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Middle School Course Descriptions
The eight subject areas of the IBMYP provide a broad, traditional foundation
of knowledge while concentrating upon integrating the natural relationships
between subjects.
Additionally, students should experience the five Areas of Interaction,
briefly outlined earlier in this booklet. These can either be included
in the medium of separate subjects, or taught as separate projects or
courses during the Middle Years.
In each of the subject areas, a set of objectives is specified which
forms the basis of the assessment criteria. The assessment criteria are
outlined for each of the subject areas at the beginning of the following
course descriptions.
| LANGUAGE
A (English) |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- Content
- Organisation
- Style and Language Usage
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| English 6 |
|
The sixth grade English Language A course draws on a full range
of texts including short stories, folk tales, myths, poems, plays,
novels and films. The text constitutes the core of each work unit’s
activities and assessment. Grammar and spelling units accompany
each unit. These units address the four interactive elements of
language; listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Vocabulary
development, reading comprehension, elective use of the writing
process, and response to literature are also emphasised. Presentation
and discussion allow students to develop communication skills. |
| English 7 |
Seventh grade English Language A pursues the continued development
of reading, writing, speaking, listening and study skills previously
introduced. Particular emphasis is placed upon reading skills, vocabulary
development, figurative language, focus and judgement. Students read
a variety of fiction and non fiction material and build confidence
in speaking and listening skills through performance, oral presentations,
and discussion-based activities. The stages of the writing process
will be used to further develop student proficiency in communication
introducing a variety of writing forms to include: narrative, description,
poetry, letters, journals and reports, and an emphasis will be placed
upon students taking responsibility for their own learning. |
| English 8 |
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This course will expose students to a wide variety of literature
where they will be involved in written and oral literary analysis.
Students will learn to write in different forms. Emphasis will be
placed on using the writing process effectively, developing the
different parts of a paragraph, and beginning to write narrative,
expository and creative essays. Grammar and usage will be addressed
in mini lessons. Oral expression, including active participation
in discussions, is an important component of the course. |
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| English
as an Additonal Language (EAL) Support Programme |
|
At UNIS more than 70% of our students identify
English as their additional or alternate language. Many of our
students still require some degree of language support as they
pursue an education in English. We are proud of our hard-working
students; our aim is to support them and encourage them in this
challenging task. At UNIS we believe that we are ALL language learners
for life. |
| EAL Content Support 6, 7, 8 |
|
Grade 6, 7 and 8 Beginner and Low Intermediate
level EAL students are grouped by grade level during the Language
B (Foreign Language) block. These EAL classes use the content of
the curriculum, particularly the Humanities and Science curricula,
as the vehicle through which students develop their English language
knowledge and skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing and
media literacy.
Assessment is formative but an overall grade is given based on Language B criteria – modified.
Students may also receive subject-specific in-class EAL Support
in the form of an EAL specialist co-teaching with a subject specialist
.e.g. an EAL teacher and a Humanities teachers
Typically these are students who have previously not studied
English for very long and are still in the beginning stages of
their English
language learning journey.
FEE PAYING |
| EAL English 6, 7, 8 |
Assessment Criteria: Language
B Standard Level-modified
- Oral Communication-message and interaction
- Oral Communication-language
- Writing- message and organization
- Writing- language
- Reading comprehension
Grades 6-8 EAL and EAP students are grouped by
grade level, and where possible by language level, during the Language
A (English) block. These classes focus on extending and developing
students’ English language knowledge and skills, through
the study of a range of written texts. These may include fiction
texts e.g. short stories or novels, myths/folk tales, poetry, as well as non-fiction texts e.g. letters, brochures,
newspaper reports.
Listening, speaking, reading, writing and media
literacy are taught within the context of building knowledge and
skills from whatever level the student enters these classes.
NON FEE PAYING
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| EAP (English for Academic Purpose)
6, 7, 8 |
Assessment Criteria: Language
B Advanced Level-modified:
- Oral Communication: message and interaction
- Oral Communication: language
- Writing: message and organization
- Writing: style and language use
- Text Interpretation
Language B (Foreign Language) block. These
EAP classes focus primarily on developing students’ higher
academic English knowledge and skills especially in reading (comprehension
and vocabulary extension), writing (note taking, summarizing
and essay writing), speaking (developing academic English fluency),
listening (strategies for listening for gist and detail) and
media
literacy (presenting and viewing).
Typically these are students who have previously received at
least 2-3 years English language instruction in an English
medium school
or have studied English as a foreign language in their home country
school system for some years. In general, students remain in
an EAP class for 6 months to 2 years, consolidating and developing
their
knowledge and skills before moving on to the study of another
language e.g. French.
NON-FEE PAYING
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| Language
A (Swedish) |
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This course is designed for native Swedish speakers. It is studied
either as an additional Language A subject, or in place of a Language
B (Foreign Language). The course is designed to maintain the communication,
style and language usage skills of our Swedish student population,
and is assessed through the use of the Language A criteria. |
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| HUMANITIES
(Social Studies) |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Understanding and Application of Concepts
- Application of Skills
- Presentation and Organisation
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| Grade 6 |
|
The course is divided into three main areas of study: Foundation
of Civilizations, Ancient Greece and Rome, and Vietnam. The host
country strand is a unit focusing on Hanoi which allows students
to further enhance their comprehension of the environment in which
they live. The focus of the course is placed upon the global understanding
of early civilisations and the impact that geography and climate
has had on the development of these societies. Mapping, organisation,
research, debating and reporting skills are emphasised.
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| Grade 7 |
The seventh grade Social Studies course is
divided into five main areas of study: 1) The Caribbean: Past and
Present; 2) The Middle
Ages 1000 - 1500; 3) Indigenous People: Inuit and Australian Aborigine;
4) Vietnamese Study: Mai Chau Field Trip; and 5) World Today: Current
Issues. The course is designed to further enhance students’ understanding
of the world and its history, current affairs and events, and the
way in which the environment and its elements impact upon our surroundings.
Related projects using writing, research, reporting and library
and general presentation skills are emphasised to enhance learning
and
the development of communication skills. The social studies curriculum
is also used as the focus for the organisation and planning of
interactive and integrated subject work. |
| Grade 8 |
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The grade 8 Humanities course continues the regional and chronological
study of world geography and history by focusing on the geography,
civilisations and peoples of Africa and of the Americas before
1500, the European Renaissance and the Age of Exploration with
the subsequent impact of these regions on each other and Asia.
Throughout, students will engage in research and analytical activities
where they will learn and apply Humanities skills. Additional topics
include an awareness of the organisation and activities of the
United Nations and the history and culture of Vietnam centering
on the regions of Hue, Hoi An, and the Cham people
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| MATHEMATICS |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Reasoning and Application
- Communication
- Reflection and Evaluation
- Attitude and Personal Engagement
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| Grade 6 |
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The grade 6 Mathematics curriculum emphasises
student understanding of math concepts and their use, along with
a variety of problem solving strategies. Topics addressed in grade
6 include the following: place value of numbers to one billion,
multiplication and division of whole numbers and fractions, ratio
and proportion, statistics and data management, measurement, two
dimensional geometry and probability. A variety of assessment tools
are used including assignments, projects, teacher observation,
tests, and student self-assessment.
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| Grade 7 |
The main topic for Mathematics in seventh grade is
representing data in many forms including using words, tables, graphs,
and equations. Problem-solving skills will be sharpened in many areas,
especially the skills of creating and interpreting graphs and drawings,
creating tables, interpreting equations, interpreting patterns and
working backwards. Students will learn to use several functions of
Graphing Display Calculators. Similar figures will be explored while
developing an understanding of the use of rations and scale factor. |
| Grade 8 |
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The main topics of study in eighth grade mathematics focuses upon
developing an understanding of basic algebra. Students will learn
about algebraic concepts of variable expressions and equations,
inequalities, linear functions, graphing, polynomials, probability,
as well as and basic geometry and probability.
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| SCIENCE |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- One World
- Communication in science
- Knowledge and understanding of science
- Scientific inquiry
- Processing data
- Attitudes in science
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| Grade 6 |
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The grade 6 Science curriculum has a strong emphasis on investigation
techniques through experimentation and observation. Topics studied
include the Scientific Method, Living things, Matter, Chemical
Change, Human Impact on the Environmental and Heat. Students will
be assessed in a variety of ways including tests, assignments,
homework, research projects and laboratory experiments.
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| Grade 7 |
Seventh grade Science is divided into two main areas, life science
and physical science. In life science students will study habitats
and the interdependency of the life forms that inhabit them. The
importance of preserving habitats will be explored within this programme.
Some human biology will also be explored. In physical science the
physics topics will be Forces, Motion as well as Astronomy, and the
chemistry topics will include the study of solutions and chemical
changes. |
| Grade 8 |
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The main topics of study in eighth grade Science include the following:
particles, life processes, continuity of life, machines work and
energy and sound. This course builds upon the principles taught
in sixth and seventh grade, preparing students for high school,
and the further study of science.
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| PHYSICAL
EDUCATION (and
Health) |
| PE - General |
| The middle school programme focuses on basic skill development
in a variety of individual and team sports Physical fitness is a
main component on-going throughout the school year. The topics covered
include swimming, volleyball, basketball, soccer, racquet sports,
softball, track and field and organizational games as part of warm-up
activities.
i
Students are expected to be properly attired wearing a UNIS
PE shirt and UNIS PE shorts (Swimsuit and towel required for
swimming unit). Sweat shirts and sweat-pants are optional on
colder days as long as they are NOT worn to school as their daily
outfit. Proper hygiene demands that every student change out
of their school clothes at the beginning of class and back again
at the end. There are showers available on campus for those students
who would like to do so at the end of a lesson.
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| Assessment Criteria (PE): |
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Movement Composition
- Performance/ Application
- Social Skills
- Personal Engagement
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| Assessment Criteria (Health): |
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Communication
- Attitude and Engagement
- Research
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| Grade 6 |
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This subject is designed to motivate students to take an active
role in maintaining and improving their health. The purpose of
the subject is to assist young people in developing concepts and
skills that foster individual health and well-being.
The subject deals with the broad areas of fitness, sexuality, nutrition,
safety, first aid and mental/emotional health.
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| Grade 7/ 8 |
This subject builds upon knowledge learned in Grade 6 Health. It
emphasizes positive life-styles with students learning to make informed
decisions and choices. |
| LANGUAGE
B (Foreign Languages) |
| In the Middle School at UNIS this involves the study of either French
or Vietnamese. |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- Speaking - Message and Interaction
- Speaking - Language
- Writing - Message and Organisation
- Writing - Language
- Comprehension - Listening
- Comprehension - Reading
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| Vietnamese |
| Vietnamese I |
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This course is designed for MYP beginner or near-beginner students.
It is an introduction to the Vietnamese tonal language system with
general topics covering daily life and communication. Its main
goal is to develop oral skills. Upon the completion of the course,
students will have acquired all basic skills for simple conversations.
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| Vietnamese II |
This course builds upon previous knowledge from Vietnamese 1. It
continues to focus on phonetics and grammar. Its main goal is to
develop a variety of linguistic skills through the study of a wide
range of texts, and to enhance communication within and outside the
school. Upon the completion of the course, students will be able
to use Vietnamese effectively in situations of practical communication. |
| Vietnamese III |
|
This course is designed for advanced MYP students. We will focus
on reviewing and extending linguistic skills (speaking, listening,
reading and writing) by using authentic texts. We will also delve
more deeply into various aspects of Vietnamese culture. Upon the
completion of the course, students will be able to speak and write
Vietnamese effectively and confidently on familiar topics.
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| French |
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The Middle School offers the following French courses upon demand:
- Grade 6 (False) Beginners (coursebook used: ‘Encore
Tricolore 1’)
- Grade 7 Beginners (‘Encore Tricolore1’)
- Grade
7 Lower Intermediate (‘Encore Tricolore 2’)
- Grade
8 Beginners (‘Encore Tricolore 1)
- Grades 8 Lower Intermediate
(‘Encore Tricolore 2’)
- Grade 8 Upper Intermediate
(‘Encore Tricolore 3’)
Students are streamlined according to age groups and ability in
the language. The aim of these courses is to instil and extend
the students’ knowledge of the French language and culture(s).
By the end of the course, students should have acquired the following
skills:
Listening: an ability to locate and understand general and specific
information from tapes and videos relevant to a broad range of
topics.
Speaking: an ability to talk about oneself, to engage confidently
and convincingly in a variety of dialogues, to answer a range of
questions related to the different topics studied. Students should
achieve a reasonable level of fluency and accurate pronunciation.
Writing: an ability to carry out a range of writing tasks - messages,
lists, notes, instructions, postcards, letters, posters.
Reading: an ability to understand short and longer written passages
on the topics studied; to recognise essential notices (for example,
signs, menus, timetables, advertisements); to extract specific
information from texts such as brochures, guides, letters.
General: to show some awareness of the culture(s) of the French-speaking
world.
For more details regarding assessment please refer to the published
adapted MYP Assessment Criteria for these courses.
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| THE
ARTS |
| This area includes the study of art, music and drama. In the
Middle School the study of drama is an integrated part of the humanities
programme, while art and music are studied on a three-week rotational
basis along with computer technology and design technology |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Application
- Reflection and Evaluation
- Artistic Awareness and Personal Engagement
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| Art and Design |
Courses during these years concentrate upon researching, making,
analysing, interpreting and evaluating art and design through drawing/painting,
graphic design, printmaking, three-dimensional form, and other media.
Investigating art and design from a variety of cultures and historical
periods, including art and design of our host culture, Vietnam, is
an important component of the programme. Where possible and appropriate,
the art and design programme integrates its studies with the other
subject areas the student is studying at her/his grade level.
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| Grade 6 |
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Topics covered in grade 6 Math, Science, Language Arts and Social
Studies which may lend themselves to integration with the arts
include:
- Ancient People
- Ancient Egypt
- Ancient China
- Ancient Greece and Rome
- Vietnam
- Geometry
- Human impact on the environment
- The United Nations
- Topics from class novels
- Mammals
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| Grade 7 |
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Topics covered in grade 7 Math, Science, Language Arts and Social
Studies which may lend themselves to integration with the arts
include:
- Survival
- Medieval Europe
- Indigenous Peoples
- Southeast Asia
- Natural environments, plant and animal life
- Geometry
- Children's Rights
- Topics from class novels
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| Grade 8
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Topics covered in grade 8 Math, Science, Language Arts and Social
Studies which may lend themselves to integration with the arts
include:
- Renaissance Europe
- World War II
- Human Rights
- United Nations
- Geometry
- Sound/ Light
- Topics from class novels
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| Performing Arts |
| Grade 6 |
|
Grade 6 Performing Arts is made up of three separate subjects
- Music, Drama and Dance. During this course students will study
music theory, instrumental composition and performance, and Vietnamese
musical instruments. Drama units of ‘Confidence and Creativity’ and ‘Mime
and Movement’ will be conducted along with World Dance activities.
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| Grade 7 |
Grade 7 Performing Arts is made up of three
separate subjects - Music, Drama and Dance. During the course students
will continue
to study music theory and instrumental performance along with Vietnamese
compositional technique. Drama units of ‘Improvisation’ and ‘Play
Making’ will be conducted along with an introduction to modern
dance. |
| Grade 8 |
|
Grade 8 Performing Arts is made up of three separate
subjects - Music, Drama and Dance. During this course students
will continue to study music theory, composition and instrumental
performance along with Vietnamese ensemble compositional techniques.
Drama units encompassing ‘Theatre Sports’ will be conducted
and there will be further development of World Dance.
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| TECHNOLOGY |
| Assessment Criteria: |
- Investigate
- Design
- Plan
- Create
- Evaluate
- Attitudes in technology
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| Information Technology |
| Grade 6 |
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Students spend a semester studying information technology. This
time is shared with Design Technology. In Information Technology
students improve their keyboarding skills and learn the fundamentals
of word processing and desktop publishing. Design principals are
a very important part of the course. Students are able to use their
skills across the curriculum.
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| Grade 7 and Grade 8 |
Technology at these grade levels is integrated with the core subject
areas when possible. While initially typing skills are honed, computer
assignments then originate from other subject areas while skills
are mastered through the creation and development of appropriate
tasks. Through these integrated projects, students develop their
word processing and image editing skills; create databases and spreadsheets,
and multimedia presentations.
These issues are explored by describing and evaluating the impact
of current information technologies on areas such as business,
employment, education, art & entertainment, science, the environment,
politics and government.
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| Design Technology |
| Grade 6 |
The main objective during this year is to introduce students to
the design cycle (investigate, plan, create and evaluate). Students
are expected to give equal effort to all the steps of the process
and to gain an appreciation of the various methods of investigation.
The need for proper planning prior to creating their product is also
stressed. Self-evaluation of the process, work skills, and final
product, are all areas which are highlighted. |
| Grade 7 and Grade 8 |
Students continue to use the design cycle to solve problems and
create solutions. They are introduced to the three branches of design
technology: information, material and systems. Information Technology
includes the gathering, synthesising and passing on of knowledge
and ideas. Materials Technology includes the building of projects
using wood and plastic but also using local resources like bamboo.
Systems Technology involves linking components together to form networks. |
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