Science

MYP Science (Year 1-3)

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) sciences framework encourages students to investigate issues through research, observation and experimentation, working independently and collaboratively.

As they investigate real examples of science application, students will discover the tensions and dependencies between science and morality, ethics, culture, economics, politics, and the environment.

What is the significance of Sciences in the MYP?
Scientific inquiry fosters critical and creative thinking about research and design, as well as the identification of assumptions and alternative explanations. Through MYP sciences, students will learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, gain good ethical-reasoning skills and further develop their sense of responsibility as members of local and global communities.

Key Concepts in Science
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 listed the 16 key concepts to be explored across the MYP. The key concepts contributed by the study of sciences are change, relationships and systems.

Aesthetics

Change

Communication

Communities

Connections

Creativity

Culture

Development

Form

Global interactions

Identity

Logic

Perspective

Relationships

Systems

Time, place and space

Related Concepts in Science
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.

Balance 

Consequences 

Energy 

Environment

Evidence 

Form 

Function 

Interaction

Models 

Movement 

Patterns 

Transformation

Conditions 

Transfer

Development 

Objectives for Science

Criterion A: Knowing and understanding 

i. describe scientific knowledge 

ii. apply scientific knowledge and understanding to solve problems set in familiar and unfamiliar situations iii. analyze information to make scientifically supported judgments. 

Criterion B: Inquiring and designing  

i. describe a problem or question to be tested by a scientific investigation 

ii. outline a testable hypothesis and explain it using scientific reasoning 

iii. describe how to manipulate the variables, and describe how data will be collected 

iv. design scientific investigations. 

Criterion C: Processing and evaluating 

i. present collected and transformed data 

ii. interpret data and describe results using scientific reasoning 

iii. discuss the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of the scientific investigation 

iv. discuss the validity of the method 

v. describe improvements or extensions to the method. 

Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science 

i. summarize the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or issue 

ii. describe and summarize the various implications of using science and its application in solving a specific problem or issue

iii. apply scientific language effectively 

iv. document the work of others and sources of information used.

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