International Baccalaureate elementary program continues strong
Nearly 100 fourth graders took to downtown Aspen to begin a new unit of inquiry for the second year of program operations
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale/The Aspen Times
All five Aspen Elementary School fourth grade classes went to the Aspen Fire Station and Isis Theatre on Monday to begin their new IB unit, “Who We Are.”
The students learned about Polynesian and Greek mythology for the first day of the new unit, which explores how mythology, traditions and story influence present day life.
“In our unit, our central idea is going to be about — ‘morality,'” Teacher Katie Fox said in unison with the fourth graders in the Fire Station on Monday. “We’re going to think about how our traditions influence our morals.”
The unit is one of six units of inquiry in the IB curriculum that students learn about from kindergarten through fourth grade: “Who We Are,” “Where We Are in Place and Time,” “How We Express Ourselves,” “How the World Works,” “How We Organize Ourselves,” and “Sharing the Planet.”
The six units are designed to encourage students to “reflect on the significance of their learning to take meaningful action in their community and beyond,” according to IB.
While students learn about these units throughout their early education, teachers have the freedom to focus on distinctive subjects within each unit, Teacher Mark Wise said.
The fourth graders this year will learn about Greek, Native American, Polynesian, and Egyptian Mythology, to begin thinking about how story and tradition carry modern day lessons.
To start the unit, Fox explained to the students on Monday how the contents of the Greek mythological item, Pandora’s Box, are applicable to life in the present.
“Anger,” “envy,” and “sadness” were unleashed upon the world from Pandora’s Box, while “hope” remained behind, Fox explained to the students.
“So although in our life, we might have anger, and although there might be envy or sadness,” Fox said. “In that box — in our life — there’s still hope.”
Teacher Niki Bennett said mythological stories in general carry lessons of hope, which she feels important to discuss with the students, another reason they chose to teach mythology.
“In their lives, there is challenge, there is hope, and finding those nuances, where they identify those areas, is so important for them,” Bennett said. “As they get older, and even now, we have a lot of kiddos that struggle.”
The students learned about Polynesian mythology at the Isis Theatre later Monday morning while watching Moana 2, hosted by Aspen Film.
Wise said that after focusing on the mythological areas selected by the teachers, students will have the chance to pursue their own interests.
“That’s the whole part of the IB program, is child agency where they get to choose what they want to learn about,” Wise said.
Fourth grade student Dominic Minniti said his favorite Greek gods are Zeus and Athena.
“Because I love when it rains, and I love listening to thunder, and that’s what Zeus is, the god of thunder and lightning and storms,” Minniti said. “And then Athena is the goddess of wisdom, and I love owls, and her companion is an owl.”
Students will conduct research about mythology and tradition that interest them most and present their findings to their peers.
This is the second year the elementary school has offered IB classes.
The IB curriculum is particularly beneficial to student education because they apply what they learn across multiple subject areas, Bennett said.
“It’s cross-curricular. That’s a huge part of it,” Bennett said. “The lines blur very much between our literacy and our math and our units of inquiry.”
Now that the entire Aspen School District uses the IB curriculum, Fox added that students are able to build upon the knowledge they gain in elementary school as they approach middle and high school, rather than having to start the curriculum from scratch as they progress through their education.
The Monday trip was funded by the Parent Teacher Organization, hosted by the Fire Station and Isis Theatre, and organized by the Aspen Elementary School and Aspen Film.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
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