MYP: Unit Planning –
developing essential
agreements
Page 1
Requirements at an evaluation
• all subjects using the unit planner and planning
process
• all teachers involved in collaborative planning
• common understandings of the planning process
• planners demonstrate that the school uses inquiry
based pedagogy
• the school uses the areas of interaction as contexts
for inquiry
• planners demonstrate opportunities for students to
explore content through multiple perspectives
• the school’s curriculum offers opportunities for
responsible action
2
The programme standards and
practices
3
The programme standards and
practices
4
Questions for teachers during an
evaluation
• What is your understanding of stage one of the unit
planner?
• How has your school worked to develop common
understandings of the elements of the planner?
• How do you use the areas of interaction to develop
inquiries?
• How as the school worked to ensure that all subject
areas have a common approach to developing the
significant concept and MYP unit questions?
• How do you use stage one of the planner to ensure
students see the relevance of the topics they are
studying?
5
Questions for students?
• What unit questions are you currently working on?
• How do your teachers use MYP unit questions?
• What is your understanding of the areas of
interaction?
• How did you use the areas of interaction to develop
your personal project?
• Why are you studying what your studying? Do you
see it as relevant?
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Changes are coming shouldn’t we just
wait?
Significant concepts
Areas of interaction
(AOIs)
8 subject groups
Optional
moderation
Certificate of
Achievement
Guides
Teacher support
materials
Curriculum
Assessment
Support
Prescribed concepts with
illustrative content
Potential replacement of AOIs
with global contexts
Choice of subjects years 4-5
Optional external summative
assessment (e-assessment)
Compulsory PP moderation
Year 3/4 culminating task
Guides
Teacher support materials
© International Baccalaureate Organization
Engaged
students
motivated
teachers
improved
preparation for
DP
recognition
and
accreditation
more children
benefitting
from the MYP
The MYP is making changes
shouldn’t we just wait?
There are changes coming
but the school is still required
to meet current expectations
at evaluation. There are some
tweaks to current practice
which will bring you in line
with what’s coming down the
line.
8
Developing essential agreements
about stage one of the planner.
9
AOI
The AOI’s will be repackaged in
MYP Next Chapter. Rather than
disappear they become more
significant in the planner.
The will define how you
developed the inquiry.
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AOI
Current requirements…..
A tweak to bring things in line what
what’s coming down the pipe:
Global context
Community and service
SLE: students will investigate the needs of
a community
SLE: students will design a response to an
identified need
SLE: students will evaluate the outcomes
INQUIRY STATEMENT: this unit is an
inquiry into how communities meet their
needs.
SLE
Inquiry statement
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A tool that’s been developed I want to share
This unit is an inquiry into…..
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Significant concept
In the Next Chapter project the
idea of significant concept will
be much more defined.
Moving to identifying a key
concept and subject specific
related concepts and then
developing a concept
statement.
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Examples of possible key concepts
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Key and related concepts
Key concepts in
humanities:
Change,
Time/place/space,
Global interactions,
Systems
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Significant concept
Current requirements…..
A tweak to bring things in line what
what’s coming down the pipe:
Key concept
Key concept: Systems
Related concepts: organization,
evolution, society, beliefs
Concept statement: in this unit students
will explore the concept of systems
through an inquiry into the development
of local government.
Related
Concept
statement
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MYP unit question
MYP unit questions are meant
to integrate the AOI and SC.
There is no right answer for
what is the perfect unit
question but generally they
should be broad, open ended
and where possible usable by
different subject areas.
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The rest of the unit planner is pretty much
self explanatory
18
The rest of the unit planner is pretty much
self explanatory
19
The rest of the unit planner is pretty much
self explanatory
20
The rest of the unit planner is pretty much
self explanatory
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