Transcript MYP planning: the unit planner

MYP planning: the unit planner
Background to this presentation
After the publication of MYP: From principles into
practice in August 2008, schools are starting to use an
MYP unit planner.
MYP principles, practices and requirements underlying
the planning process are explained in the guide which
should be the point of reference in all MYP schools.
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Purpose of this presentation
This presentation aims to highlight and clarify certain
elements within the unit planning process, particularly at
stage 1 in the process.
It has been compiled in collaboration with MYP
practitioners, regional IBMYP staff and the IBMYP
curriculum and assessment team and may be used to
support MYP development in schools.
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MYP roots
“Learning how to learn and the development of the
whole person are the guiding principles of this
programme. The overall curriculum is designed to
encourage moral development in our children and a
sense of responsibility to the world community and its
environment.”
(from the General statement adopted by ISA in 1982)
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The MYP programme model
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Relationship of principles to curriculum
IB mission statement
IB learner profile
MYP fundamental concepts
written
assessed
curriculum
taught
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The unit planning process
IB mission statement
IB learner profile
The contexts –
provided by the
areas of interaction
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MYP fundamental concepts
MYP
unit
planner
Content – the topics
we teach in our
subjects
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MYP curriculum planning- the intention
• The content of the subjects should be aligned with the
MYP objectives for each year of the programme
through vertical planning.
• The areas of interaction provide the context for
teaching and learning.
These elements need to be at the start of curriculum
planning in the first stage of planning- see stage 1.
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Stage 1 of MYP unit planning (abridged)
Area of interaction focus
Significant concept(s)
Which area of interaction will
be our focus? Why have we
chosen this?
What are the big ideas? What
do I want my students to retain
for years into the future?
MYP unit question
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How does this work in practice?
The unit planner is meant as a tool:
• Starts from an area of interaction context
• Includes the MYP objectives in stage 1 of the planner
Let’s take an example of a unit from a school that has
started to develop their MYP curriculum in the way we
just described.
How can the unit planner help to further develop this
unit?
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Example from current school curriculum
 Biology, MYP 3, Photosynthesis, 4 weeks
 Unit question:
•
How do plants grow?
 Content:
Students learn about
• photosynthesis as the key process producing new plant
biomass
• carbon dioxide for photosynthesis comes from the air and
that the water is absorbed through the roots
• chlorophyll enables a plant to utilise light in photosynthesis
• the role of the leaf in photosynthesis
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Example continued
 Assessment:
• Criterion B: communication in science
• Criterion C: knowledge and understanding of science
• Criterion F: attitudes in science
 Links to the areas of interaction:
• ENVS: the effect of environment on the growth of plants and
the effects of plants on the environment
• HSE: the importance of plants for food
• ATL: problem solving, research skills, collaborative skills,
presentation skills
• HI: how can we protect or conserve plants and influence how
they grow
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Using the unit planner
To make a start, schools sometimes copy and paste
the ‘old’ unit plan directly into the planner
This could form a starting point for reflection upon the
unit
What would this look like in terms of the previous
example?
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“Old content” in planner
Area of interaction focus
Significant concept(s)
Which area of interaction will be our focus?
Why have we chosen this?
What are the big
ideas? What do I want
my students to retain
for years into the
future?
ENVS: the effect of environment on the
growth of plants, and the effect of plants
on the environment
HSE: the importance of plants for food
ATL: problem solving, research skills,
collaborative skills, presentation skills
HI: how can we protect or conserve
plants and influence how they grow
Photosynthesis
MYP unit question
How do plants grow?
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Looking through Environments
Area of interaction focus
Significant concept(s)
Which area of interaction will
be our focus? Why have we
chosen this?
What are the big ideas? What
do I want my students to retain
for years into the future?
ENVS: the effect of the
environment on the growth of
plants and the effects of
plants on the environment
The importance of plants for
life on our planet.
MYP unit question
To what extent are humans
dependent upon plants?
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Looking through Human ingenuity
Area of interaction focus
Significant concept(s)
Which area of interaction will
be our focus? Why have we
chosen this?
What are the big ideas? What
do I want my students to retain
for years into the future?
HI: how can we protect or
conserve plants and influence
how they grow
The importance of plants for
life on our planet.
MYP unit question
How do pesticides and fertilizers
affect an ecosystem?
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From there....
• These two examples have different unit questions
that could lead to very different learning activities and
could address different objectives.
• The teacher will need to decide which content, skills
and objectives he/she wants to address in the unit to
determine the most suitable unit question. Numerous
assessments tasks may best reflect the complexity of
unit questions and significant concepts. The
assessment would be included in stage 1.
• Thus, the process is not linear but recursive with all
steps influencing each other
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Significant concepts
As stated in MYP: From principles into practice on page
74, “the MYP unit will be guided and driven by the MYP
unit question that integrates the significant concept(s) of
the subject matter with the context provided by one of
the areas of interaction”.
The significant concepts must be rooted within the
subject group first, once the understanding of the
concept is consolidated from the disciplinary
perspective, students will be in a position to engage in
meaningful interdisciplinary understanding later.
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What makes a good unit?
Stage 1- setting the context and summative assessment(s)

Is the unit driven by an open-ended, multifaceted unit question that
engages students?

Are the significant concepts and unit question conceptually based?

Does it focus on one main area of interaction and potentially leads to
interdisciplinary learning?

Will the unit be guided and driven by the MYP unit question that
integrates the significant concept(s) of the subject matter with the
context provided by the areas of interaction?

Do the assessments distinguish students’ engagement with the MYP
unit question and learning objectives?

Do the assessments provide varied opportunities for the students to
show their knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes?

Have appropriate assessment criteria been selected and aligned with
subject objectives?
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What makes a good unit?
Stage 2 – planning for student learning and development
 Does the unit involve students in a range of learning
experiences planned in response to the MYP unit question ?
 Does the unit plan achieve year level/subject objectives?
 Do these experiences aim to have real life applications and
develop skills for life as well as subject skills development?
 Does the unit build on the prior knowledge of the students and
how is this facilitated?
 Will the unit use a variety of resources and teaching
methodologies that meet the needs of the students?
 Will positive attitudes be constructed and encouraged?
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What makes a good unit?
 Does it contribute to a coherent, school-wide
commitment to inquiry that is framed by contexts of
local and global significance?
 Is it a working, organic document rather than a static
one?
 Can the unit affect the hearts and minds of the
student?
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