I Notice...I Wonder...I Observe...Learning Through Inquiry and Exploration in Elementary School

Walk into any Harrison elementary classroom and you’ll hear the language of young scientists at work: “I notice…” “I observe…” “I wonder…” These simple phrases reflect the District's commitment to inquiry-based learning grounded in the principles of the International Baccalaureate Programme. Students are encouraged to think critically, ask meaningful questions, take intellectual risks, and use evidence to build understanding.  

 

“Sharing the Planet” is a transdisciplinary unit of study within the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework that explores ecosystems, conservation, and biodiversity through student-directed learning. It encourages learners to think across disciplines to become stewards of the natural world. 

 

Across the district, students engage with this unit in developmentally appropriate and increasingly complex ways. In kindergarten classrooms, students explore the idea that all living things have needs in order to survive and grow. Through close study of trees and the organisms that depend on them, students observe the natural world, compare living and nonliving things, and identify shared characteristics of living organisms. Questions that arise often lead to deeper inquiry, with some captured in a classroom “wonder box” for future exploration. Throughout the process, students read, observe, discuss, and write as they build their understanding.

 

In third grade, students build on this foundation by investigating how plants and animals live and reproduce in predictable patterns that sustain life over time. They develop and test ideas about how traits, reproduction and environmental interactions contribute to survival. Through this work, students begin to grapple with the impact of environmental change and consider the role humans play maintaining the health of ecosystems. They analyze problems, make inferences, and evaluate potential solutions that support a sustainable future.

 

Learning is active and collaborative at every grade level. Students work closely with one another, sharing ideas, challenging assumptions, and building understanding together. Throughout the unit, students are guided by the IB Learner Profile, striving to become inquirers, reflective, open-minded, thinkers, and risk takers in their learning. 

 

Beginning in elementary school, our students are developing the skills and dispositions that will serve them well beyond the classroom. They are learning to think critically, communicate effectively and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.