Susanne Fischer 

This theme encourages inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social, and spiritual health; human relationships, including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities, and what it means to be human. 

Who We Are

Explore different celebrations from across the globe through fun and beautiful illustrations. Embark on an exciting journey through the most interesting and important festivals, celebrations, and holidays enjoyed by people around the world. Stunning original illustrations and fascinating facts will inspire and inform children about cultures and religions from a huge range of countries and continents. Witness a camel marathon in a celebration of the Sahara Desert, and munch on Mid-Autumn mooncakes in China. Discover why skeletons dance at the Day of the Dead in Mexico, and how the world's biggest tomato fight, La Tomatina in Spain, gets cleaned up! Children will love poring over artist Katy Halford's beautiful illustrations, which showcase every celebration in absorbing detail. Engaging factual writing introduce young readers to the most interesting aspects of each celebration, from the costumes worn to the food eaten, and encourage an understanding of other cultures and religions. It's time to celebrate!

Celebrations Around the World

This thoughtful, engaging book is packed with helpful hints, tips, and techniques for helping children learn to recognize and express their emotions. Feelings can be complicated, and learning to express them is a skill that must be developed. My Mixed Emotions is here to coach children through a variety of emotions and situations including dealing with bullying, understanding grief, and coping with large family changes, such as divorce. Divided into happiness, fear, anger, and sadness, My Mixed Emotions explores the four main emotions, the reasons why we feel them, and the science behind each one. Children will discover great things about themselves, such as what happens in their brain when they are happy, why they cry when they are sad, and why they sometimes feel nervous. My Mixed Emotions will become a friend and guide as children travel through the mixed-up world of emotions to discover the wonderful, unique person that they are.

My Mixed Emotions

Meet the people of the world and find out about some of the fascinating cultures that make up our global community. From Spaniards to Samoans, and the Miao to the Miskitu, this fully updated edition of DK's popular Encyclopedia of People will take you on a worldwide tour of continents, peninsulas, and islands to discover what life is like for the billions of people on our planet. Discover how the Yakut people survive in the Arctic temperatures of Siberia, or why tattoos are so important in Maori culture. Learn about the Mbendeje people's hunting sign language that lets them silently creep up on unsuspecting prey. People and Places: A Visual Encyclopedia allows you to explore different cultures through illuminating photography and bitesize chunks of information. The perfect companion to geography and culture projects for school-aged children, this book is a treasure trove of facts and information about the people that make up our world.

People and Places: A Visual Encyclopedia

A beautifully illustrated book that covers the essential life skills that kids need to know Discover how you can become the awesome person you want to be with this guide to essential life skills for kids. This life book tackles the difficulties that kids face and helps prepare them for whatever the future may hold. Inside the pages of your essential life skills book, you’ll discover:    • Life skills education is an important topic, especially for children, as highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO)    • Beautiful illustrations accompanied by stunning photography help to engage readers to digest complex topics like understanding body language and decision making    • Topics that drill down into all the different aspects of life skills education for 7–9-year-olds, such as communication, solving problems, making decisions, understanding yourself and others, critical thinking skills, and coping in difficult times    • Practical advice on how to think up solutions for difficult problems, how to work with other people as a team, and how to write a feelings diary using mindfulness An illustrated guide book for kids that includes practical advice and real-life examples that teach problem-solving, how to make good decisions, and excellent communication skills. Kids will learn how to better understand themselves and others, as well as create coping strategies for difficult situations.  Kids can work through engaging activities like making mind maps, thinking about body language, and putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. Developing life skills not only leads to better prospects at school and in a future career, but it also gives young people higher self-esteem to aim for a bright, secure and happy future.

Life Skills

Depending on the focus of your \nWhere we are in place and time\n, the DK catalog offers a range of exciting books for different reading levels and age groups. Ranging from historic figures to events and different concepts exploring time, discoveries and migrations, there are many literary opportunities that can link to your central ideas and inquiries.

Where We Are in Place and Time

From William Shakespeare to Oprah Winfrey and Anne Frank to Julius Caesar, get the inside track on the incredible lives of history’s biggest names in this collection of timelines. Jam-packed with surprising facts and amazing details about notable people, including kings and queens, humanitarians, scientists, and much more, Timelines of Everyone will take you on a whirlwind journey telling the stories of the most impressive figures. More than 150 timelines will provide children aged 8-12 with all the general knowledge they need – and even some surprising trivia they don’t! Must-know topics and lesser-known trivia are showcased with beautiful, detailed illustrations and straightforward, easy-to-read text. Timelines of Everyone reveals not just the incredible achievements, contributions, and adventures of historical figures, but the lesser-known events that shaped them too, from childhood into old age. This educational book for children aged 9-12 offers: - An equal number of timelines about women and men, and each timeline is beautifully designed to capture the essence of that particular historical figure. - A chronological structure, with six chapters covering from the ancient world to the present day. - Big, bright, bold timelines bring history to life and entice children to dive in and discover the past. - More than 150 separate timelines on a diverse range of important figures throughout history. - A global focus covering Asian, African, South American, and Oceanian history, not just European and North American. Following on from the bestselling Timelines of Everything, this fascinating children’s book focuses on the biographies of a myriad of movers and shakers across millennia. It covers a diverse array of monarchs, humanitarians, scientists, inventors, explorers, activists, writers, artists, and more, from all across the globe. With timelines on a diverse range of people, Timelines of Everyone is the ultimate guide to history for kids. Explore the series! If you like Timelines of Everyone, why not check out other exciting titles in the Timelines series? Explore the collection of visual timelines which bring big topics to life. Learn about the history of everything, ever in Timelines of Everything, discover leaders, legends and legacies in Timelines of Black History and explore the natural world through time with Timelines of Nature.

Timelines of Everyone

Become an eyewitness to the terrifying global conflict that reshaped the world – from the Blitz to the atomic bomb. In collaboration with the Imperial War Museum, go back in time and experience history with this picture-led guide to the Second World War. This book tells the story of the second devastating conflict of the 20th century that tore the world apart – divided by international alliances and growing tensions between nations. Meet the key players who influenced the outcome of this global struggle. Explore major events such as the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Britain, the D-Day invasion, and the atomic bombs in Japan, and discover how clever code-breakers developed new technology to decipher hidden messages and gain military advantage over their enemies. Loved and trusted for over 30 years, Eyewitness has a new look and even more content: • A bite-sized formula of text with images that kids love! • Fully revised and fact-checked by subject specialists • Packed with facts, infographics, statistics, and timelines • Updated with brand new eyewitness accounts from experts in the field Eyewitness World War II uses a groundbreaking visual layout that makes learning fun for kids aged 9-12. This history book expertly illustrates the lessons of the Second World War and how they impact our world today. This museum in a book uses striking full-color photographs and illustrations of warfare, weaponry, vehicles, maps, and secret documents along with amazing facts, infographics, statistics, and timelines to reveal this conflict as never before. Eyewitness content approved by -ologists! DK’s Eyewitness kids books are updated and fact-checked by subject specialists, with brand new first-hand eyewitness accounts throughout from experts in the field.  A best-selling series known and trusted for generations, with a fresh new look and up-to-date content.  What will you Eyewitness next? Travel back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth with Eyewitness Dinosaur, or come face-to-face with a pharaoh in Eyewitness Ancient Egypt. Do you think you’ve found your topic of interest? DK has even more history books for kids and adults alike find them all by searching for "DK history books".

World War II

This nonfiction chapter book about gladiators is chock-full of bite-size facts, black-and-white photographs, and CGI illustrations to dazzle and engage even the most reluctant reader. The exhilarating world of gladiators might seem intimidating, but Microbites: Gladiators brings kids face to face with these famous fighters in a manageable way, sharing chunks of information on need-to-know topics like different battle styles, Roman referees, gods and temples, and other aspects of life inside the Colosseum. Illustrations and photographs accent nearly every page, while highlighted text calls out important takeaways about each chapter topic, revealing new details about this pulse-racing piece of Ancient Roman history. For further learning, kids can turn to the book's eight-page reference section, where they'll find a gladiator glossary, a historical timeline, and a list of the most notable Roman emperors. Whether they're new to Ancient Rome or seasoned pros, readers will find plenty of fascinating facts to chew on in Microbites: Gladiators. DK's Microbites series takes daunting nonfiction topics and transforms them into easy-to-digest, mini-guides on kids' favorite subjects from history, science, and the natural world. Packed with eye-catching illustrations, detailed photographs, and the latest scientific research on everything from dinosaurs to mummies, the Microbites series encourages a healthy reading appetite in kids ages 8 through 12, and will leave them hungry to learn more.

Gladiators

For schools looking for inspiration to support their inquiries into \nHow we express ourselves\n, DK has a variety of books that explore the different arts. Some of these include some great visual guides that support students’ understanding and development of musical concepts. For those who are inquiring into performing arts, DK has some fantastic titles that will support and inspire you and your learners.

How We Express Ourselves

A gorgeously illustrated introduction to poetry for children, featuring poems about everything from science, sports, and space, to friendship, family, and feelings. This thoughtfully crafted anthology is perfect for children new to verse and for young poetry fans seeking out new favorites. Explore poetry from a diverse selection of contemporary and historical poets, covering a broad range of topics--from personal subjects like emotions and family, to the wonders of the natural environment. Carefully selected works encourage children to see the poetry in everything and to embrace the beauty of their everyday lives. Poems are complemented by detailed illustrations, timelines, and interesting facts about the topics covered, ensuring that the poems are not just entertaining, but relevant, topical, and informative. Prompts and activities inspire children to create their own poetry, and devices like rhyme, repetition, and alliteration are introduced and explained in a fun and accessible manner.

A World Full of Poems

A visually stunning seek-and-find museum adventure for inquisitive kids. Seven-year-old Stevie is lost in the galleries! She needs to locate a series of artworks to find her way out and back to her family. Can you help her? Follow Stevie as she explores the most exciting and intriguing galleries and exhibitions inside The Met in this beautifully illustrated seek-and-find adventure! As Stevie moves through The Met's galleries of Greek and Roman art, Ancient Egypt, and Modern and Contemporary art, learn about the rarest and most beautiful objects found in the museum's prestigious galleries. Who can you find? What will you discover? © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Met Lost in the Museum

A fun-filled art activity ebook that will encourage kids to express themselves while teaching them about key artistic styles and a selection of pioneering artists from history. Explore your creative side as you discover the artist that lies within. Each of the fun activities included in this ebook will teach you about a different area of art and design. Learn about the history and theory of art before getting your hands dirty while creating your very own masterpieces. With more than 30 activities designed to encourage and stimulate even the most reluctant artist, How to Be an Artist gets the creative juices flowing. From mark making to woodworking, and photography to sculpture, there's a project for every art aficionado to get into. Perfect for children ages 7-9, the activities not only instil a passion for art, but also help kids learn about how art fits into the world of STEAM. Famous artist pages teach children about the pioneers of artistic movements, such as Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, and Pablo Picasso. Different artistic disciplines are explained in the topic pages. From the basics, such as composition and perspective, to the trickier techniques of illusion and graphic design, this art activity ebook for kids has it all.

How To Be An Artist

Take a visual journey through the world of music and learn the science behind it, too. Budding music fans will love discovering musical geniuses of every era, from Mozart and classical music to Bowie and pop, as well as finding out how music is created and what links it all together. The ebook looks at music throughout history, beginning with the first known melody from the Fertile Crescent and covering modern music phenomena, from K Pop to hip-hop. Instruments and genres from across the world are featured, with "playlists" of key pieces encouraging kids to look up pieces to hear for themselves. STEAM spreads delve into the psychology and math behind music, from how it affects our mood to how it can improve our minds. Covering India's Ragas, Indonesia's Gamelan, Japan's city pop, and more, this ebook will help children discover a love of music.

Music and How it Works

There’s also a large range of books available through DK to support schools looking for resources for \nHow the world works\n that link to scientific principles and inventions. These titles offer colorful and engaging diagrams to explain complex concepts in a student-friendly way.

How the World Works

Put your safety goggles on and enter the fascinating world of science with this visually stunning encyclopedia. Perfect for curious kids, SuperScience presents the wonders of science as never seen before. Explore the clever and cutting-edge ways science can impact our world through jaw-dropping photography and revealing computer-generated images. Discover how we explore the vast reaches of space, study wild weather such as storms and volcanoes, eradicate diseases, and even find out how science has helped fields like history and the arts. The ebook examines the science behind everyday life - how we power our homes, grow our food, and build machines that allow us to communicate with others and travel around the world. Featuring a wide range of scientific inventions and discoveries, from advances in modern medicine to groundbreaking ideas for saving the environment, SuperScience uncovers how science plays a part in every area of our lives. SuperScience will make young readers see the science surrounding us in a thrilling new light.

Super Science Encyclopedia

Journey from Earth to the outer reaches of the universe with this stunning book about space! You'll encounter bizarre planets, distant stars, and intricate galaxies. From planets and asteroids to black holes and galaxies, every page of this captivating book reveals the secrets behind more than 100 celestial objects. Get ready to explore fun facts and exciting new scientific discoveries! For centuries, the mysteries of space have captured our imaginations. This picture book will illuminate imaginations and spark curious minds to explore the vastness of space. Take your little astronaut on a journey from our planet out into the furthest reaches of the universe! Filled with gorgeous illustrations and incredible photography, young readers will be intrigued by the detailed close-up images of each celestial body. The engaging storybook-style descriptions and simple text shed a light on facts, myths, and key discoveries about the universe. Explore the wonders of our solar system and beyond. This educational book also includes reference pages packed with fascinating information. Journey Through the Vastness of Space Join us on an adventure across the universe, as we rocket to the stars! Discover 100 objects from the universe, arranged from the closest to our planet to the ones the furthest away. Storybook-style text and out-of-this-world pictures make this book perfect for an astronomical bedtime. It's also a fantastic gift for children who can't get enough of space. Grab your spacesuit and put your helmet on! Inside the pages of this adventure book, you'll find: - Beautiful illustrations and incredible photography that showcase the mysteries of space. - Discover 100 remarkable objects in the cosmos. - Engaging storybook-style descriptions that explain key discoveries about the universe. More to Explore Once you've discovered The Mysteries of the Universe, dive into the companion titles from this series from DK Books! The Wonders of Nature explores more than 100 items from the natural world and An Anthology of Intriguing Animals showcases animals around the world.

The Mysteries of the Universe

Despite \nHow we organize ourselves\n sometimes being one of the trickier themes to resource, there are some great books available from DK that cover concepts such as politics, decision-making, economics and important professions within communities. While some of those concepts may be more suitable for older PYP students, there is certainly a great selection for younger readers, too, which will be especially useful for those inquiring into concepts such as community helpers.

How We Organize Ourselves

What is populism? Is communism the same in China and Cuba? What makes a democracy? If you're not sure, this is the book for you! Look inside to find out why politics matters, and how its ideas shape our world. How do ideas make the world go round? What is populism? What are the political left and right? What's the difference between capitalism and communism, or democracy and dictatorship? Who really holds the power? Can everyone have freedom of speech? And what does all this mean for you? Find out the answers in this book, which unpacks the complicated language and often messy world of politics. Politics is... looks at the beliefs of political thinkers, leaders, and activists from around the world, covers the key branches of government, and examines authority. While focusing on contemporary issues, the book also traces the history of politics. It explains the ideas and "-isms" that shape our world as well as investigating the role of external factors, such as protest and the media, in political decision-making. Whether you're studying politics or not, if you're not sure whether politics matters or why your vote counts, get your hands on this thought-provoking book--it defines the big ideas you need to know and provides inspiration for analyzing, interrogating, and changing your world.

Politics Is...

What's your emergency? From flashing lights and blaring sirens to K-9 units and EMTs, emergency services have vital roles in saving lives. Find out what it takes to respond to an emergency in Emergency Rescue.Learn police officers' secret radio code, look at a firefighter's daily schedule, and hear what emergency dispatchers say on the phone. Make sure you are prepared for an emergency and that you know who to call! Emergency Rescue shows how hard emergency responders, police officers, and firefighters work to save lives, and the important work they do to keep everyone safe. Perfect for 7–9 year olds starting to read alone, Level 3 titles include in-depth information presented through more complex sentence structure with increasing amount of text to expand the reader's general knowledge and confidence in reading. Additional information spreads are full of extra facts, developing the topics through a range of nonfiction presentation styles, such as fliers, instructions, and record-breaker statistics. Lexile measure: 800 Fountas and Pinnell Text Level Gradient: O Trusted by parents, teachers, and librarians, and loved by kids, DK's leveled reading series is now revised and updated. With shiny new jackets and brand new nonfiction narrative content on the topics kids love, each book is written and reviewed by literacy experts, and contains a glossary and index making them the perfect choice for helping develop strong reading habits for kids ages 3–11.

DK Readers L3: Emergency Rescue

Packed with facts, kids will love learning about elected leaders from around the world, from Barack Obama to Nelson Mandela, and how they came to power. With this nonfiction politics book, children will learn about where and how democracy began and how it has developed over the years. What is an Election? is a new Level 2 title in the engaging four-level DK Readers series, aimed at children who are beginning to learn to read. Developing a lifelong love of reading, DK Readers cover a vast range of fascinating subjects to support children as they learn to read. DK Readers are assessed by both Fountas & Pinnell and Lexile levels, and are ideal for learning to read while building general knowledge. What is an Election? explores a topic that will inspire and educate children, encouraging reading for pleasure which is linked with improved reading and writing abilities, as well as a wider vocabulary and greater self-confidence.

 DK Reader Level 2: What Is An Election?

If you’re looking to fill a whole library section with books linked to \nSharing the planet\n, DK is definitely the right publisher to source from. As with all their books, these titles are recent and relevant, covering concepts such as climate change and awareness, epidemics, equal opportunities, and so much more. Even if \nSharing the planet\n is one of your year-long units of inquiry, I don’t think you could possibly run out of books to provide your students with for their research and reading enjoyment!

Sharing the Planet

Embark on a journey through the magical world of the rainforest and introduce little nature-lovers to an enchanting, yet threatened, tropical world Step inside the fascinating world of tropical rainforests where you’ll encounter an enormous variety of flora and fauna! This gorgeously illustrated picture book is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the world of nature and conservation. The rainforests are bursting with life! Sweep aside the liana vines, hop over the giant roots of the kapok tree, and discover magnificent tigers roaming the jungle. In this enchanting children’s book, you’ll discover amazing rainforest animals, learn about the diverse range of life-giving plants, and find out why the Amazon rainforest is known as the "lungs" of our Earth.  This colorful children’s book captures the spirit of the rainforest through its beautifully detailed illustrations by Charlotte Milner. It has simple, clear text that is accessible to less confident readers but a strong message about deforestation and climate change will captivate older readers too. Let’s Explore! Venture into the depths of the tropical rainforest and uncover riveting facts about these marvels of nature. Did you know that the air in a rainforest feels wet because trees and plants release water that they don’t need into the air? And that over half of our planet’s wildlife live in the rainforest?  The world’s rainforests are packed with amazing creatures! From the nocturnal kinkajou to the stinky rafflesia flower – there is plenty to discover in this plant and animal encyclopedia. Perfect for kids aged 5-9 years, it also includes a fun gardening activity section with instructions on how to grow your own miniature rainforest at home. Complete the Series: Following on from The Bee Book, The Sea Book, and The Bat Book, these engaging plant and animal books highlight the important ecological issues faced by our planet. It’s perfect for parents who want to encourage children to learn about ecology and remind them that it is up to us to care for our planet.

The Rainforest Book

Our house is on fire - it's time to wake up to the climate crisis facing planet Earth before it's too late. This unique graphic atlas tells you everything you need to know about climate change and what we can do to turn things around. Which countries generate the highest CO2 emissions? Which coastal cities are most vulnerable to rising sea levels? What will the polar ice caps look like in 10 years' time? Which countries have successfully harnessed renewable energy sources? Packed with facts and figures and more than 30 dynamic maps, Climate Emergency Atlas is clear and easy to understand, making it the perfect reference guide for all young climate activists.

Climate Emergency Atlas

Read more about incorporating DK books into the IB themes of ‘\nWho we are and Where we are in place and time,' \n\n'How we express ourselves and How the world works,'\n and\n 'How we organize ourselves and Sharing the planet.'\n\n

Interested in Learning More?

 \n\nSusanne Fischer is an experienced and passionate PYP Coordinator and PYP Educator. She has worked at IB schools in the UK, Germany, Norway and Barbados and is a Global Schools Advocate on behalf of the Global Schools Program, an initiative of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). She regularly gets involved in curriculum development projects and has been a presenter at conferences and international curriculum summits. \n

About Susanne 

As a PYP Coordinator and educator, I regularly go through phases where I struggle to find quality reading resources for my department and my own class. Reading is such an important aspect of the PYP Programme and, like you, I’m always excited to feed students’ curiosity about the world through reading widely. I know that this can sometimes be difficult to achieve, especially if you’re stuck using outdated library resources or having to source from far too many different online providers. Being a book lover myself, I value high-quality books and I always try my best to provide my students with diverse and stimulating materials that support their interests, as well as their learning. DK has such a varied and inspiring collection of titles – I can’t wait to share them with you!\nAfter this introductory article, we will be releasing a further three, each focusing on two transdisciplinary themes, with title suggestions and ideas to integrate into your classrooms. The titles I’ll be sharing are only an introduction to what DK has to offer; I highly recommend that you \nbrowse their website\n to find books that may fit your units of inquiry, Key Concepts, or Learner Profile needs. You can also explore the \nDK IB Collection of books for the PYP.\n

Using DK resources in the IB PYP: An Overview

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