing students with regular opportunities to work together and learn from one another, we lay a strong foundation upon which students can build a sense of community, develop emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. Our students love working together!

Designed to remove barriers to learning to ensure that students achieve their potential

Inclusion is one of Discovery School’s fundamental values. We welcome and embrace diversity in all its forms, allowing students to affirm their identity and pursue personal goals. Small class sizes mean that students receive focused support in identified areas of difficulty. Our highly qualified teaching staff remains up to date with current research around how students learn best. These approaches form the basis of our instruction. Our committed team of intervention specialists support students with documented learning differences through push-in and pull-out assistance.

Informed by assessment and its various forms

Assessment is an integral part of supporting and measuring learning. Discovery School students communicate their ability in a variety of ways that provides an accurate indication of understanding. Learners are often given agency on how they might like to demonstrate their knowledge. Oral presentations, 3D models, written reports, and pop quizzes are examples of how students might document their learning. Student’s in 3rd Grade and above participate in Ohio State tests to measure student learning from year to year and allow comparisons to other schools in the state. Our students often outperform their peers, which is a testament to the efficacy of our program. Students actively participate in assessments by reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses and providing feedback to one another.

IB Learner Profile

At the heart of each of the International Baccalaureate’s programs is the IB learner profile. These ten attributes aim to develop internationally-minded citizens who seek to build a better, more peaceful world through their shared guardianship of the planet. These attributes are:

List of 10 items.

  • Balanced

  • Caring

  • Communicator

  • Inquirer

  • Knowledgeable

  • Open-minded

  • Principled

  • Reflective

  • Risk-taker

  • Thinker

A simple walk through the Discovery School halls demonstrates our commitment to these values and how integral they are to our philosophy. Schedule a tour to see for yourself today!

You can find more information about the IB and its programs at www.ibo.org.
855 Millsboro Rd
Mansfield, Ohio, 44903
Phone: (419)756-8880