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International Baccalaureate
Middle Years Programme (MYP)

The educational aim of the International Baccalaureate Organisation is to awaken the intelligence of students and teach them to relate the content of the classroom to the realities of the world outside. By emphasising the dynamic contribution of knowledge, skills, experience and critical thinking, the International Baccalaureate promotes academic achievement coupled with responsible citizenship.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is designed for students between the ages of 11 and 16, grades 6 to 10.

The MYP offers an approach to learning that embraces yet transcends the focus on traditional school subjects. While insisting upon thorough study of the various disciplines, MYP accentuates the inter-relatedness of them and so advances a holistic view of knowledge. This interdisciplinary perspective asks the student to consider issues in their widest scope, and to realise that good solutions often draw upon insights one has acquired from many sources.

With holistic education and inter-cultural awareness, the Middle Years Programme stresses the importance of communication. Good command of one's own language enables clear expression of ideas, attitudes and feelings. The learning of other languages extends that competence and teaches appreciation of different cultures and ways of thinking.

One way of understanding the fundamental perspective of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme at UNIS is to remember the phrase "and more". The students are expected to be well-versed in traditional subject areas of the curriculum, and more - they are encouraged to see the relationships among them. The students are expected to develop a genuine understanding of their own history and culture, and more - they are encouraged to appreciate the culture of other people and other places. The students are expected to have a firm command of language as a means of communication, and more - they are encouraged to develop the skills and admiration for the richness of human expression.

The Areas of Interaction

At the centre of our curriculum is the student whose development is naturally the focus of the Middle Years Programme. The adolescent faces a complex world and it is the challenge to the school to give a holistic view of knowledge, situations and problems. The Areas of Interaction are vital in raising this awareness. These Areas of Interaction are not separate timetabled subjects, but themes embedded throughout the curriculum. They both widen the scope of disciplines and allow ideas to cross the boundaries from one subject to another.

5 Areas of Interaction:

Approaches to Learning (ATL): If the school's duty is to require quality work from the students, its mission must be to help students learn how to learn. Approaches to Learning is the first step by which teachers develop with students the process of learning this vital skill. In each subject learning skills will be focused upon and incorporated. This leads from organisational skills and learning strategies to analytical, critical and independent thinking. This ability to work independently is demonstrated in the production of the personal project, undertaken in grade ten.

Community Service: This is an essential part of the programme. The mission of any school should not be limited to intellectual achievement, but should include the development of the whole person. Students should experience the social reality of their environment and learn to gain a sense of responsibility as a member of their community.

Environment: Students are confronted with global issues of a deteriorating environment along with related problems of an economic, social and political nature. They also have to deal with everyday environment-related issues both at school and at home. It is essential that students are given insight into the issues and enabled to make balanced assessments offering possible solutions.

Health and Social Education: Health is a reality that cannot be separated from the total development of the person and society. The Health and Social Education theme aims to educate the whole person and therefore prepares the student for a physically and mentally healthy life. It will also develop a sense of responsibility for their own well being and their physical and social environment.

Homo Faber: This Area of Interaction is concerned with products of the ethical, creative and inventive genius of human beings and its impact on society and on the human mind. By focusing on such areas, a heightened awareness develops of the accomplishments of the past and the possible accomplishments of the future. This Area of Interaction is also used to enable the students to see the links between educational theory and practical reality.
 

The IB MYP Model

The Middle Years Programme Approach
  • Child Centred
  • Common to all subject areas
  • Attainable for all students
  • Reinforcement in all subjects
  • Subject integration
  • Performing at the expected scholastic level
  • Participating actively in the learning process
  • Developing systematic methods of research and learning
  • Communicating effectively

Slideshow
click to view

Naturally, parents/ guardians have a vital role to play in their child’s success at school. This role necessitates an understanding of the program that is being used to develop the learner. For grades 6 through 10 at UNIS, this program is the internationally developed International Baccelaureate Middle Years Program, the IBMYP, or simply MYP.

This set of slides was presented at an evening session to highlight important aspects of this program for parents. Some interactive activities have not been included here. If they are desired or if any clarification is required, please contact MYPcoordinator@unishanoi.org

Personal Project Slideshow
click to view

Here is a set of slides that introduce the Personal Project requirements to our students. Each student is given their own Personal Project Handbook which has all the details. This book, the many skills they have been developing, and the deep understanding they have of how topic knowledge relates to life experiences, all combine to provide everything the student needs to have a successful Personal Project journey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on
the MYP program visit:
www.ibo.org/myp/

 

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United Nations International School of Hanoi
UNIS is a not-for-profit international school offering the full International Baccalaureate from Discovery (for 3 year olds) to Grade 12. It is also fully accredited by the European Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
         
East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools
European Council of International Schools
 
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