Individuals and Societies

MYP Individuals and Societies (Year 1-3)

Individuals and societies incorporate disciplines traditionally studied in the humanities, as well as disciplines in the social sciences. In this subject group, students collect, describe and analyse data used in studies of societies, test hypotheses, and learn how to interpret complex information, including original source material.This focus on real-world examples, research and analysis is an essential aspect of the subject group.

What is the significance of individuals and societies in the MYP?
The subject encourages learners to respect and understand the world around them and equips them with the necessary skills to inquire into historical, contemporary, geographical, political, social, economic, religious, technological and cultural factors that have an impact on individuals, societies and environments. It encourages learners, both students and teachers, to consider local and global contexts.

Key Concepts in individuals and societies
Key concepts promote the development of a broad curriculum. They represent big ideas that are both relevant within and across disciplines and subjects. Below are the 16 key concepts to be explored across the MYP. The key concepts contributed by the study of individuals and societies are change, global interactions, systems and time, place and space.

Aesthetics

Change

Communication

Communities

Connections

Creativity

Culture

Development

Form

Global interactions

Identity

Logic

Perspective

Relationships

Systems

Time, place and space

Related Concepts in Individuals and Societies
Related concepts promote deep learning. They are grounded in specific disciplines and are useful for exploring key concepts in greater detail. Inquiry into related concepts helps students develop more complex and sophisticated conceptual understanding. Related concepts may arise from the subject matter of a unit or the craft of a subject—its features and processes.

Choice 

Consumption

Equity

Globalization

Growth

Model

Poverty

Power

Resources

Scarcity 

Sustainability 

Trade

Causality

Culture

Disparity & Equity

Diversity

Management & Intervention

Networks

Patterns & Trends

Cooperation

Processes

Scale

Civilization 

Conflict

Governance

Identity

Ideology

Significance

Innovation & Revolution

Interdependence 

Perspective 

Objectives for Individuals and societies
Criterion A: Knowing and understanding 

i. use a range of terminology in context 

ii. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content and concepts, through descriptions, explanations and examples. 

Criterion B: Investigating 

i. formulate/choose a clear and focused research question, explaining its relevance 

ii. formulate and follow an action plan to investigate a research question 

iii. use methods to collect and record relevant information 

iv. evaluate the process and results of the investigation, with guidance 

Criterion C: Communicating 

i. communicate information and ideas in a way that is appropriate for the audience and purpose 

ii. structure information and ideas according to the task instructions 

iii. create a reference list and cite sources of information. 

Criterion D: Thinking critically 

i. analyze concepts, issues, models, visual representation and/or theories 

ii. summarize information to make valid, well-supported arguments 

iii. analyze a range of sources/data in terms of origin and purpose, recognizing value and limitations 

iv. recognize different perspectives and explain their implications.

*Information on these pages is from the MYP Subject Guides and the MYP Project Guide. International Baccalaureate Organization. 2014. Print.