MYP Language B - MYP Level 1

I. Course Description

The fundamental concepts of holistic education, communication and intercultural awareness are developed in this course through student-centered activities. The IB learner profile provides the basis for our curriculum, instruction and assessments. This class will create opportunities and experiences that will allow students to be genuine thinkers and inquirers, to increase their knowledge and encourage further connections across disciplines, to reflect upon themselves and their learning process, to become creative and critical thinkers, to be empowered to take responsibility for their own learning, to work effectively and cooperatively with others, to communicate ideas and thoughts confidently through different modes of expression, to show respect and empathy for the feelings of others, and to adopt a personal commitment to service.

II. A Blend of State and IBMYP Standards

The state and district standards align very well with the aims and objectives of our program of international education. The class is designed to help students develop knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills for their active and responsible participation in a changing world.

SOL / MYP Aims and Objectives
The student will:
•exchange simple spoken and written information in your world language.
•demonstrate skills necessary to sustain brief oral and written exchanges in your world language., using familiar phrases and sentences.
• understand simple spoken and written your world language. presented through a variety of media and based on familiar topics.
• use verbal and nonverbal cues to understand simple spoken and written messages in your world language..
• present information orally and in writing in your world language., using a variety of familiar vocabulary, phrases, and structural patterns.
• present rehearsed material in your world language., including brief narratives, monologues, dialogues, poetry, and/or songs.
• develop an awareness of perspectives, practices, and products of your world language. cultures.
• recognize that perspectives, practices, and products of your world language.cultures are interrelated.
• connect information about the your world language. and your world language.culture(s) with concepts studied in other subject areas.
• demonstrate understanding of the significance of culture through comparisons between your world language.cultures and the cultures of the United States.
• compare basic elements of the your world language. language to those of the English language.
• explore situations in which to apply your world language. language skills and cultural knowledge beyond the classroom setting for recreational, educational, and occupational purposes. / The aims of the teaching and learning of MYP language B are to:
• develop the student’s communication skills necessary for study, work and leisure in a range of different, authentic contexts and for a range of audiences and purposes
• enable the student to develop multiliteracy skills through the use of a range of learning tools, such as multimedia, in the various modes of communication
• enable the student to develop an appreciation of a variety of literary and non‑literary texts and to develop critical and creative techniques for comprehension and construction of meaning
• enable the student to recognize and use language as a vehicle of thought, reflection and selfexpression and learning in other subjects, and as a tool for enhancing literacy
• enable the student to understand the nature of language and the process of language learning, which comprises the integration of linguistic, cultural and social components
• offer insight into the cultural characteristics of the communities where the language is spoken
• encourage an awareness and understanding of the perspectives of people from own and other cultures, leading to involvement and action in own and other communities
• foster curiosity, inquiry and a lifelong interest and enjoyment in language learning.
The student is expected to be able to:
A. listen for specific purposes
B. respond to specific information
C. interact socially
D. speak for specific purposes
E. interpret and engage with visual text that is presented with spoken and written text
F. refer closely to the visual text, supporting his or her opinion and personal response with evidence and examples from the text.
G. understand information
H. interpret and engage with written text
I. refer closely to the written text, supporting his or her opinion and personal response with evidence and examples from the text.
J. organize and express thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions and information in writing
K. write for specific purposes
L. develop accuracy when writing in the target language

III. The Role of the Areas of Interaction

The five areas of interaction provide the main focus for developing the connections between disciplines, so that the students will learn in this class to see knowledge as an interrelated, coherent whole. The areas are: Approaches to Learning, Community and Service, Human Ingenuity, Environments and Health and Social Education.

Through Approaches to Learning: in my class, Students will develop an awareness of how they learn best, how they process thoughts and of which strategies will help them succeed in this class and others. Students will have checkpoints for their projects as a way to develop their organizational skills. They will also keep a notebook.

Community and Service: Students will find opportunities to provide service to others by learning the class content. Importance will be given to the sense of community as it expands beyond the classroom. The emphasis is on developing community awareness and concern, and the skills needed to make an effective contribution to society.

Human Ingenuity allows students to focus on the evolution, process and product of human creativity and their impact on life and society. Students in this class will appreciate and develop in themselves the human capacity to create, transform, enjoy and improve the quality of life. Students will have activities, lessons and tasks that will initiate change, or that will allow the students to create, compose, manufacture, produce or even analyze the impact of what has been painted, created, written, composed, invented, etc.

With Environments, students will develop an awareness of their interdependence with the environment so that they understand and accept their responsibilities. They will analyze the importance of local and global environment. Through very specific activities, students will see the threats to the environment, learn about pollution, and analyze green house effects and ecological issues, or any environmental topic.

Health and Social Education encompasses physical, emotional and social health and intelligence. Students will discuss and reflect on these aspects of their health: physical, psychological, sociological, economic and legal. Comparisons will be made across times and cultures and of activities that cover the social aspect of societies, civilization, and the like.

IV. Texts and resources

Prentice Hall Text and online, Student and teacher computers, Computer software (Microsoft, Adobe, etc.), School Space, Internet.

V. Methodology

Students will learn through inquiry strategies using a variety of individual, pair-work and group work activities. with the main goal of helping them develop their higher-order thinking skills. For each unit of work, students will answer unit questions, which will help them connect the big ideas of the unit through the different lenses of the Areas of Interaction. Classes will be student centered.

VI. Methods of assessment

A. Oral Communication - constructing meaning and articulating thoughts using speech in a variety of ways

B. Visual Interpretation – constucting meaning from images presented with oral and written text

C. Reading Comprehension – constructing meaning from written text by making inferences and interpretations

D. Writing – organizing and expressing thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions and information in writing

VII. Grading policy including the use of MYP criteria

The aim of assessment is that it should support curricular goals and encourage student learning. Learning is seen in the larger picture through the learner profile, building those characteristics which make good leaders, hard workers, great thinkers, and caring citizens. In my class, a broad spectrum of assessments are utilized to provide students opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities. All tests and major assignments will be posted, as no more than two major assignments, assessments or tests can be due on any given day per grade level. Grade level Team Leaders will be responsible for monitoring grade level calendars to ensure compliance. Minor assignments such as quizzes and homework are not subject to regulation on the calendar. If a student has a test scheduled that is not on the calendar and that puts the test/major assignment load over two, the student may opt to take the test or turn in the assignment at a later date, determined in conjunction with the teacher, student and coordinator. Because our program is in the context of a public school, occasions may arise, particularly at the end of the nine weeks marking period, when students may also have county mandated SOL preparatory tests. We cannot regulate these tests. While students earn grades according to the Henrico County Schools grading system from 100 to 0 points translated into letters A-F, they also will be assessed against the MYP criteria on a regular basis. Their marks or levels of achievement will be reported to students and parents. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their grades and progress and to talk to me whenever they have questions or concerns about any given assignment or their academic performance.