An IB programme not only promotes “International Mindedness” to students of other counties studying in schools but creates International Mindedness in the thought process of the students who learn in an IB Programme.

1. International mindedness is an important aspect of IB. It means to respect other’s culture, tradition
and opinion even if we do not follow the same. An IB programme not only promotes “International
Mindedness” to students of other counties studying in schools but creates International Mindedness
in the thought process of the students who learn in an IB Programme.
To create international mindedness in our young minds, the unit related to the concept on religion
seemed to be a seamless fit for our fourth graders. The word religion creates sensitivity amongst
people anywhere around the world. To inquire into religion in PYP unit of inquiry for 6 weeks for 9-
10 years old, was a formidable thought. We respect the parent community and their beliefs,
partners in the education of their child. I know that International mindedness cannot be taught
explicitly to the students; it becomes visible through their learning and inquiries.
Most of the students in my class come from families who are open-minded to learning about other
religions. Students were given opportunity to choose a religion of their choice to gain an insight and
perspective about it. To provoke interest in the unit, I gathered artefacts from 3 major religions and
used the visible thinking routine ‘I see-I think-I wonder’ to capture students’ interests.
To create a personal connection in the unit of inquiry and arouse the interest students were asked to
bring artefacts from their religion and talk about its importance to their peers. This to provide insight
into other religions and customs.

2. As our unit focussed on developing respect and tolerance among students, I planned a field trip to
religious temples to help my students to have first-hand information about that religion. Students
visited Mahabodhi society- a Buddhist temple in Bangalore where the students learned about the
Buddhist ways of praying by bowing 3 times; their festivals; and belief to forego worldly pleasures to
become a Buddhist monk.
We also visited Gurudwara – a Sikh temple, where students showed their respect towards Sikhism
by washing legs and wearing a scarf before entering the temple. Boys and girls sat separately and
bowed before the holy Grant, which is the holy book of Sikhs. Following the traditions at the place of
worship provides an opportunity for students to not only know the customs and rituals of that
religion but also to respect them.
Further into our unit of inquiry, we analysed the beliefs and values of different religions to see how
similar and different they are to each other. We made a mind map with ‘religion’ in the centre and
different religions beliefs and values sprouting from it. Students made a connection that even

3. though beliefs are different, values like love, empathy, honesty, and respect are similar. Students
reflected that all the religions promoted equality.
This lead to another inquiry when one student came up with a question that if Islam promotes
equality, then why women are not allowed to enter the mosque? As a follower of different religion, I
found this difficult to answer. At the same time, I was overjoyed with the way my students were
reflecting and asking questions at the analysing level in the bloom’s taxonomy model.
To answer the questions raised by my students, I had organised skype session with a learned friend
of mine who follows Islam religion. Students talked about their burning question of inequality in
Islam religion. The guest speaker clarified that the holy book Quran never forbid women from
entering mosque, but the interpreters of the holy book interpreted the way they wanted women in
the society to behave. This gave an assurance to the students that Islam religion is equally rich in its
values compared to other religions.

4. As we were nearing the end of the unit, students summarized their understanding of beliefs and
values of different religions by saying that we can follow whichever religion we want to but if we
follow the common values like love, respect, empathy and honesty we can live in peace with each
other. They presented this idea in the assembly to the whole school on International Peace Day, by
dressing in clothing that represents various religions, by reciting the hymns of that religion and
beliefs and values of it. Students also made a visual representation of their learning in the form a
chart. They showcased the beliefs and values of different religions and in the centre wrote the
values on the dove, which symbolises peace.
This unit has brought inquiry and analysis into the different religions of the world and the values
they nurture. By facilitating inquiry to enrich their understanding and deepen their conceptual
learning I supported global citizens of tomorrow to value and respect other people’s ideas,
perspectives, culture, traditions, beliefs and values. I believe, this is what true International
Mindedness is.