How to Develop Conceptual Thinkers in the IB PYP with Inquiry-based Investigations

approaches to learning skills concept based inquiry early years pyp ib pyp

Fall into Conceptual Learning with the PYP

The leaves are turning already in Scotland and the air becoming crisp. It's actually my favourite time of year. Autumn provides a rich backdrop for inquiry in the IB PYP classroom. Seasonal changes are not just fun and exciting for children; they are also filled with opportunities to develop conceptual awareness. By connecting those additional concepts of harvest, change, natural cycles and patterns together with autumn traditions to the PYP specified concepts and the Learner Profile, teachers can design learning experiences that are hands-on, inquiry-driven, and deeply meaningful.

To help bring these ideas to life, I'm delighted to introduce our guest writer and fellow PYP educator, Amber Reynolds, originally from the United States, now living and teaching in Albania. Amber has created a brand-new Fall Collection of resources that align with the IB PYP specified concepts. These activities combine the excitement of the season with the depth of concept-based inquiry, giving teachers practical tools that make learning relevant and joyful.

Why Use Fall Themes to Teach Concepts?

The PYP emphasises the eight specified concepts—Form, Function, Causation, Change, Connection, Perspective, Responsibility, and Reflection—as lenses for inquiry. When students explore concepts through seasonal experiences, they really begin to see how big ideas connect to the real world.

Any season will work but autumn is the perfect season for this work as it naturally connects with many concepts within itself: Pumpkins ripen, leaves change, apples are harvested, and communities celebrate traditions together. These natural phenomena, patterns and cycles invite curiosity and questioning while opening doors for collaborative thinking and design-based exploration.

Practical Activities with PYP Concepts

Here are some examples of how we can use explicit teaching moments to develop conceptual thinkers and inquirers, as shared by Amber. She brings over 20 years of teaching experience as an IB PYP and EAL educator.

" I have witnessed how language learning accelerates when students are engaged in authentic tasks that make sense to them and are connected to their lived experiences. Language and content grow together when children have the chance to ask questions, solve problems, and share ideas that matter. "

Amber Reynolds

Her Fall Concepts Investigation Collection shows how seasonal activities can strengthen conceptual understanding in your classroom:

1. Pumpkin & Leaves Investigations (Form, Change, Responsibility)

Invite learners to explore pumpkins or leaves as scientists and thinkers. They can observe, measure, and record features, then compare them across varieties.

Form: What parts does a pumpkin have? How can we describe its features?
Change: Why does a pumpkin change color as it grows?
Responsibility: How can we use the whole pumpkin without waste?

Skills in action: observation, recording data, classifying, questioning.

Amber’s Pumpkin Investigation Resource provides guiding questions, recording sheets, and prompts that help teachers structure rich inquiry around seasonal themes.

2. Apple Connections (Connection, Function, Causation)

Using apples, students can trace connections from farm to table and consider why apples grow and function the way they do.

Connection: How are apples linked to farms, supermarkets, and homes?
Function: What role does each part of an apple play in helping it grow?
Causation: Why do apples bruise or rot over time?

Skills in action: formulating conceptual questions, sequencing, collaborative thinking, systems thinking.

Amber’s Fall Apple Inquiry Pack encourages students to explore connections while applying design thinking to create new apple-based products.

3. Learner Profile Stations with a Fall Twist

Keeping energy high until fall break can be challenging, but Amber’s 10 Learner Profile Stations are designed to keep students engaged while digging deeper into the attributes. Each station has a playful seasonal hook that still emphasizes PYP skills. For example:

Harvest of Kindness (Caring): Brainstorm ways to spread kindness in the classroom and community.
The Riddle Patch (Thinker): Solve autumn-themed riddles that stretch critical and creative thinking.
Cozy Story Swap (Communicator): Share favorite stories in a circle, practicing listening and expression.

Skills in action: collaboration, discussion, reflection, communication.

4. Seasonal Reflections (Perspective, Reflection)

As the season shifts, students can reflect on traditions and changes in their communities.

Perspective: How do different cultures celebrate the fall season?
Reflection: What have we learned about ourselves and our world during this inquiry?

Skills in action: reflective journaling, making connections to personal experience, intercultural awareness.

Amber’s Concept Journals with a Fall Theme give students structured opportunities to record their thinking and make visible their conceptual growth.

Building Skills Through Conceptual Inquiry

Each of these activities goes beyond surface-level fun. They intentionally build core inquiry skills, including:

Careful observation and recording of details
Asking and formulating conceptual questions
Engaging in collaborative thinking and group discussions
Applying design thinking to solve problems creatively
Practicing communication and reflection through sharing and journaling

These skills prepare learners to transfer understanding across subjects and into real-life contexts, which is at the heart of PYP learning.

Celebrate the Season with Concept-Based Inquiry

Amber’s Fall Collection shows how the beauty of the season can be harnessed to strengthen both conceptual understanding and student engagement. Pumpkins, apples, and autumn traditions become the starting points for deep inquiry that connects to the PYP framework, the Learner Profile, and transdisciplinary skills.

By weaving seasonal themes into inquiry, teachers can make learning feel alive and relevant while still focusing on academic and conceptual growth. Students begin to see that learning is not confined to textbooks or units but is everywhere—in the food they eat, the leaves they collect, and the celebrations they share.

Explore Amber’s Fall Collection

Teachers can bring these seasonal inquiries into their classrooms today by exploring Amber’s Fall Collection, which includes

These tools are ready to use and designed to save teachers planning time while making the PYP concepts come alive for learners.

Bringing the fall season into the class in this way allows children to feel the magic of the season while still focusing on academic and conceptual growth. It also highlights the beauty of the PYP approach, while emphasising that learning is everywhere and that everyday experiences can be connected through big ideas. By tying seasonal themes like pumpkins, apples, and autumn changes to the PYP concepts and the Leaner Profile attributes, learning will feel relevant, engaging and joyful for every student!

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Amber.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you're looking for more STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING CONCEPTUAL THINKERS & INQUIRERS, click through to the blog.