● Unit of inquiry resource
Maths in How we organise ourselves
This theme is about systems: how people work, trade, travel and decide together. The maths is data and time. Survey the square, stock the stall, read the timetable, and then set a price where there is no single right answer.
Ameera Surekha, who built Explorisle at home for one child · 26 September 2026
The theme, in one paragraph
How we organise ourselves is one of the six transdisciplinary themes used by IB PYP schools. On the island it carries two units. A teacher sets one as the class goal and the children who join get it.
Unit one: Markets
Central idea (the island's own words): Market forces drive what people make, sell and buy.
Lines of inquiry: a market economy; supply and demand; strategic decision-making. Concepts: function, causation, responsibility.
| Station | What the child does | The maths |
|---|---|---|
| Ask the square | reads what the villagers want | Data handling: reading charts |
| Stock the stall | works out how many to make | Number: groups and the tables |
| The timetable | reads when the market opens and how long it runs | Measurement: time |
The decision post, The price board: A low price and sell them all fast, a fair price, or a high price and sell slowly? There is no wrong answer; the child gives a reason, and the reason lands on the class sheet.
The exhibit: finish the stations and the child earns a stall for their own plot.
Unit two: Getting to school
Central idea (the island's own words): A school day runs on systems people share: routes, timetables and rules.
Lines of inquiry: how we get here; the timetable; a fair way to share the road. Concepts: function, connection, responsibility.
| Station | What the child does | The maths |
|---|---|---|
| How we come | reads the class chart of walk, bike, bus, car | Data handling |
| The bus clock | reads the timetable and the clock | Measurement: time |
| The road | measures the routes | Measurement: distance |
The decision post, The walking bus: A walking bus with a teacher, a bike train, or leave it as it is? There is no wrong answer; the child gives a reason, and the reason lands on the class sheet.
The exhibit: finish the stations and the child earns a stall for their own plot.
Tasks for the classroom without a screen
- A class stall for one break time. Survey first, stock second, price third, count the takings fourth. Then ask what you would change.
- How does our class get to school? Tally, pictogram, then the hard question: what would it take to change one column?
- A timetable of the school day on the wall; each child works out how long they spend in each part.
The evidence sheet
On the island, tap For teachers on the first screen, make a class (you get a six-character code and a teacher key), set the level for the class, and pick this unit as the class goal. Children join with the code and a seat number; no name, no email. The evidence sheet in the class view prints the central idea, the lines of inquiry, the concepts, what each station practised, and every seat's findings and reasons, ready to paste into your planner.
On the island
Not on the island yet: a unit on money as a system, with coins and change. On the list.
Read next
Explorisle is an independent product of A Surekha (the registered business of Ameera Surekha). It is not endorsed by, affiliated with or licensed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. IB, PYP and International Baccalaureate are registered trademarks of the IBO.