2026 ISB - ES ACADEMIC PROGRAMME by International School of Brussels

E L E M E N T A R Y S C H O O L A C A D E M I C P R O G R A M M E 2 52 6

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INTRODUCTION

TheElementarySchool(ES)atISBiswherechildrenages8-12yearslearnbyexploringthe worldwithcuriosity,andbyaskingquestionsanddevelopingskillsinproblemsolvingand interpretation.Furtherconsolidatingtheunderstanding,skills,andknowledgenecessary foralifetimeoflearning,studentsdevelopindependenceandself-reflectionastheygrow fromchildrentoyoungteens

Thekeyelementsaretheacademicandspecialistsubjects,theelectiveprogramme,the engaginglearningenvironment,andthehighly-qualifiedandcaringfacultyandstaff

OurAcademicsubjectsbuildthefoundationalknowledgeandskillsforunderstanding ourworld,butalsoprovideopportunitiesforextensivechallenge.

TheSpecialistprogrammeprovidesawidebreadthofexperiencesforallstudents, supportingtheminbeingperformers,artists,languagelearnersandbuildingthehabits oflife-longphysicalactivity.

Theage-appropriatelearningenvironmentprovidesflexibilityandadaptabilitytoa widerangeofconfigurationsforteachingandlearning.

Ourfacultyareallspecialistsinworkingwithandsupportingelementary-aged children

TheISBcurriculumisbasedonasetofcontentstandardsselectedfromnationalsystems andeducationalinstitutions StandardsareselectedtoalignwithISB’smissionandvision toprovidethefoundationforourinternationalcurriculumwhichisaccreditedbyThe CouncilofInternationalSchoolsandTheMiddleStatesAssociation(USA) Thosestandards arelistedandlinkedbelow.

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS

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L A N G U A G E A R T S

GRADE 3

Reading

Inthirdgrade,studentsselectandcombineskillstoreadfluentlywithmeaningandpurpose They applycomprehensionandvocabularystrategiestoawidervarietyofliterarygenresand informationaltext Studentsdemonstratecomprehensionbyparticipatingindiscussions,writing responses,andusingevidencefromtexttosupporttheirthinking Theyreadforpleasureandchoose booksbasedonpersonalpreference,topic,orauthor

Units

Becominga Grade3Reader GuidedNovel Study Non-Fiction Reading AuthorStudy

Thehabitsofgood readersarebuiltupon inthisunitasstudents explorethestrategies andbehaviourswhich deepenthese important foundationalskills

Extendingtheclose readingskillsthat studentspracticedin thepreviousreading unit,studentsengage, guidedbytheir teacher,withanageappropriatenovelto developtheskillsof tracking&discussing keyliteraryelements

Wereadnon-fiction textstoseek information,tomake connectionsandto understandtheworld andnewconcepts better Keyconceptsof thisunitarerevisited twiceintheyearto helpstudentsbuild theseessential foundationalskills

Exploringthenovels andpoemsofRoald Dahl,studentsapply skillsdevelopedin previousunitswhen readingmultipletexts (poems,novels,short stories)bythesame authorallowsusto comparecommon features Studentsalso begintocritically examinetextsfortheir quality

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Writing

Ourauthorswritewithclarityforavarietyofpurposes,audiencesandacrossarangeofforms They usethewritingprocesstoimprovetheirworkandareconsistentlyheldtohighexpectationsfor publishedwork.Handwritingandtypingskillsarepracticedthroughouttheyear.Studentsregularly engageinwordstudy,focusingonidentifying,understandingandinternalisingspellingpatterns,but alsoindevelopingstrategiesforunderstandingnewwordsandenrichingtheiractivevocabulary.

Units

Studentstapintotheir interestinmaking storieswhilepracticing thekeyskillsin generatingideas, revisingandeditingfor sentenceconventions

Buildingonstudent interestintheworld aroundthem,and connectedtotheir Scienceunit,students writeadetailedand organisedreportonan animal.Focusingon organisinginformation logicallyandbuilding sentencecomplexity skills

Thisunitfocuseson followingadetailed plantobuilda significantpieceof narrative. Theuseof adjectives,strong verbsandvarietyin sentencestructures helpstudentscreate storiesthatengage thereader. The publishingpartyatthe endoftheunitisa highlightasstudents readeachother’s stories

Learningtosupporta pointofviewwithfacts isakeyskill Students learntheoverall structureofan argumentandthe differentwayswriters useconnectivesto emphasisetheirfacts Paragraphingis introduced.

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GRADE 4

Reading

Infourthgrade,studentsreadskillfullywithmeaningandpurposeusingappropriatecomprehension andvocabularystrategies Studentsread,discuss,reflect,andrespond,usingevidencefromtext,to awidevarietyofliterarygenresandinformationaltext Studentsreadforpleasureandcontinueto choosebooksbasedonpersonalpreference,topic,theme,orauthor Readingforpleasureis emphasised

Units

Studentsexplorehow non-fictionstructures, suchascompare/ contrast;cause/ effect,helptheauthor communicate information Using strategiestonotice andunderstand technicallanguageis afocus

Readingarangeof texts,studentsare encouragedtomake connectionsbetween texts,analysingfor character developmentand recognisingthemesor messages.Inference andsummaryskills aredevelopedacross thisunit.

Lookingatpoetic devicesauthor’suseto createengaging poetry,students identifyand understandthe author’smessage

Buildingontheearlier fictionunit,students summariselonger piecesoftext,identify character developmentand themesandmake connectionsbetween independentnovel readingandtheclass novel Novelssuchas Love,Amalia;Thirst; Th L tB H t h t

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Writing

Buildingfluencyingeneratingideas,craftingsentencesandparagraphstoclearlysharetheirideas arekeyfocusareasinGrade4.Modelsofexcellentwritingarediscussedandstudentspractice regularlytobringtheirowntextsclosertothesesamples.

Units

Developingreports whichhaveamain ideaandsupporting detailsisthemain focus Introducing paragraphingandthe useoftechnical languagetoincrease sophisticationof writingisexplored

Buildingonskillsof paragraphing, studentsconstructa messagetoconvince usingtheclaimreason-evidence structure Additional languagefeatures suchasevaluative languageare incorporated

Studentsexplorethe structureofpoetry, constructinglinesand stanzasaswellas experimentingwith poeticdevices,such asrhyming, alliteration,freeverse andrepetition

Inthisunit,students writestorieswitha clearstructure,and usethoughts,actions andfeelingstobuild characterisation Developingdialogue andparagraphingas wellastheelaboration ofdetailshelpcreate storiesthathavea messageorlesson learned

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GRADE 5

Reading Infifthgrade,studentsbroadenanddeepentheirunderstandingofinformationalandliterarytext Studentsreflectontheirskillsandadjusttheircomprehensionandvocabularystrategiestobecome betterreaders Developinganappreciationofsophisticatedchildren’sliteratureisafocusofthis readingprogramme

Units

Inthisunit,students developreading strategiestoenhance comprehension, includingfindingmain ideasandsupporting details.BuildingSkills innote-takingand summarisingisalsoa focuswhichisthen revisitedinlaterunits

Throughthegenreof historicalfictionsetin WW2,studentsbuild understandingof someofthe consequencesof prejudice.Students buildskillsininferring, summarisingand usingtextevidenceto supportopinions Texts suchas‘BicycleSpy’, ‘NumbertheStars’, ‘Safiyyah'sWar’are readinthisunit

Byreadingvarious booksbyMichael Morpurgo,students buildskillsin identifyinginternal andexternalconflicts, staticanddynamic characters,common themes,andthe impactofdifferent pointsofviewacross multipletextsbyan author Studentsalso makeconnections

Readingthepoetic novel‘Homeofthe Brave’,students explore‘whatis poetry?Students explorepoeticdevices suchas personification,simile, andmetaphor

Writing

AsstudentsmoveintoGrade6,theyarechallengedtodevelopamoresophisticatedapproachto writing,masteringcomplexsentencestructures,nuancedarguments,anddetailednarratives Buildingamoreformaltoneintheirwritingaswellasbringingtexttoahighstandardarekey features

Units

Discussion Explanation Narrative

Thisunitprovidesa comprehensiveguidetocrafting effectivediscussionpapers.It emphasisestheimportanceof presentingbothsidesofan argumentwithanopenmind andusingclear,organised structurewithanintroduction, proandconparagraphs,anda conclusion Theunitalso highlightstheimportanceof vocabulary,especiallytheuseof preciseverbsandtheconceptof nominalisationtocreateamore formaltone.Connecting informationisanotherkeyfocus, usingtextconnectivesand conjunctionstoensuresmooth transitionsandcoherenceas wellasmodality,whichadds levelsofprobability,certaintyor obligation

Thisunitfocusesonhowtowrite explanatorytexts,focusingon causeandeffectrelationships Theunitintroducestheconcept of"consequentialexplanation" andtheimportanceofidentifying aphenomenonanditsrelated consequences Itemphasisesthe useoftopicsentences, nominalisation,andtechniques like"compactandcarry"to improvewritingflowand sophistication.Furthermore,the significanceoftextconnectives andsentencestructuresin clearlyshowingcauseandeffect ishighlighted

Thisunitisdesignedtoenhance students'storytellingabilities The unitcoversessentialelements suchasplot,character,setting, andtheme,alongsidetheuseof descriptivelanguageand sensorydetails.Italsoaddresses dialogue,narrativestructure,and techniquesforrevisionand editing,ensuringcoherenceand clarityintheirwriting Furthermore,thestudents analysedescriptivesettingsand plancharacterandplot,aswell asunderstandingtheimpactof differentsettingsandmoodsina story

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Reading

Insixthgrade,studentsareawareoftheauthor'scraftandpurpose.Theyareabletoadjusttheir purpose,paceandstrategiesaccordingtodifficultyand/ortypeoftext Studentscontinuetoreflect ontheirskillsandadjusttheircomprehensionandvocabularystrategiestobecomebetterreaders BuildingonskillsfromGrade5,studentsdelvemoredeeplyintoteenliteratureandbegintousethe UpperSchoollibrarytobroadentheirindependentreadingchoices

Units GRADE 6

Theunitemploys variousnon-fiction textstoequipstudents withstrategiesfor comprehendingnonfiction,determining wordmeanings,and integrating informationfrom diversesources Culminating assessmentsgauge theirabilitytouse contextclues,analyse textstructure,and

Thisunitenhances reading comprehensionand analyticalskillsthrough theclosereadingofa chosennovel Theaim istobuildastrong foundationinliterary analysis,including aspectssuchastheme, encouragingstudents tothinkcriticallyabout thetextstheyreadand understandthechoices authorsmake Novel titlesinclude:‘Wonder’, ‘HarbourMe’,'BrownGirl Dreaming’

Thisunitdigsintothe stereotypespresented inmedia Byexploringa rangeofprintand digitalmediasfrom differenttimeperiods, studentscritiquethe underlyingbiases, messagingand subsequentimpactson ourbeliefsofourselves andothers

Thisunitexplores importantglobal issuesthroughthelens ofliterature Students developskillsin effectiveliterature discussions,understan dingandappreciating writer’scraft,and recognising symbolism Theunit aimstofoster empathyand encouragestudentsto considertherelevance

Writing

InGrade5studentsdevelopstrongwritingskillsandconfidence Theyexplorenarrative,informative, andopinionwriting,participateindynamicactivities,andreceivetailoredguidancefromteachers Thisprogrammenurtureswritersandthinkers,fosteringanappreciationfortheartofwriting

Units

Buildingonresearch andnote-takingskillsin previousunits,students writewell-supported arguments, demonstratinghow emotivelanguage, modalverbs,and complexsentences powerfullyconnect ideastoreally persuadetheirreaders

Throughouttheunit, historicaleventsare researched,suchas theHaitiandKanto earthquakesandthe eruptionofMount Vesuvius Students chooseaspecific eventtorecountand includeanorientation, thesequenceof events,impact,and andreorientation Eachparagraphhas keyfeatureslike conjunctions,time phrasesorclauses,or modalverbstoclearly conveykey informationtotheir audience

Exploringliteracy elementssuchas simile,metaphorand wordchoice,students createtheirownpoems aroundtopicsof interest Thisunitis taughtinconjunction withthepoetryreading unit

Usingtoolslikeheart, neighborhood,ormind mapstoidentify importantnarrative features,students buildstorieswhichuse descriptivelanguage tocreateastrong senseofsettingand variedverbsand evaluativelanguage tofullydeveloptheir characters Students alsopracticeand reinforcetheir understandingof sentencestructure andsubordinating conjunctionstoensure theyconnectideas logically

MATHEMATICS

TheISBmathematicsprogrammeisdesignedtodevelopadeepunderstandingof mathematicalconceptswhilenurturingcriticalthinkingskillsandproblem-solving abilities Belowarethekeyelementstoourapproach:

Developingstudents’concrete-pictorial-abstractthinkingtobuildasolidfoundationby connectingabstractconceptstotangibleexperiences

Engagingstudentsinhands-onactivities,manipulatives,andinteractivegamesto fosteradeeperunderstandingofmathematicalconcepts

Presentingreal-worldproblemsoropen-endedquestionstoencouragestudentsto thinkcritically,applymathematicalconcepts,anddevelopproblem-solvingskills

Usingvisualrepresentationssuchasdiagrams,charts,andmodelstohelpstudents visualiseabstractconcepts,makingthemmoreaccessibleandeasiertocomprehend Providingmultipleentrypointstoconcepts,andofferingsupporttailoredtoindividual needs

Cultivatingagrowthmindsettowardslearningmathbyemphasisingeffort, perseverance,andthebeliefthatmathematicalabilitiescanbedevelopedthrough practiceandlearningfrommistakes

GRADE 3

PlaceValue,Addition&Subtraction

Thisunitbeginswithareviewofthebase-10place-valuesystemtothethousands Studentsare introducedtoroundinganduseroundingthroughouttheunitaspartofanestimationstrategy,to predictandvalidateadditionandsubtractionproblems Studentssolveadditionandsubtraction problemsusingstrategiesandalgorithmsbasedonplacevalue,extendingtheirunderstandingfrom 2ndgradetothethousands

Mass&Capacity

Studentsbeginthisunitbymeasuringthemassofvariousobjectsusinggramsandkilograms.They determinereferenceobjectsthatweigh1gramand1kilogram,andusethosereferencestosupport themintheirestimationsandtheirreasoningaboutwhichunitismostappropriatetothecontext. Studentsgainexperiencewithmeasuringliquidvolumeastheydeterminereference items/containersthathold1literofwaterandusethosereferencestosupportthemintheir estimationsandmeasurements.Theyuseavarietyofrepresentationstoshoworexplaintheir thinking,includingvisualmodels,equations,andwords.

Multiplication

Inthisunit,studentsdevelopanunderstandingofthemeaningofmultiplicationbysolvingproblems involvingequalgroupsofobjects Theyinterpretandrepresenttheseproblemsusingvisual representationsandconnectwhattheyknowaboutrepeatedadditionandskip/doublecountingto multiplication Studentsusethepropertiesofoperationsandpatternsinmultiplicationasstrategies toefficientlymultiplynumbersusingdistributiveandassociativeproperties

Geometry&Measurement

Studentsexaminetheattributesofdifferentpolygonstodeterminehowtosortandcategorisethem Theyfocusonquadrilaterals,recognisingthatshapeswithdifferentattributesareinthiscategory becauseoftheirsharedattributes Studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofareaasanattributeof 2Dshapes Theylearnhowtocalculateareaandwhytheareaofarectanglecanbecalculatedby multiplyingsidelengths Studentslearntodifferentiatebetweentheareaofafigureandits perimeter,investigatingtherelationshipbetweenareaandperimeter,seeingthatthetwoattributes aremeasureddifferentlyandchangeindependentlyofeachother

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Time

Studentsreviewpreviousconceptsoftime Studentstellandwritetimetothenearestminuteand measuretimeintervalsinminutesandsolveelapsedtime,includingwordproblems,byusinga numberlinediagram Studentsuseanalogclockstosolveproblemstheymayencounterineveryday life

Division

Studentsdevelopanunderstandingthatdivisioncanbeusedtosolveproblemsinvolvingequal groupsandarrays TheylearnthatdivisioncananswerthequestionsHowmanygroups?orHow manyineachgroup?Asstudentsusemanipulativesandvariousvisualmodelstorepresentthese situations(pictures,tapediagrams,numberlines,andarrays),theyfindtheunknownquantityusing thestrategiesofcountingallobjects,skipcounting,andusingmultiplicationandthepropertiesof operationsleadingtotheinterpretationofdivisionasamultiplicationproblemwithanunknown factor

Fractions

Studentsexplorefractionsasapart:wholerelationshipandrelatepartitioningtodivision They exploredifferentvisualmodelsdemonstratingfractionalparts:divisionofareawithinregions,bar models,andtapediagrams,anddivisionoflengthonanumberline Studentsexplorethe connectionbetweenunitfractionsandfractionscomposedofunitfractionsandconstructstrategies toidentifyequivalenceandnonequivalencewhencomparingfractions.

Data&Graphing

Inthisunit,studentsaregivenanopportunityandareasontocreatescaledbargraphsandpicture graphs.Studentsusetheinformationfrombarorpicturegraphstoanswerquestionsaboutthedata. Theyuseinformationfromthesegraphsandlineplotstoanswerquestionsandmakeobservations aboutdata

StructuresofWholeNumbers

Thisunitstartswithareviewofplacevalueandroundingconceptslearnedinpreviousgradesbut appliedtolargernumbersinfourthgrade Itthenfocusesattentiononthenatureofourbase-10 placevaluesysteminwhichadigitis10timeslargerthanitwouldbeintheplacetoitsright The standardregroupingalgorithmsforadditionandsubtractionarelearnedandpracticedwithlarger numbers Theunitendswithanapplicationofplacevalueunderstanding,additionandsubtraction oflargernumbers,androunding,tosolveaproblem

WholeNumberMultiplication

Extendingthirdgradeunderstandingofmultiplicationtomulti-digitwholenumbers(2digitby2digit andupto4digitby1digit).Itconnectsanareamodeltoapartialproductalgorithmthatrelieson decompositionofnumberstotheirplacevaluecomponents.Itintroducestheconceptof multiplicativecomparisonwithquestionssuchas“Howmanytimesastallis as ?”.

WholeNumberDivision

Studentsdevelopskillsindividingwholenumbersofupto4digitsby1digit Theyworkwithdivision astheinverseoperationtomultiplication,developingtheirunderstandingofdivisionasrectanglesof givenareas(dividend)withoneknownlength(divisor)andoneunknownlength(quotient) Theyuse rectanglestodevelopanunderstandingofpartialquotientsandinterprettheremainderbasedon thecontextofthedivisionproblem

DecimalNumbers

Thisunitextendstheconceptsofplacevalueinbase10todecimals.Decimalsareplacedona numberline,comparedwitheachother,andrelatedtodecimalfractions(fractionswith denominatorsthatarepowersof10).Thereal-worldcontextinwhichthisunderstandingofdecimal notationispracticedismeasurementinthemetricsystem(specificallycentimetersand millimeters).

Factors&Multiples

Studentsexplorethemeaningoffactorsandmultiples Itbuildsontheunderstandingofarraysfrom previousunitsaswellasconceptsofplacevaluetodefinefactorsandmultiples Studentsusearrays tofindallthepossiblefactorsofagivennumber Studentsinvestigatethenatureoffactorsand multiples,aswellasodd,even,prime,andcompositenumbers

Measurement

Studentsapplyunderstandingofmetricconversionsoflength,capacity,weight,time,area, perimeter,andangles.Studentslearnthedefinitionsofobtuse,acute,andrightanglesaswellas howtomeasureanglesusingaprotractor.

Polygons

Inthisunitstudentslearnhowtousespecificgeometricpropertiesoftwo-dimensionalshapes, includingparallelism,perpendicularity,anglemeasure,sidelength,andlinesofsymmetry Students learnthemathematicaldefinitionsofpoint,line,linesegment,andray,andapplytheseto investigationsaboutshapes

NumberandShapePatterns

Studentslookatshapepatternsequencestoidentifyanddescribethecorepatterninthesequence Theyusethistodeterminehowmanyblockswillbeneededtocontinuethesequencetosomegiven iteration Studentsusetablestoorganisenumericaldataandlookforrulesthatgovernthese patterns,includingusinginput/outputtables

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GRADE 5

Geometry-Quadrilaterals

Studentsbeginthisunitbyanalysingavarietyofpolygonsanddescribingtheirattributes Students sortthemintoavarietyofcategoriesbasedontheseattributes Focusthenshiftstoexploringgroups ofquadrilateralsindepth:trapezoids,parallelograms,rectangles,rhombuses,kitesandsquares Studentsdescribetherelationshipsamongstquadrilateralstoorganisethemintocategoriesand subcategoriesusingincreasinglypreciselanguagetodescribetheircharacteristics

PlaceValue

Understandinginthisunitisextendedtothousandthsusingvisualmodelstoseetherelationship betweenpartitioningwholesandthedecimalplacevaluesystem.Studentsexplorecomparingand orderingdecimalsusingvariousvisualmodels,withanemphasisonthehundredsgridandnumber line.Theylearnhowtopartitionanumberlineintenths,hundredths,andthousandthsandareable toshowthefraction,decimal,percentequivalentsonanumberline.Studentsareintroducedto exponentialnotationandthepatternbetweenthenumberofzeros/placevaluesina product/quotientwhenmultiplying/dividingbypowersof10isexplored.Studentsusethis understandingtohelpmakesensewhenconvertingmetricunits Finally,studentsusetheir understandingofdecimalplacevaluetoround,addandsubtractdecimalstothethousandths

Geometry-CoordinatePlane

Studentsareintroducedtothefirstquadrantofthecoordinateplaneandlearntodrawitanduseit togaininsightintoavarietyofdata Afterplottingdatapointsthatrepresentrealworldsituationson acoordinateplane,theybegintonoticeandanalysepatterns Studentsarealsoabletogenerate patternsandstarttodescribethemwithrulesandexpressions

Geometry&Measurement

Multiplication&Division

Studentsfocusonmulti-digitmultiplicationandworkwithproblemsinvolvingbothmultiplication anddivision,includingdecimalsbydecimals Thesecomputationsareinvestigatedandappliedtoa varietyofproblemsandrealworldsituations Studentslearnvariousmethodsandstrategies, encouragingthemtoanalyseallandchoosetheonethatismostefficientwhencalculatingthe productorquotientTheunitalsoemphasisesestimationandunderstandingofplacevalueinorder todetermineplacementofthedecimalpoint

Measurement:Volume

Inthisunit,studentsrecognisevolumeasanattributeofthree-dimensionalfigures,buildingonthe connectionofhowtheperimeterislinearorone-dimensionalandtheareaisfortwo-dimensional figures Studentsdiscoverandexplorevolumeusingbothmanipulativesandtechnological resources,measuringthevolumeofvariousrectangularprisms,cubes,andL-shapedprismsusing cubicunitsStudentshaveexperiencesthathelpthemconnectthispackingandcountingthe numberofcubicunitsthatfillsabox(prism)totheefficientmethod,demonstratedbytheformula:V =lxwxhandV=Bxhandthatvolumecanbecalculatedusingthedimensionsofanobject.

Fractions

Studentsbuildontheskillsandunderstandingstheyhavedevelopedaboutfractions,multiplication, theareasofrectangles,andscalingastheyexploremultiplicationoffractions(includingmixed numbers)bywholenumbersandfractions.Studentsdivideawholenumberbyafractionanda fractionbyawholenumber,expressingbothquotientsasfractions,increasingtheirunderstanding ofhowdivisionandfractionsareconnectedandhowtheybothconnecttomultiplication.

OperationsandAlgebraicThinking

Studentsusetheorderofoperationstointerpretandevaluatenumericalexpressionsandwriteand evaluatewrittenexpressions Buildingonthefoundationalworkfromthecoordinateplaneunit, studentsnoticeandanalysepatternsandrelationships,expressingthemintheformofnumerical expressions

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GRADE 6

Data&Statistics

Studentsdevelopanunderstandingofstatisticsbyidentifyingandgeneratingstatisticalquestions, collectingandorganisingdata,andrepresentingclassdatawithavarietyofdisplays.Theyexplore measuresofcenterandmeasuresofvariability,anddescribespreadqualitatively.Students comparedifferentrepresentationsofdataanddifferentstatisticalmeasurestomakedecisions aboutwhichtousetodescribedata,includingfindingthemean,median,andinterquartilerange.

Rates&Ratios

Thisunitdelvesintorateandpercent,comparingratesbyusingcommonunitsandmultiple representationsanddevelopingnewstrategiesforreasoningaboutratiorelationships Aspecialrate calledaunitrateisintroduced,wherethefirstquantityisrelatedtooneofthesecondquantity,and unitratesareusedtosolveproblems Studentsinvestigateavarietyofratiorelationships,learn aboutratiolanguageandconnectratiotopercent Studentsinvestigateequationsusingtape diagrams,doublenumberlinediagramsandratiotables

TheNumberSystem

Locatingrationalnumbers,includingwholenumbers,fractions,anddecimals,onthenumberline, andextendingtonumberstotheleftofzero(negativenumbers),studentsmakesenseofwhen negativenumbersmightbeusedintherealworld,anduseinequalitystatementstocompare numbers.Studentsexplorerelationshipsbetweenoppositesandabsolutevalueandusea coordinateplanetographpointsinfourquadrants.

Fractions

Studentsextendpreviousunderstandingofaddingandsubtractingfractionsanddecimals Studentsmultiplyfractionsanddecimals,anddividewholenumbersanddecimals,making connectionsbetweenconceptualunderstandingandalgorithms

ExploringEquality&Inequality

Studentsinvestigaterelationshipsbetweentwodefinedvariables,representingtheseasequations, tables,andgraphs Studentslearnthatasolutionofaninequalityorequationmakesthestatement trueandusesubstitution,inverseoperations,orothermethodstosolveequations,justifyingtheir solutions Studentsgrapplewiththeideaofvariableasaquantityinarelationshipthatcanchange Studentsexpresssituationswithnumericalexpressions,includingthoseinvolvingexponentsorthe distributiveproperty Theysimplifynumericalexpressionsusingtheconventionalorderofoperations, anddescribenumericalexpressionsusingmathematicalvocabulary

Geometry

Studentsfindtheareaofpolygonsinmathematicalandreal-worldcontextsbydecomposingand rearrangingthemintoothershapes Studentsfindthevolumesofrightrectangularprismswith fractionaledgelengths,justifyingsolutionstoeachproblembyclearlyshowingformulas, calculationsandcorrectunitsofmeasures

SCIENCE

TheISBScienceprogrammeoffersstudentsthechancetoexploreessentialscienceconceptsand processes,understandthemethodsusedtodevelopscientificknowledge,andappreciatescience's roleinourculture,society,anddailylives Thecurriculumequipsstudentswiththeknowledge, understanding,andskillsneededtomakeinformeddecisionsonvariousissues.Italsofostersthejoy ofscientificinvestigationanddiscoveryandnurturestheirinnatecuriosityabouttheworldaround them.

GRADE 3

BiologicalSciences:LivingThings

Usingourcampusenvironment,studentsobservetheplantsandanimalsinourforestandexplore howplants,animalsandhumansareinterdependentandhowadaptationisawaylivingthings surviveandthrive.Studentsconductexperimentsusingtheirbeanplantstodiscoverhowthe environmentimpactsgrowthandpracticecompletingcloseobservationsanddrawings.

KeyKnowledge:

Livingthingscanbegroupedonthebasisofobservablefeaturesandcanbedistinguishedfrom non-livingthings

Livingthingsdependoneachotherandtheenvironmenttosurvive

Livingthingshavestructuralfeaturesandadaptationsthathelpthemtosurviveintheir environment

Thegrowthandsurvivaloflivingthingsareaffectedbyphysicalconditionsoftheirenvironment

ChemicalSciences:Materials&Properties

Tryingtosolvethereal-lifeproblemofmailinganitemsoitdoesn’tgetdamaged,studentsexplore thephysicalpropertiesofmaterials.Studentsthenlookmorecloselyatstatesofmatter,changes thatarereversibleorirreversible,andexploringhowmattercanbecombinedasmixturesand solutions.Studentsdevelopaninitialunderstandingofthescientificmethodfortestingahypothesis.

KeyKnowledge:

Livingthingscanbegroupedonthebasisofobservablefeaturesandcanbedistinguishedfrom non-livingthings

Livingthingsdependoneachotherandtheenvironmenttosurvive

Livingthingshavestructuralfeaturesandadaptationsthathelpthemtosurviveintheir environment

Thegrowthandsurvivaloflivingthingsareaffectedbyphysicalconditionsoftheirenvironment

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GRADE 4

Earth&SpaceSciences:ExploringourPlanet

Throughexploringearthsystems,studentsdevelopanunderstandingofhowearth’ssurface changesovertimeasaresultofnaturalprocessesandhumanactivity,suchaserosion,volcanoes andearthquakes Studentsalsoexploreearth’splaceinoursolarsystem

KeyKnowledge:

Earth’srotationonitsaxiscausesregularchanges,includingnightandday

Earth’ssurfacechangesovertimeasaresultofnaturalprocessesandhumanactivity,including howhumanactivitiescauseerosionoftheEarth’ssurface

TheEarthispartofasystemofplanetsorbitingaroundastar(thesun)

SuddengeologicalchangesandextremeweathereventscanaffectEarth’ssurface

BiologicalSciences:WaterforLife

Studentsdeveloptheunderstandingofhowlivingthingsdependonthesamelimitedresourcesfor survival Throughcasestudiesfromaroundtheglobe,studentsexploreexamplesofwherelimited resourcesarebeingusedorspoiledfasterthantheycanbereplenished,withthisusebecoming unsustainable

KeyKnowledge:

Therearedifferentdegreesofimpactontheenvironmentandthatthescaleofthedisturbance candeterminehowsustainabletheconsequencesare.

Naturalprocesses(suchaserosionanddeposition)andhumanprocesses(suchasagriculture, urbanisation,industry,transport)changethecharacteristicsofenvironments(suchasclimate change,biodiversity,etc)

GRADE 5 (OFFERED IN FRENCH OR ENGLISH)

ScienceasaHumanEndeavour:ThinkingLikeaScientist

StudentsbuildanunderstandingofhowSciencehelpsussolveproblems Byexploringcommon scientificphenomenausingtheScientificMethodstudentsdevelopanunderstandingofhow explanationsarebuiltonrepeatedandconsistentresultsandevidence Thisunitculminatesinthe annualGrade5ScienceFair

KeyKnowledge:

Scienceinvolvesmakingpredictionsanddescribingpatternsandrelationships

Scienceknowledgehelpspeopletounderstandtheeffectoftheiractions

Scienceinvolvestestingpredictionsbygatheringdataandusingevidencetodevelop explanationsofeventsandphenomenaandreflectshistoricalandculturalcontributions

Scientificknowledgeisusedtosolveproblemsandinformpersonalandcommunitydecisions

BiologicalSciences:HumanGrowth&Development

Studentslearnaboutimportantinformationaboutthechangestheywillexperienceduring adolescence Themainobjectivesaretohelpstudentsunderstandthephysical,social,and emotionaldevelopmentsofpuberty,learnaboutthefunctionsoftheirreproductiveandendocrine systems,andexploreconceptsofgenderstereotypes

KeyKnowledge:

Theendocrinesystemplaysakeyroleinpuberty

Somechangesweexperiencedifferaccordingtobiologicalsex;othersarecommontoall adolescents

Thenames,locationandfunctionsofthepartsofreproductivesystem

GRADE 6 (OFFERED IN FRENCH OR ENGLISH)

PhysicalSciences:Energy,Forces&Change

Studentsexploreformsandtransferofenergy,specificallyheat,light,andforce,whileexploring conceptslikedrag,electricalcircuits,lightproperties,friction,gravity,andmagnetism Renewable andnonrenewableenergysourcesareevaluatedfortheirsustainabilityandefficiency.

KeyKnowledge:

Forcescanbeexertedbyoneobjectonanotherthroughdirectcontactorfromadistance Lightfromasourceformsshadowsandcanbeabsorbed,reflectedandrefracted

Electricalenergycanbetransferredandtransformedinelectricalcircuitsandcanbegenerated fromarangeofsources

Energysourcesaremoreorlesssustainabledependingonbothhowrenewableandhowclean theyare(bothinproductionandconsumption)

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S O C I A L S T U D I E S

Socialstudiesareessentialforhelpingchildrenunderstandtheworldaroundthemandtheirplace withinit.TheElementarySchoolSocialStudiesprogrammeencompasseshistory,geographyand civicsprovidingstudentswithabroadperspectiveonhumanexperiences.Throughsocialstudies, studentslearnaboutdifferentcultures,historicalevents,thefunctioningofgovernments,the interconnectednessofglobalcommunitiesandtheimportanceofactiveparticipationinsociety.

GRADE 3

Childhoodthen&now

Startingwithinterviewingfamilymembersandteachersabouttheirchildhood,studentsmake comparisonsabouttheirownexperienceandothersinyearspast Studentslookat19thcentury Belgiumandhowchangesinlawsandattitudeschangedwhatchildhoodlookslikeherenowand howchildhoodcanlookdifferentaroundtheglobe

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

Universalhumanrights,includechildren’srightsandsomereasonswhytheserightsdeveloped Comparingandcontrastingschooling,culturaldifferencesandchangeovertime

Significantindividualswhoshapedhistoricalchangeforchildren,includingMariaMontessori, LouisBraille

Theirfamilydothingsthesameasanddifferentfromotherpeopleandgroups

Howtoaskquestionsrespectfullyandlistencarefullyandnon-judgmentally

MyWorld,MyCommunity,Myself

Buildingskillsofcommunicationandcollaboration,studentsdevelopindividualagency,selfawarenessandproblem-solvingskills.Age-appropriatecurrentevents,storiesofpersonal relevance,andissuesfacingthecommunityareexploredtodeveloparicherworldview.

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

Whoareindividualswhohavemadeadifferenceinourworld;howdidtheymakeanimpact

Askingquestionstobuildunderstandingaboutcurrentevents

Identifyingchallengeswithourcommunityandproblemsolvingtohelpmakethingsbetter

GRADE 4

Trade,Globalisation&Innovation

Studentsexploretheirimmediateenvironmenttoseehowmaterials,andresourcesconnectusto otherpartsoftheworld Theylearnandapplyatlasskillstomaptheimportandexportsofresources toseehowinterconnectedtheworldis Engaginginatradesimulationactivity,studentsexplore interdependenceandseveralchallenges/opportunitiesaroundglobaltrade Theyresearchhow innovationsaremadetomeetthesechallengesandopportunities,consideringthecauseandeffect Usingthedesigncycle,studentsreflectontheirowninnovation

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

locatetheworld’scountries,usingmapsandkeygeographicterms,suchasequator,latitude, longitude

describeandunderstandkeyaspectsofphysicalgeography,including:climatezones,biomes andvegetationbelts,rivers,mountainsandthedistributionofnaturalresourcesincludingenergy, food,mineralsandwater describeandunderstandkeyaspectsofhumangeography,including:typesofsettlementand landuse,economicactivityincludingtradelinks

WalkforWater

Researching,planningandimplementingtheWalkforWaterServiceprojectisakeyaspectofthe grade4year.Studentslearnmoreaboutthewatercharitywesupport,takeonthetaskofexplaining thepurposeoftheWalkforWaterprojectandcontributetotheserviceproject.

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

Environmentalfactorswhichimpactwaterqualityandsupply(drought,pollution,sustainability) Organizationswhichsupportwateraccessandtheirapproachestomakingadifferenceinthe communitiestheyworkwith Sustainablepracticesandstrategiestoadvocatefortheiruse

GRADE 5 (OFFERED IN FRENCH OR ENGLISH) TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

Government

Thisunitintroducesthemainformsofgovernmentandoverallstructuresindemocratic governmentsusingtheillustrativecontextoftheEuropeanUnion Rightsandresponsibilitiesof citizensandkeythemesofpower&governance,sustainability,equality,andgroupidentityare exploredintermsoftheroleofgovernment

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

howdemocracyismaintainedthroughcitizenparticipation,includingbeinginformed, advocating,andvoting.

examplesofwherecompetitionforresourcesledtoconflictandtheneedforeffectiveconflict resolutionmechanisms

thethreebranchesofgovernment:thelegislative,theexecutiveandjudicial theprocessoflaw-makinginthecontextoftheEuropeanUnion

Migration

Thisunitprovidesanintroductiontohumanmigration,exploringthereasons,impacts,anddiverse formsittakes Studentsreflectonreasonsformigrationdecisionsthroughthelensof"pushandpull" factors StudentsexplorediversemigrationstoriesincludinghistoricalinstancessuchasTheIrish PotatoFamineandthe1930sDustBowltoexplorethatmigrationhasalwaysbeenpartofthehuman experience

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit: definemigrationandvariouscategoriesofmigration,suchasvoluntary,forced,internal,and internationalmovements

thepushandpullfactorsthatinfluencepeopletomove,includingeconomic,political,social,and environmentalreasons positiveandnegativeconsequencesofmigrationonindividuals,communities,andnationsin historicalcontexts contemporarymigrationissues,includingthedifferencesbetweenmigrantsandrefugees

GRADE 6 (OFFERED IN FRENCH OR ENGLISH)

HumanRights

TheHumanRightsunitposesfundamentalquestionsaboutlawsanduniversalhumanrights Case studies,suchasApartheidinSouthAfricaandeducationequalityforgirls,areinvestigated Furthermore,theunitaddressessustainablesolutionsandbasichumanneedsandprompts studentstoexamineglobalinequalitythroughvideosanddataanalysis Afinalprojectexamines individualsandmovementsthroughouthistorythathaveupheldanddefendedhumanrights

StudentsalsotakepartinCommunityEngagementprojects.Allowingthemtounderstandthe actionsbeingtakeninourlocalandglobalcommunitytomaketheworldabetterplace.

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

ThecontentoftheDeclarationofHumanRights&theConventionontheRightsoftheChild ThehistoryofhowtheDeclarationofHumanRightscameaboutandhowithaschanged Wealthdistributionplaysahugeroleinhumanrightsissues Allcountrieshaveexampleswherehumanrightsarenotupheld Astatisticalquestionisonethataddressesdifferencesinapopulation. Thewayinwhichwerepresentdataaffectsitsshape Thispotentiallyleadstodifferent interpretationsbeingmadefromit

Creativity

Studentsexplorehowcreativitycanflourishasaresultofbothinternal(attitude,imaginationand knowledge)andexternal(culture,habitatandresources)forces.Studentsinvestigateakeyperiodof creativity,theRenaissance,incomparisontotheMiddleAgesbeforeitandthroughthecasestudyof Michaelangelo Studentsthenapplythe'creativityengine'toachosenperson

KeyKnowledgeinthisunit:

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

GRADE 3

VisualArts

Studentsengageinavarietyofcreativeprojects,experimentingwithdifferentmaterialsand techniques Theydesignamuralinspiredbytheseason,usingexperimentallinedrawingstocapture theworldaroundthem Studentsalsofocusedonshapesandcolourthroughdetailedobservational drawingsofbicyclesandnaturestudies Constructingwithclay,shapingandformingclaythey createuniquepieces Theseprojectsprovidedopportunitiestoinvestigatecolour,texture,andform, resultinginvibrantandimaginativeworksofart.Throughouttheyearrelevantartistsarediscussed toenrichstudents'learningandinspiretheircreativeprocesses

Music

Studentsengageinreading,writing,andimprovisingrhythmswhilereinforcingtheconceptsofbeat andphrase Theyworkonpitchaccuracyinsingingandextendthistofiguringoutnotesforshort partsofsongsonxylophones,usingcreativitytoimprovisemelodiesbyfollowingsetrules Ingrade 3,studentsbegintoplaytheukulele

Inthesecondterm,thirdgraderscontinueworkingondupleandtriplemeterthroughrhythmic chants,multi-partmusic,andcanons,addingdynamicstotheirsongs Theyexploreimprovisation fromvariousangles,includingwritingandperformingrhythmsandidentifyingimprovisationversus melodyinrecordings Studentshaveopportunitiestoperforminclassandinpublic,whilealso experiencingmusicfromaroundtheworldthroughwatching,listening,andmoving

ExpressiveArts

Throughselectedunitsintheyearwhichareconnectedtolearninginthehomeroomclass,students focusontheexplorationofskillsrelatingtogeneratingcreativeideas,interpretingintentand meaninginartistworksandtheuseofart,music,dramaandmovementtoconveymeaning.

GRADE 4

VisualArts

Studentsexploreavarietyoftechniquesincludingexpressivemark-makingandlinework Witha focusoncharcoalandchalktonalobservationaldrawings Theystudystilllifecompositionsand colourtheory,emphasisingthecontrastbetweenorganicandgeometricshapesandwarmandcool colours.Studentsengageinnaturestudies,creatingdetailedclose-upfloralstudiesthroughboth large-scaleflowerdrawingsandclaysculptures.

Music

Studentsworkonsteadybeat,movement,ostinato,andcanonusingbarredinstrumentslike xylophonesandnon-pitchedpercussionsuchasdrums Theybegintransitioningtostandardrhythm andpitchvocabularywhilerefiningsingingandensembleskills Eachclassfeaturesmusicfrom aroundtheworld,withstudentsguessingtheinstrumentsbeforeseeingthemusicians

Inthesecondterm,studentscontinuedevelopingmusicliteracy,learningcomplexrhythms,and transferringskillstoukuleleandrecorder Theypracticereadingmusicindependentlyandinsmall groups,buildingonpriorknowledgetoenhancetheirmusicalabilities.

ExpressiveArts

Buildingontheexpressiveartslearningingrade3,studentsworkonrefiningtheircreativeand performanceskillsrelatedtoart,music,dramaandmovement Developingonfrompresentingwork tosmallgroups,studentsbegintothinkabouthowtoexhibitandperformworksforawider audience.

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

GRADE 5

VisualArts

Studentsinvestigatespaceandperspectivethroughboth2Dand3Dstudies,withafocusontwopointperspective,andobservationaldrawingoffore,middleandbackground.Inaddition,students exploredarchitecturaldesignbyconstructingmodelsforanimaginarycityusingattachment methodswithrecycledmaterials Theyalsolearntraditionalbookbindingtechniquestocraft personalisedsketchbooks Throughoutthesemester,relevantartistsarediscussedtoenhance students'understandingandinspiretheircreativeexpression.

PerformingArts

StudentsinGrade5,chooseoneofthefollowingMusicoptions Dramarotationsoccurthroughout theyear

Band

Inthefirsthalfoftheyear,5thgradestudentsfamiliarisethemselveswiththeirnewinstruments, learningbasicnotes,rhythms,instrumentset-up,maintenance,listeningskills,andbeginning musicianship.Practicingathomefor20-30minutesonnon-banddaysiscrucialforreinforcingclass lessonsandimprovingmusiccomprehension.

Inthesecondhalfoftheyear,studentsbuildontheseskills,focusingonhigher-levelmusical conceptslikearticulation,dynamiccontrast,andtonequality,whiledevelopingindividualskillsand ensembleperformance.

Strings

Studentsfocusondevelopingthefoundationalskillsofproducingsound,playingnotesandrhythms, bowholdandnotereading Thesearecomplexskillsthatrequiredailyrepetitiontobuildmuscle memory,sodailypracticeathomefor10-15minutesisabsolutelycrucial Studentsalsolearn essentialrehearsaldynamics,suchassettinguptheirinstruments,standingandsittingwiththem correctly,listeningactively,andtakingcareoftheirinstruments.

Voiceworks

Studentsexploremusicalelementslikerhythm,pitch,tempo,anddynamicsthroughsinging exercisesandrepertoire,enhancingvocaltechniquessuchasbreathing,projection,andtone quality Grade5VoiceWorksstudentspracticesinginginmultipleparts,emphasisingdiaphragmatic breathing,projection,blending,anddynamiccontrast Theyalsodiscussgenresandcompositional styles,learnukulelebasicstounderstandharmonyandchords,andcomposetheirownsongsby creatingchordstructures,writingmelodies,andfittinglyrics,whilefocusingonstructure,repetition, sequence,andengagingtheaudience.Studentsperformlearnedrepertoireinaformalconcertand identifymusicalconceptsthroughlisteningandstudyingmusictheory,focusingonthemajorscale anditsintervals

Drama

InourdramacourseforGrades5&6,studentswillembarkonanexcitingjourneywheretheycan testtheircreativeideasandshapethemintoacaptivatingperformance They'lldiveintothefun processofcreatinguniquecharacters,memorizinglines,andaddingsimpleproductionelementsto bringtheirstoriestolife Throughengagingactivities,studentswillexplorehowtousetheir physicalityandvoicetoconveymeaning,anddiscoverthepowerfuleffectsofmusicandlightingon theaudience'sexperience It'sallabouthavingfun,expressingthemselves,andlearningthemagic oftheaterinasupportiveenvironment!

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

GRADE 6

VisualArts

Studentsexploretheelementsofartthroughboth2Dand3Dmedia Theyusedlineandexpressive mark-makingtocapturehumangesturesinlifedrawingstudiesandsculptedclayfigurinesto expressemotion Studentsalsodelveintocolortheory,experimentingwithtints,tones,andshades throughmulti-facetedrepresentationsofgiantgemstones.Additionally,theyhonetheirwatercolor techniquesinpersonalsketchbooks,whichtheycreatedusingtraditionalbookbindingmethods. Throughouttheyear,relevantartistsarediscussedtodeepenstudents'understandingandinspire theircreativeexpression

PerformingArts

StudentsinGrade6continueonfromchoicesmadeinGrade5orifanewstudentchoosesoneof thefollowing Dramarotationsoccurthroughouttheyear

Band

Duringthefirsthalfoftheyear,studentsfocusonbasicnotesandrhythms,playingmusicwith multiplepartsinsteadofinunison,anddifferentelementsofmusicsuchasdynamicsand articulation Sixth-gradestudentsareencouragedtopracticeathomefor20-30minutesondays withoutBandtoreinforcelessons,improveinstrumentfamiliarity,andenhancemusic comprehension

Inthe2ndhalfoftheyear,Grade6studentsadvancetheirindividualandoverallmusicianshipskills Theytransitionfromplayingsongsinunisontoplayingmusicwithmultipleparts,improvingtheir auralskillsbylisteningtosimilarinstrumentsorparts

Strings

Studentsfocusonensembleskills,playingtogethertocreateacohesivegroup Theylearnnew techniquessuchasslurs,moredifficultrhythms,andnewnotes,whileworkingonplayingmorein tune Thesecomplexskillsrequiredailypracticefor10-15minutestoreinforcemusclememory

Inthe2ndterm,Grade6stringsstudentslearntotransitionfrompizzicatotousingthebow,which improvestheirbowholdpositionandsoundquality Theytackletrickyrhythmsandfasttempos, aimingforaccuracy

Voiceworks

Studentslearnmusicalelementssuchasrhythm,beat,pulse,pitch,tempo,anddynamicsthrough singingexercisesandrepertoire Theyworkonvocaltechniqueslikebreathing,projection,andtone quality Studyingmusictheory,includingthemajorscaleanditsintervals,helpsthemunderstand melodicandharmonicstructures

Inthe2ndterm,Grade6VoiceWorksstudentscontinuesinginginmultiplepartsinachoirsetting, focusingondiaphragmaticbreathing,projection,blending,anddynamiccontrast Theydiscuss genreandcompositionalstylesandarrangesongstobesunginsmallensembles,exploring harmonisingtechniques

Drama

InourdramacourseforGrades5&6,studentswillembarkonanexcitingjourneywheretheycan testtheircreativeideasandshapethemintoacaptivatingperformance.They'lldiveintothefun processofcreatinguniquecharacters,memorizinglines,andaddingsimpleproductionelementsto bringtheirstoriestolife.Throughengagingactivities,studentswillexplorehowtousetheir physicalityandvoicetoconveymeaning,anddiscoverthepowerfuleffectsofmusicandlightingon theaudience'sexperience.It'sallabouthavingfun,expressingthemselves,andlearningthemagic oftheaterinasupportiveenvironment!

PHYSICAL EDUCATION &

HEALTH

Socialstudiesareessentialforhelpingchildrenunderstandtheworldaroundthemandtheirplace withinit TheElementarySchoolSocialStudiesprogrammeencompasseshistory,geographyand civicsprovidingstudentswithabroadperspectiveonhumanexperiences Throughsocialstudies, studentslearnaboutdifferentcultures,historicalevents,thefunctioningofgovernments,the interconnectednessofglobalcommunitiesandtheimportanceofactiveparticipationinsociety

GRADE 3

Studentsfocusonteam-building,chasingandfleeing,andhand-eyeandfoot-eyecoordination, developinganunderstandingofkeyteamskills,spaceawarenessingames,andcontrolandmovement withaball Theyalsoworkontargetgamesandfundamentalmovementsrequiredforsuccess,including tracking,accuracy,andpositioning.Duringgymnastics,parkour,andoutdooractivities,studentsenhance theirmovementskillssuchasagility,speed,andform.Additionally,theyexplorethefoundationsof movementindancethroughasmalldanceunit

GRADE 4

Wefocusonhowtobewithinateam,healthandfitness,healthyhabits,andthefoundationsofinvasion gamessuchasbasketball,hockey,andsoccer Duringtheseunits,webuildanunderstandingofwhatit meanstobeonateam,spaceawarenessinbiggergames,andthecontrolofmovementwithandwithout aball Additionally,weworkonstrikingandfieldingskills,netgames,andthemovementsandstrategies requiredforsuccess,includingformandpositioning Duringourgymnasticsandparkourunit,wedevelop movementskillssuchastake-off,landing,sequencing,pathways,andbalance.Inourclimbingunit, studentsbelayandclimbdifferentroutes,setgoalsaroundclimbing,andworkonaccomplishingthem.

GRADE 5

Buildingonteamskillsdevelopedinpreviousyears,studentsexploreinvasiongamessuchasbasketball, hockey,andsoccer,gaininganunderstandingofkeyfitnesscomponents,includingheart-rateanalysisfor adeeperawarenessofahealthylifestyle Additionally,studentsengageinaMovementCompositionunit involvingflowmovementswithdance,martialarts,andyoga,wheretheyareexpectedtocreateaflow movementprojectinoneoftheseoptionsinagroupsetting StudentsengageinaunitcalledAdapted GamestoexplorethelivedexperiencesinsimilargamesfoundinParalympicsorSpecialOlympics

GRADE 6

InourFitnessandWellbeingunit,studentsexplorekeycomponentsoffitness,healthychoiceswith nutrition,andheart-rateanalysistoinformlifestyleandmovementdecisions Alongwithinvasiongames suchasbasketball,hockey,andsoccer,wefocusonoffenseanddefensestrategiesinsmallsided games.Buildingonstriking,fielding,andnetgamesskills,studentsareintroducedtocomplexmovements andstrategiesrequiredforsuccess,includingapplyingknowledgeinunfamiliarsituationsand understandingsport-specificrules Ingymnasticsandparkour,studentsrecogniseindividualstrengths, buildconfidence,andcombineskillstosupportperformance Intheclimbingunit,studentsbelayand climbdifferentroutes,setgoals,andcreateplanstoaccomplishthem

LANGUAGES

MultilingualismandculturalunderstandingisakeypartofbeinganInternationalCitizen

IntheElementarySchoolweofferFrenchforstudentswhodonotneedadditionalEnglishlanguage support Becauseofvaryingexperienceandbackgrounds,studentsmaybeenrolledinoneofthree levels:Foundational,IntermediateandIndependent Theprogrammeisbuiltaroundatwoyearcycle, YearA&YearB,sothatstudentsareintroducedtoawiderangeofvocabularyandlanguage structures InGrade5&6,studentswhohavefluencyinFrenchcanopttojointheScience&Social StudiesprogrammeinFrench FurtherdetailsareintheScience&SocialStudiessectionofthis programme

ForstudentswithahomelanguageofDutch,Spanish,Korean,Japanese,Swedish,andHebrewwe offeraHomeLanguagesProgramme(2024-25languageofferings;thesemaychangedependingon languagedemographicsofstudents)

Studentsareimmersedinthelanguageslearnedandactivelyengagedintheirlearningthrougha varietyofdynamicactivitiesaimedtodeveloptheircommunicationskills(listening,speaking, reading,writingandinteracting)

OurcurriculumisbasedontheCommonEuropeanFrameworkofReferenceforLanguages

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

FRENCH

GRADES 3 & 4

YEAR A

FaunaofBelgium(FaunedeBelgique)

ExploringtherangeofanimalsofBelgium,andutilisingourforestenvironmenttoobserveand inspire,studentsdevelopdescriptivevocabulary,sentencestructuresandlanguagefeaturesof descriptivewriting.Asaculminatingtask,studentspresentachosenanimal.

YEAR B

Onthewaytoschool(SurleChemindel’école)

Lookingatthebuildingsandspacesinacommunity,thevocabulary,sentencestructuresand languagefeaturesofwritingtodescribeISBandourlocalcommunity.Inadvancedlevels,students exploreschoolsfromaroundtheworldandbuildthelanguageofcompareandcontrast

Somelearningtargetsintheseunits:

Foundational

Understandandfollowshort,simpleinstructionsanddirections.

Recognisefamiliarwordsaccompaniedbypictures

Describeconcreteobjectswhileshowingthem

Intermediate

Recognisefamiliarwordsandexpressionsinconversationsaroundthem

Understandsimplefactualreportsthatdonotcontainunpredictabledetail Candescribethingsinsimpleterms

Independent

Understandfactualreportsorshorttalks/lecturesincludingdescriptions

Findspecificinformationinnewspaperarticlesandnon-fictiontexts

Givestraightforwarddescriptions,includingcomparingsimilaritiesanddifferences

YEAR A

ComicStrips(LesBandesDessinées)

Inthisunit,studentsexplorethetraditionofComicStripsinBelgium;buildingunderstandingsofstory lines,readingclassicandmoderncomicauthors,andpracticingtheuseofdialoguethroughskits andwriting Eachyearstudentsalsoworkwithvisitingprofessionalillustratorsandstory-tellers;a highlightoftheunit

YEAR B

Celebrations(Lesfestivals)

Inthisunit,studentsexploredifferentfrancophonecarnivalsfromaroundtheworld,includingthe Binche,QuebecandMartiniquecarnivals Inrecountsandnewbroadcastinterviews,students discussthetraditions,foods,andactivities

Somelearningtargetsintheseunits:

Foundational

Understandsimpleinformationbeingexplainedinapredictablesituation Usedaysoftheweek,time,hour Engageinbasicsocialexchanges

Intermediate

Understandthemainpointsofasimplenarrative Giveashort,rehearsedpresentationonafamiliarsubject Writeshortrecounts

Independent

Understandnarratives,includingthemainpointsandimportantdetails Giveopinionsonsubjectsrelatingtoeverydaylifewithreasonsandexplanations Narratives/recountswhichincludedescriptionsoffeelingsandreactions

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

YEAR A & B

Grade3:TheSea&BelgianCoast(Lamer&lacôtebelge)

Learningaboutthehabitatoftheseaonthecoastlineandunderthewater,studentsdevelopthe vocabularyandlanguageskillsofnarrativeandrecount UsingtheirownexperiencesandtheGrade 3extendedfieldtripasapersonalstartingpointforthistopic

Somelearningtargetsinthisunit:

Foundational

Understandsimpleinformationbeingexplainedinapredictablesituation Usedaysoftheweek,time,hour. Engageinbasicsocialexchanges

Intermediate

Understandthemainpointsofasimplenarrative Giveashort,rehearsedpresentationonafamiliarsubject Writeshortrecounts

Independent

Understandnarratives,includingthemainpointsandimportantdetails Giveopinionsonsubjectsrelatingtoeverydaylifewithreasonsandexplanations Writenarratives&recountswhichincludedescriptionsoffeelingsandreactions

Grade4:Games&Sportsaroundtheworld(LesjeuxdelaFrancophonie)

LookingatFrench-speakingcountriesaroundtheworld,studentsexplorethedifferentsportsand games,buildingvocabularyofgeography(flags,placenames,location,etc)andinformationabout popularsportsinthesecountries

Somelearningtargetsinthisunit:

Foundational

Understandnumbers,prices,dates,daysoftheweek,seasonsandtime Describethemselves,whattheylikedoingandwheretheylive Expressopinions

Intermediate

UnderstandsimpledirectionsonhowtogetfromXtoY Findspecificinformationinsimple,everydaymaterial Writeaseriesofsimpleclausesandsentences

Independent

Understandaudio-visualreportssuchasthemainpointsofthenews Givedetailedrecountsofexperiences,clearlydescribingfeelingsandreactionsandgivinga linearsequenceofevents writeinformationreportsincludinggivingandjustifyingopinions

GRADE 5 & 6

YEAR A

FrancophoneCelebrities(FrancophonesCélèbres)

Drawingoncurrentandpastfiguresfromtheworldofarts,sports,scienceandpoliticsin Francophoneculture,studentsdevelopthevocabularyandlanguagefeaturestodescribean importantfigureoftheirchoice

YEAR B

TheCity(laVille)

Startingwithcomponentsofcitiesandtowns,studentsexpandintofeaturesandhighlightsof Brusselstocomparewithanothercityoftheirchoice

Somelearningtargetsintheseunits:

Foundational

Engageinbasicsocialexchanges

Recitesimplevocabulary

Writeaboutmatterofpersonalrelevanceusingsimplewordsandbasicexpressions

Intermediate

Understandeverydayconversationswithpeers

Catchthemainpointinshortclear,simplemessagesandannouncements

Describewhattheyplantodoattheweekendorduringtheholidays

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

YEAR A & B

Grade5:

AHealthyMindinaHealthyBody(Unespritsaindansuncorpssain)

CreatingayoutubevideoorpodcastforatravelshowtoBelgium,studentsdemonstratehowtochoose andorderabalancedandhealthymeal.ForindependentFrenchspeakers,studentscomparedifferent aspectsofhealth:food,medicine,educationwiththatofAncientGreeks,GaulsandRomans

Somelearningtargetsinthisunit:

Foundational

Describeconcreteobjectswhileshowingthem

Usedaysoftheweek,time,hour

Understandeverydayexpressionsforsimple,concreteneeds

Intermediate

recognisefamiliarwordsandexpressionsinconversations extracttheessentialinformationfromshortrecordedpassages giveashort,rehearsedpresentationonafamiliarsubject

Independent understandfactualreportsorshorttalks/lecturesincludingdescriptions compareperspectivesandexpressownopinionusingsubjectspecificvocabulary givestraightforwardfactualinformationaboutatopic

MyTravelogue(Moncarnetdevoyage)

BuildingontheGrade5experiencesandextendedfieldtrip,studentsexplorelikesanddislikestocreate atravelogueabouttheirexperiences

Somelearningtargetsinthisunit:

Foundational engageinbasicsocialexchanges expressopinions

writeasaseriesofshortsentencesusingsimplewordsandformulaicexpressions,withreferenceto adictionary

Intermediate understandsimpledirectionsonhowtogetfromXtoY writeshortrecounts expresslikesanddislikes

Independent writesdetailedrecountsofexperiencesasanarrative,clearlydescribingfeelingsandreactionsand givingalinearsequenceofevents

givedetailedinstructionsforhowtodosomething reads&understandsnarratives,includingthemainpointsandimportantdetails

Grade6:

ATripwithFolon(UnvoyageavecFolon)

LinkingwithHumanRightsstudyintheHomeroom,studentsexploretheBelgianartistJean-Michel Folonfocusingonhislifeandinterestsandthevocabularytodescribehisartworksandits symbolism

Somelearningtargetsinthisunit:

Foundational candescribeconcreteobjectswhileshowingthem usesimplewordsandphrasestowritesimpledescriptions expressopinions

Intermediate followasimple,well-structuredpresentationprovideditisillustratedwithexamplesordiagrams andspokenslowlyandclearly giveashort,rehearsedpresentationonafamiliarsubject writeaseriesofsimpleclausesandsentences

Independent understandfactualreportsorshorttalks/lecturesincludingdescriptions findspecificinformationinnewspaperarticlesandnon-fictiontexts compareperspectivesandexpressownopinionusingsubjectspecificvocabulary

MyStory(Monjournal)

AsstudentsbeginthetransitiontoMiddleSchool,theyreflectbackontheirElementarySchoolyears identifyinghighlights,challengesandhowtheyhavegrown Somelearningtargetsinthisunit:

Foundational

understandsimpleinformationbeingexplainedinapredictablesituation candescribethemselves&whattheylikedoing writeaboutmatterofpersonalrelevanceusingsimplewordsandbasicexpressions

Intermediate understandthemainpointsinshort,simplestories candiscusswhattheyaregoodatandnotsogoodat writeshortrecounts

Independent understandnarratives,includingthemainpointsandimportantdetails expressdreams,hopesandambitions writenarratives&recountswhichincludedescriptionsoffeelingsandreactions

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

Grade5&6

Storyofachildofwar(Lejournald’unenfantpendantlaguerre)

Linkingtotheunitinthehomeroom,studentslearnabouteventsthattookplaceduringWorldWar2 andstudywhatchildren'sdailylifelookedlikeinBelgianandFrenchcities Theycreateafiction characterwhoselifeisdescribedinadiary

Independent

Understandfilmnarratives,includingthemainpointsandimportantdetails

Findspecificinformationinnewspaperarticlesandnon-fictiontexts

Compareperspectivesandexpressownopinionusingsubjectspecificvocabulary

DUTCH

InGrade6,studentswhohaveDutchasahomeoracademiclanguageparticipateinextended languageinstruction,inplaceofFrench. Inadditiontoreading,writingandspellingactivities, studentsexplorethefollowing:

GRADE 6

HumanRights(Mensenrechten)

Linkingtotheunitinthehomeroom,studentsexploretheconnectionbetweenthetextileindustry andmoderndayhumanrightsandlearnaboutAlettaJacobs,thefirstDutchfemaledoctorand feministandherroleinDutchhistory Personalresponsestoissuesexploredandapersuasivetext arekeystonesofthisunit.

Dutch&BelgiumArtists(VanRembrandttotvanGogh;doordeogenvankunstenaars)

BycomparingtwoormoreDutch/Belgianartists,studentspracticebothresearchandreportwriting skillsastheydescribekeyeventsinthelivesoftheirchosenartists,butalsoimportantworksand theirmeanings.

HOME LANGUAGES

InourHomeLanguagesclasses,studentsaresupportedtoacquireandaccuratelyusearangeof generalacademicanddomain-specificwordsandphrasesforreading,writing,speakingand listening.Workingtowardsreadinggrade-levelappropriatetextforcomprehensionisapriorityfor bothfictionandnon-fiction,supportingstudentstomaintainandprogressintheirhomelanguage. (Languageofferings:Dutch,Spanish,Korean,Japanese,SwedishandHebrew)

KEY KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

Grade3&4:

readingtextcloselytodeterminewhatthetextsaysexplicitlyandtomakelogicalinferences. citingspecifictextualevidencewhenwritingorspeakinginordertosupportconclusionsdrawn fromthetext determinecentralideasorthemesofatextandanalysetheirdevelopment summarisethekeysupportingdetailsandideas

Grade5&6:

analysethestructureoftexts,includinghowspecificsentences,paragraphsandlargerportions ofthetextrelatetoeachotherandthewholetext assesshowpointofvieworpurposeshapesthecontentandstyleofatext interpretwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinatext,includingtechnical,connotativeand figurativemeanings,andanalysehowspecificwordchoicesshapemeaningandtone.

FOUNDATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Reading

Studentsdeveloptheirletterandphonicknowledgetobuildtheirreadingskills.Theyprogressfrom simpletomorecomplextextstoreadfluentlywithmeaningandpurpose.Theyapplycomprehension andvocabularystrategiestoavarietyofnarrativeandinformationaltext.Studentsbuildand demonstratecomprehensionbyparticipatinginsmallgroupdiscussions,writingresponsesto comprehensionquestionsandprompts,andusingevidencefromtexttosupporttheirthinking.

Writing

Ourauthorswriteforavarietyofpurposes,usingarangeofforms Studentsapplygrammarand vocabularypracticedinshortwrittenexercises,tolongerwrittenpieces Studentsusethewriting processtoreviseandimprovetheirwork HandwritingandTypingskillsarepracticedthroughoutthe year

GRADE 3 & GRADE 4

AllAboutMe

Studentsbuildvocabularyrelatedtotheirinterests,familyandschoollife Studentsverballyexpress informationaboutthemselvesinphrasesandsimplesentences,developingtheirknowledgeofhow tobuildmeaningintheEnglishLanguage Studentsstarttocomprehendothersandexpresstheir ownideasinsimplewrittenforms

Procedures

Studentsextendtheirknowledgeofverbsandprepositionallanguagetocomprehendproceduresfor gamesandcraftactivities Studentsstarttogiveverbalandwritteninstructionstoothers,using sequencinglanguagetoorganisetheirwork

DailyRoutines

Studentsconsolidatetheirknowledgeofsimplepresenttense,subjectverbagreementandbuild vocabularytocomprehenddailyroutines.Studentsgainunderstandingoftextsthroughreadingand listeningandexpresstheirunderstandingthroughspeakingandwritingsimpleparagraphs.

Recount

Studentsareintroducedtothepasttense,usingtextsattheirreadingleveltoreadandverbally recountanevent.Studentscontinuetopracticeansweringcomprehensionquestionsusingevidence fromthetexttosupporttheiranswers.Studentsproducewrittenrecounts,organisingtheirworkinto paragraphs,connectinginformationusingsequentiallanguageandtextconnectives,andbuilding moredetailedsentences

Non-FictionReportandResearchSkills

Studentslearntoidentifynonfictiontextfeaturesandhowthesecanbeusedtoresearchspecific information Studentsfocusonaskingquestionsonaspecifictopicandfindinganswerswithin nonfictiontexts Studentsuseamodeltowriteanorganisedreportonananimal Studentsfocuson organisinginformationlogically,subjectverbagreementwithsingularandpluralnounsandbuilding sentencecomplexityskills

Narrative

Studentsreviewpasttensetoread,comprehendandshareanarrative Studentsreadandtell storieswhilepracticingthekeyskillsofgeneratingideas,aswellasrevisingandeditingwrittenwork Studentsfocusonusingadjectives,andsimpleconjunctionsinavarietyofsentencestructures whichhelpstudentscreatedescriptiveandsequencedstories

GRADE 5 & GRADE 6

MyFamilyandMe

Studentsusebasicactionverbstotalkaboutdailyactivitiesandfamilyroutines Theywilllearnto describehabitsusingthesimplepresentandongoingactionswiththepresentcontinuous Theunit willalsointroducevocabularyrelatedtofamilymembersandsubjectpronouns Additionally, studentswillusetheverbs"tohave"and"tobe"todescribepeople Bytheendoftheunit,theywillbe abletotalkabouttheirfamiliesanddailyroutineswithconfidence

RealisticFiction

Studentswilllearnkeyvocabularyrelatedtofictiontextfeaturesandstoryelements.Theywill explorecharacters,setting,plot,andthemetounderstandhowstoriesarestructured.Studentswill practiceoralandwrittenretellstoimprovecomprehensionandstorytellingskills Theywillalsolearn toidentifythemainideaofastoryandsupportitwithdetails Bytheendoftheunit,studentswillbe abletodiscussandsummarisefictiontexts

PersonalNarrative

Studentsexplorethestructureofpersonalnarratives.Theywillpracticeusingpasttenseverbsto describeeventsandaddcircumstancestoexplainwhen,where,orhowactionshappen.Students willalsodeveloptheirwritingbyusingsimpleandcompoundsentences,descriptivenoungroups, andcorrectpunctuation.Throughreadingpersonalnarrativementortexts,theywillanalysehow writersshareexperiencesandapplythesetechniquestotheirownwriting Bytheendoftheunit, studentswillbeabletowriteclearandengagingpersonalnarratives

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

Fiction-Mysteries

Studentsexplorenarrativegenrefeaturesandvocabularytodeepentheirunderstandingofdifferent typesoffiction Theywillanalysetheplotbyidentifyingkeyevents,conflicts,andresolutions Studentswillpracticemakingpredictionsbasedontextualevidenceandinferringmeaningfrom cluesprovidedbytheauthor Theywillalsousethefuturetensetodiscusspossibleoutcomesand characterdevelopments

OpinionWriting

Studentslearntoclearlystatetheiropinionsandsupportthemwithstrongreasonsandresearched examplesorfacts Theywillusethestoplightparagraphstructuretoorganisetheirideaseffectively andpracticeusingconnectivesandsentencestartersforsequencing Emphasiswillbeplacedon precisevocabularytostrengthentheirarguments Asanextension,studentswilldeveloptheir opinionsintofullargumentativeessays Theunitwillconcludewithadebate,wherestudentswill presentanddefendtheirviewpointsusingpersuasivetechniques

Nonfiction

Studentsexploretextfeaturestohelpthemnavigateandunderstandinformationaltexts Students practiceskimmingandscanningtechniquesinguidedlessonsandindependentpracticetolocate importantinformationquickly Theywillalsolearntofindtextevidencetosupporttheirunderstanding anddeterminetheimportanceofdetailswithinapassage Asanextension,studentswillpractice paraphrasingtoexpressideasintheirownwordswhilemaintainingtheoriginalmeaning.

SKILLS

Studentswhorequireconsistentlearningsupporthaveaccesstosmallergroupsupportduringa SkillsLearningsupportclasswhichhappensthreetimesperweek,insteadofFrenchorDutch.During thistime,studentshaveaccesstoadditionalcurricularsupportaimedatimprovedstudentaccess andsuccess.Inadditiontothis,studentsreceivetargetedsupportfortheirindividuallearninggoals aspartoftheirindividuallearningplan.

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

ADVISORY

TheAdvisoryprogramme,ledbytheElementarySchoolcounsellor,buildsthesocialandemotional understandingandskillsofourstudents Learningovertheyearisstructuredaroundthefollowing strands:Social-EmotionalDevelopment,GlobalPerspectives,Academics,&FutureGoalsandPlanning

GRADE

Duringtheschoolyear,welearnaboutSocialEmotionalLearninginourAdvisorylessons Thishelpsus understandourfeelingsandhowtogetalongwithourfriends Wediscussworkingtogetherand developingrelationships,solvingproblems,andmakingsmartchoices.Welookathowthebrainhelpsus withlearningandfeelings Wealsolearntobesafeintherealworldandwhenweusetheinternet We exploreourbehaviours,characteristicsandouridentity Weexaminewhatmakeseachofusspecial We lookathowthingschangeinourlives,likemovingtoanewgradeorschool

GRADE 4

Throughouttheschoolyear,wecontinuetofocusonSocialEmotionalLearningduringourAdvisory lessons.Weworkonbuildingfriendshipsandrelationships,sharingourfeelings,andfindingwaysto resolveconflicts Wealsostarttounderstandmoreabouthowourbrainsworkandexplorehowtomanage ouremotionsandbehavioursbetter Welearnaboutpersonalsafetybothonlineandintherealworld We recogniseouruniqueidentitiesandhowweinteractwiththosearounduswhoarethesameanddifferent inmanyways Additionally,welookathowtohandlechangesandtransitionsinourlives

GRADE 5

Astheacademicyearprogresses,SocialEmotionalLearningbecomesanintegralpartofourAdvisory lessons,whichenhancesouroveralllearningexperiences Wedelveintoimportantthemessuchas developingandapplyingsocialskillsandcultivatinghealthyrelationships Welearneffectivestrategiesfor conflictresolutionandproblem-solving,alongwithdeeperinsightsintobehaviourandemotional regulationandbrainfunction Furthermore,weaddresscriticalissueslikepersonalanddigitalsafety,our identityanddiversity.Wedevelopmoreeffectivetoolsforpreparinganddealingwithvarioustransitions andchangesinourlives.

GRADE 6

Inthesixthgrade,weengagecriticallywithSocialEmotionalLearningthroughouttheacademicyear, integratedwithinourAdvisorylessonstosupportourbroadereducationalgoals.Weexploreadvanced topicssuchasenhancingoursocialskills,fosteringpositiverelationships,andeffectivelyresolving conflicts Byunderstandingbehaviourandemotionalregulationandthebiologicalunderpinningsofour behavior,wegainadeepercomprehensionofourselves Ourcurriculumincludesdiscussionsonpersonal anddigitalsafetyandcurrentsocialmediainfluences Weexaminetheimportanceofembracingpersonal identityanddiversity,inourcommunityaswellasglobally Weexplorehowwecanequipourselvesto handletransitionsandchangeswithresilienceandconfidence.

LIBRARY

AtISB,ourlibrariansarecrucialactorsinpersonalisation.Librarianssupportourstudentsintheir developmenttowardsbecomingindependentresearchers.Ourprintanddigitalcollectionbuilds fromtheneedsofindividualresearchersandreaders.Librarianshelpstimulatealoveofreadingby providingpersonalisedguidancetoallmembersoftheISBcommunityandbyorganisingreading extensionprogrammessuchastheIRISAwardandIrisBookbowl,aswellassponsoringfrequent visitingauthors,storytellersorcurricularexperts.

GRADE

Libraryclassesarefocusedondevelopingstudentunderstandingofnon-fictiontexts,understandinghow thelibraryisorganisedandlocatingmaterialsinthelibrary Read-aloudsareconnectedtoclassroom topics,suchasNanaBrewHammond’sBlue Frequentbooktalksintroducenewtitlesinthelibraryto encouragestudentstoreadwidelyandregularly

GRADE

Diggingdeeperintothelibrarycollection,inparticular,exploringthedifferentgenresfoundinthelibraryas wellasintroducingtheBookBowlarekeyfeaturesofthegrade4programme Supportinghomeroomfocus areassuchasmappingskillsandhowtoconductaninterviewhelpsstudentsrevisitandreinforce researchskills

GRADE

Introducingprimaryandsecondarysourcesastheyexplorerolesandresponsibilitiesofgovernmentand historicalinstancesofmigrationhelpstudentsbecomemoreeffectiveresearchers Exploringnewtitlesis encouragedthroughbooktalksandthroughtargetedexplorationofthelibrarycollection InGrade5, studentshavethespecialhonourtoprovideinputintothepossibletitlesforthenextyear’sIRISbook award Ingrade6,understandinghowtosupporttheirreadingandresearchthroughusingthelibrarycatalogue becomesagreaterfocus Reinforcingquestioningandeffectiveresearchskillsaredevelopedoverthe year Asstudentsmoveintomorecomplexchildren’sliterature,targetedbooktalksandcollection explorationishighlightedtoreinforceastrongfoundationofreadingskills

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is an integral part of the learning experience in our Elementary School, supporting students in developing essential digital skills and responsible technology use Our structured programmefocusesonappropriatetechnologyusage,digitalcitizenship,andprogrammingliteracy

Students in Grades 3–6 participate in dedicated technology classes These sessions alternate betweenDigitalCitizenshiplessonsandhands-onprogramminglessons Ourgoalistoequipstudents with both the technical skills and ethical awareness needed to navigate the digital world safely and effectively

In our programming lessons, students build their coding proficiency progressively. They begin with fundamental coding concepts in Grade 3 and advance to more complex block coding challenges by Grade 6. Beyond programming, technology is integrated into classroom learning, serving as a tool to introducenewconceptsorreinforceunderstandinginsubjectssuchasMath,Literacy,andScience.

Through this approach, students not only develop essential digital literacy but also learn to use technologycreativelyandpurposefully,preparingthemfortheincreasinglydigitalworld.

GRADE 3

Programming:Introductiontobasiccodingconcepts,sequencing,andsimpleproblem-solvingusing block-basedcoding

DigitalCitizenship:Passwordsafety,onlinesafety,medialiteracy,whatmakesagooddigitalcitizen

GRADE 4

Programming:Expandingonlogicandalgorithms,usingloopsandconditionalstocreatemorestructured programs

DigitalCitizenship:Healthymediachoices,privateandpersonalinformation,keepinggamesfunand friendly,onlineupstander,creatorrights

GRADE 5

Programming:Developingmorecomplexprojectswithvariablesandfunctions,fosteringcomputational thinking

DigitalCitizenship:Myonlinebalance,investigatingclickbait,digitalfriendships,readingonlinenews

GRADE 6

Programming:Advancedblockcoding,debugging,andanintroductiontoautonomousprogramming concepts

DigitalCitizenship:Phishing,onlineidentity,chattingsafely,dealingwithdigitaldrama,findingcrediblenews

PASSION LEARNING & ELECTIVES

PassionLearning

InGrade3&4,studentsengageinaninquiryintoanareaofinterest.Afterhavingopportunitiesto exploredifferentpossiblepathways,studentsbuildaplantoexploreanarealinkedtothearts, academics,design,technologyorsportsdevelopment.Mentorteachersguidestudentsthroughthe process,encouragingthemtodeepenandrefinetheirinquiryastimeprogresses Studentsshare theirinquiryjourneyattheendoftheyearinalearningshowcase

Electives

TheElectivesprogrammeinGrades5&6encouragesstudentstoexploreareasofinterest Guided byteachers,studentsengageinlearningactivitiesandprojectswhichsupportthemindeveloping theirleadership,technology,language,science,artistic,orentrepreneurialskills

BelowaretheElectivesofferedinthe2024-25academicyear

JuniorModelUnitedNations

YoungEntrepreneurship

RobotTitans

GardentoPlate

BuddingAuthors:Novels-Creation&Design

AgentsofChange

ExploringDance

DiscoverDutch

DigitalMusic

STEM:Science,Technology,Engineering,Mathematics