IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Middle Years Programme Subjects

Below is a brief descriptive outline of the eight subject groups for the IB Middle Years Programme:

Language and Literature

The MYP Language and Literature courses develop skills in six areas:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing
• Viewing
• Presenting

They are designed to:

• Engage a student in the study of many aspects of the language and literature of a communities and their cultures.
• Offer a study of a wide range of literary and non-literary text types, writing styles and techniques, allowing students to comment on the significance of any possible contexts, audiences, purpose, and the use of linguistic and literary devices

Below is a link to the subject brief for Language and Literature:

• Language and Literature

Language Acquisition

Language Acquisition is a compulsory component of the MYP in every year of the programme. Schools must provide sustained language learning in at least two languages for each year of the MYP.

In this subject group, teaching and learning is organised into six phases, which correspond to three increasing proficiency levels of the target language:

• Emergent (Phases 1 and 2)
• Capable (Phases 3 and 4)
• Proficient (Phases 5 and 6)

These phases do not necessarily correspond to particular age groups or MYP year levels, and students do not necessarily begin in phase one – they can begin at any phase, depending on their prior experiences, and may exit from any phase on the continuum.

Below is a link to the subject brief for Language Acquisition:

• Language Acquisition

Individuals and Societies

For this subject group, schools develop courses in:

• Integrated humanities
• History
• Economics
• Geography
• Philosophy
• Sociology/anthropology
• Business management
• Psychology
• World religions

Students collect, describe and analyse data used in studies of societies, test hypotheses, and learn how to interpret complex information, including original source material. This focus on real-world examples, research and analysis is an essential aspect of the subject group.

Below is a link to the subject brief for Individuals and Societies:

• Individuals and Societies

Sciences

MYP Sciences courses usually include biology, chemistry and physics, but schools may develop and offer other sciences courses that meet the subject group's aims and objectives. These can include:

• Environmental sciences
• Life sciences
• Physical sciences
• Sport sciences
• Health sciences
• Earth sciences

The MYP Sciences framework encourages students to investigate issues through research, observation and experimentation, working independently and collaboratively. As they investigate real examples of science application, students will discover the tensions and dependencies between science and morality, ethics, culture, economics, politics, and the environment.

Below is a link to the subject brief for Sciences:

• Sciences

Mathematics

The MYP Mathematics framework encompasses four areas of mathematics:

• Number
• Algebra
• Geometry and trigonometry
• Statistics and probability

Students learn how to represent information, to explore and model situations, and to find solutions to familiar and unfamiliar problems. The topics and skills for mathematics are organised so that students can work at two levels of challenge:

• Standard mathematics, which aims to give all students a sound knowledge of basic mathematical principles while allowing them to develop the skills needed to meet the objectives of MYP mathematics
• Extended mathematics, in which the standard mathematics framework supplemented by additional topics and skills, providing greater breadth and depth. Extended mathematics provides the foundation for students who wish to pursue further studies in mathematics, such as mathematics Higher Level (HL) in the Diploma Programme (DP).

Below is a link to the subject brief for Mathematics:

• Mathematics

Arts

The MYP Arts subject group offers five disciplines:

• Visual art
• Media
• Drama
• Music
• Dance

In Years 1 to 3 of the programme, Arts course structures include a minimum of one visual arts discipline and one performing arts discipline, followed by a choice of disciplines in Years 4 and 5.

Schools may organise the study of Arts in the MYP as:

• Discrete disciplines, focusing on each discipline separately.
• Integrated courses, in which a combination of either performing arts disciplines or visual arts disciplines are studied. Schools are not permitted to combine performing and visual arts as one integrated course.
• Modular courses, in which students undertake a consecutive rotation of disciplines for a set period of time each, though not necessarily a full school year. These modules each focus on a single arts discipline – such as visual art, music or drama.

Below is a link to the subject brief for Arts:

• Arts

Physical and Health Education

Physical and Health Education focuses on both learning about and learning through physical activity. MYP physical and health education courses must engage students in physical education activities for at least half of the total teaching time allocated to the subject group.

Schools may include content such as the following in their Physical and Health Education courses:

• Physical and health-related knowledge, such as components of fitness, training methods, training principles, nutrition, lifestyle, biomechanics, exercise physiology, issues in sport and first aid.
• Aesthetic movement, such as gymnastics, aerobics, martial arts, jump rope, yoga or capoeira.
• Team sports, such as football, basketball, handball, volleyball and hockey.
• Individual sports, such as golf, athletics, swimming, squash or fencing.
• International sports and activities, including athletic traditions and forms of movement beyond students' personal and cultural experiences.
• Alternative recreational sports, such as ultimate Frisbee®, in-line skating, skateboarding or parkour.
• Adventure activities, such as orienteering, rock climbing, hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking or kayaking.

Below is a link to the subject brief for Physical and Health Education:

• Physical and Health Education

Design

MYP Design focuses on a holistic design process rather than final products and solutions. It challenges students to:

• Apply practical and creative thinking skills to solve design problems.
• Explore the role of design in both historical and contemporary contexts.
• Consider their responsibilities when making design decisions and taking action.

Schools may offer Design courses as:

• A distinct digital and/or product design course.
• A series of distinct digital and/or product design courses.
• A single course which combines digital and product design.

Below is a link to the subject brief for Design:

• Design

Assessment of MYP Subjects

The MYP assessment criteria across subject groups can be summarised as follows:

For each of the subject groups, the four assessment criteria are equally weighted against each other. Each criterion is assessed using nine possible achievement levels (0 to 8), divided into four bands:

• Band 1: Limited performance (1-2)
• Band 2: Adequate performance (3-4)
• Band 3: Substantial performance (5-6)
• Band 4: Excellent performance (7-8)

For each of the subject groups, students are assessed at the end of Years 1, 3 and 5, with the exception of the Language Acquisition group, which follows six proficiency phases rather than age or year-based progress, as described above.

MYP Assessment  Back to IB Middle Years Programme