Concept-Based Curriculum
A curriculum designed around enduring concepts (change, systems, identity, balance) rather than discrete facts, so children build transferable understanding that lasts beyond the next test.
Facts versus concepts
Facts answer the question 'what' — what is the capital of Telangana, what is photosynthesis. Concepts answer the question 'so what' — why do places need capitals, how do living things harness energy. A concept-based curriculum teaches facts in service of concepts, not as ends in themselves.
Why it matters
Concepts transfer across contexts. A child who understands the concept of 'systems' can apply it to ecosystems, governments, the human body and economics. A child who has only memorised facts in each domain has to start from scratch every time.
How Yajur applies it
The Oxford International Curriculum at Yajur Public School identifies key concepts for each unit (change, perspective, relationships, function, form) and frames lessons around them. Assessments check whether children can apply concepts in unfamiliar situations — not just recall facts.
Related terms
Integrated Curriculum
An approach to teaching where multiple subjects are connected around a common theme or question, so children see how ideas link rather than learning each subject in isolation.
Backward Design
A curriculum planning approach where teachers first decide what students should be able to do at the end of a unit, then design assessments, and only then plan lessons — the reverse of traditional planning.
IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
The International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme — a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based curriculum framework for children aged 3 to 12, organised around six globally significant themes.