Middle Years Programme Curriculum Overview (Grade 6 – 10)
Curriculum OutlineBCIS is founded on the principles of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). All three of the IBO programmes are being implemented and all three are now authorized. The Middle Years Programme is the curriculum used for students in Grades 6 to Grade 10. There are some common factors to be found in all subject areas, and these will be briefly touched upon in this introduction – further information can be found on the IBO’s website: www.ibo.org In keeping with the MYP the subjects offered are collected into eight separate subject groups:
Assessment & ReportingAll the subjects in all the grade levels will be using the same system of assessment. This is criterion-referenced assessment. Each subject group uses a set of criteria published by IBO for Grade 10, and these criteria provide the base for assessment for Grades 6-9. Some of the sets of criteria have been adapted. The teachers take particular care making the criteria accessible to our language learners. The important information about criterion-referenced assessment is that it is a system whereby the students are informed of what they need to do in order to complete an assignment well. Further, based on this information a student knows what he/she needs to focus upon to improve his/her work and is in a position to take action. The criteria and how they are presented is an important tool for both students and teachers to enter into dialogue about the students’ progress. Understanding what is expected to complete a task successfully, and to provide feedback is integral to our BCIS practices. Over time, students, teachers and parents gain insight as to how the student is progressing via recorded levels of achievement. Reporting to students and parents The reporting system G6-10 is designed to give accurate feedback to the students and parents. The sequence is as follows:
Areas of InteractionAn Introduction to the Areas of Interaction Included in the MYP framework are the areas of interaction. These are organizing elements that help students make connections from their school work into the world beyond school. As such, they are exactly what the title suggests – areas of interaction. All BCIS subject groups will be incorporating opportunities for the students to make connections to these areas of interaction. There are five areas of interaction: Approaches to Learning Through the approaches to learning (ATL) students learn to understand themselves as a learner, and explore and practice strategies to use during their learning. Community and Service Through community and service students learn about communities, their place in the community, and how best to contribute. Environments Through environments students explore and reflect upon how decisions impact on the environment, and how to make decisions to anticipate and activate appropriate change. Health and Social Education Through health and social education the students learn about themselves physically and socially, giving them understanding and strategies to make informed choices, to help themselves and others live healthy and enjoyable lives. Human Ingenuity Through Human Ingenuity the students learn and appreciate the achievements of humans through the ages. Through discussion and reflection the students study the impact of change, and also examine their role in its continuation and anticipating consequences. This area extends widely throughout human endeavour, not just visible examples, but also, for example, thinking – philosophies, the creation of laws, the beholding of beauty. The Learning EnvironmentWe aim to build on the inquiry driven learning that takes place in the Primary Years Programme and to prepare students for the challenges, which face them on the IB Diploma. The Middle Years Programme is rigorous, skills driven and academically demanding. We aim to create an atmosphere where the students can develop the necessary abilities to become lifelong learners and where teachers also consider themselves in the same light. We offer a balanced curriculum from grade six through to grade ten and as our students explore the disciplines with increasing depth they will realise how they are linked to each other and connected with the wider world at the local, national and international level. Our teachers offer a variety of teaching and learning methodologies and we actively promote the sharing of ‘good practice’ through whole school initiatives and via formal and informal channels. We encourage the students to become intellectual risk takers and believe that they should be supported when they do so. The learning experience at BCIS aims to produce a climate where students can discover how they learn best in different contexts. The Learner Profile This is a set of values that define the attributes of an internationally minded individual. It permeates the very heart of all IBO World Schools such as BCIS and the values of the Learner Profile are embedded in our mission and built into the very fabric of our policies. The Learner Profile acts as an ethical and civic benchmark for the school community, it encourages us to lead by example and feeds intrinsic motivation. The IB learner profile encourages us to be Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective. The Learner Profile can be explicitly taught or experienced in a more implicit way through our opportunities to engage with one another. The MYP emphasizes the development of the whole learner, (affective, cognitive, creative and physical). At BCIS we believe that learning is not just about what occurs in the classroom and the inherent value and spirit of the programme is also very strongly reflected in the range of activities, which compliment our academic studies. This combination is what gives the learner a fuller more rounded experience at Beijing City International School. The Fundamental Concepts The Fundamental Concepts are most obviously but not exclusively found in the classroom, they are built into our subject objectives; they guide unit design, drive lesson plans and are delivered through the taught curriculum. They are also firmly embedded in our homeroom programme, extra-curricular activities, theme days, community celebrations and during field trips. Students actively apply the skills, values and attitudes inherent in the Fundamental Concepts when they are communicating, collaborating, problem solving, creating and reflecting. There are three Fundamental Concepts - Intellectual Awareness, Holistic Learning, and Communication. Intercultural Awareness This concept is concerned with developing students’ attitudes, knowledge and skills as they learn about their own and others’ social and national cultures. Developing a spirit of cultural awareness not only fosters tolerance and respect but leads to greater empathy and understanding. Our aim is to encourage an outlook characterised by openness and engagement with the world. Internationally minded individuals are curious and knowledgeable about their community, culture and world and have an understanding about not only makes us different but also what we have in common. While they have a rich sense of identity, they show understanding and empathy for those different from themselves and a genuine interest in learning from them. We want our students to develop the intercultural skills to engage in meaningful dialogue with people from different cultures and work effectively with them in order to achieve their common goals. We want our students to be sensitive to our common humanity, believe that they can make a difference and have the courage to take principled action to improve the world. Ideas, courtesy of Richard van de Lagemaat, (In-thinking Workshop), Barcelona, September 2009. Holistic Education Holistic education is about the whole person and at BCIS our prime concern is to promote a safe and secure learning environment that supports each individuals’ personal well being. Through personal attention and a caring atmosphere our students will be better equipped to overcome their fears and limitations, they will find it easier to identify with others and more compassionate about the world around them. The MYP requires an approach to teaching and learning which includes and extends traditional school subjects. The programme emphasizes the disciplined study of traditional subject groups, for example, the sciences, humanities, languages, arts, physical education, mathematics and technology. However, the areas of interaction provide the MYP’s main focus for developing links between and within the disciplines, so that students will learn to see knowledge as an interrelated whole. As well as transferring knowledge across the subject domains we also encourage students to apply their skills in a similar fashion. We live in a fast-paced, constantly changing society and students need to be able to see the connections, deal with complex problems and find new solutions to the challenges that lay ahead. Communication The MYP stresses the central importance of communication, verbal and non-verbal, as a vehicle to realise the aims of the programme. A good command of expression in all its forms is fundamental to learning. In most MYP subject groups, communication is a key objective and assessment criterion, as it supports understanding and allows student reflection and expression. The IBO places particular emphasis on language acquisition, which does more than promote cognitive growth, it is crucial for maintaining cultural identity, personal development and intercultural understanding. Our Commitment to Community and ServiceThe MYP values ‘doing’ and promotes critical thinking and reflection and here at BCIS we extend this philosophy to the area of community and service. As a starting point we encourage the students to deepen their understanding of and assume responsibility towards their own communities. Communities are built on the communication of their members and BCIS aims to promote an open atmosphere forged through dialogue and conversation. We value and strive to create an inclusive community that not only helps us to understand and respect our differences but also reinforces what we have in common. What does it involve? Community and Service can involve activities that
What’s encouraged? Students are encouraged reflect on questions such as the following,
What are the expectations?
The Personal ProjectThe Personal Project is the crowning glory of the Middle Years Programme. It represents a celebration of student achievement through investigation and sustained research. Students are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity in all the stages of the investigation from the moment when they choose their topic through to the culminating public exhibition of their finished product. The process of investigation is considered to be just as important as the product itself and the Personal Project presents an opportunity to find novel solutions, to be creative and to discover new things through reflection. The project must include a personal appreciation of the areas of interaction and the application of skills acquired through the approaches to learning. It builds upon the exhibition from the Primary Years Programme and is excellent preparation for the extended essay on the IB Diploma giving the students grounding in research methodology. For further information please see the attachments entitled First Steps and the Student Guide to the Personal Project. Academic HonestyThe IBO promotes academic honesty throughout all its three programmes. This is a set of values that promotes personal integrity and good practices in learning and assessment, and in the MYP is part of approaches to learning. As a school community, BCIS fully expects all teachers, students and families to encourage good practices. Please refer to the BCIS Student/Parent Handbook. HomeworkHomework is an area addressed in ATL by all subjects. The students are taught how to develop strategies to become better organized and more efficient in their use of time in general, but this is also extended to Homework. A homework schedule has been created, allowing all subjects to issue homework assignments when appropriate. Homework assignments will be issued to support class work, but not to supplement class work. |
