Curriculum
International Baccalaureate and Vision 2031 are aligned to offer pathways for our scholars to explore their passions and reach their full potential.
The future demands a different type of student. The next generation of students will be asked to solve some of the world's biggest and most complex problems. Through our International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP), meaningful and relevant learning opportunities are offered to all of our students. We inspire students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and designers who aspire to make the world a better place.
In Hopkins, learning is not looked at through a lens of memorization or “teaching to the test” strategies. Students demonstrate mastery of concepts in multiple ways, as they will in the real world. Academic rigor is deeply embedded in every class, and there are opportunities for students to develop their talents and cultivate new ones within the IB learning framework.
IB grading offers pathways for each student to reach their potential. The IB assessment gives you and your student a richer picture of how they are doing in school. The assessments will help your student understand their strengths and provide pathways for them to elevate their learning experiences.
About IB MYP
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) helps to prepare students for further education, the workplace, and a lifetime of learning. The program helps develop well-rounded students who respond to challenges with optimism and an open mind, are confident in their own identities, and are able to apply what they learn in real-world situations.
Parents who want the best possible education for their children choose the MYP because it includes:
- Rigorous learning objectives.
- A student-centered approach to teaching.
- International perspectives.
- Concern for the whole child.
- Sustained teaching and learning in more than one language.
- A focus on learning how to learn.
- The development of flexible thinking that prepares students to evaluate information critically and apply knowledge in complex, unfamiliar situations.
The IB Learner Profile
The International Baccalaureate learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.
The profile aims to develop learners who are:
- Inquirers
- Knowledgeable
- Thinkers
- Communicators
- Principled
- Open-minded
- Caring
- Risk-takers
- Balanced
- Reflective
IB Subject Areas and Assessment Criteria
- 8 Areas of Study in the MYP
- Arts
- Design
- Individuals and Societies
- Language Acquisition
- Language and Literature
- Mathematics
- Physical and Health Education
- Science
- MYP Grading Structure
8 Areas of Study in the MYP
IB Subject Areas
There are eight subject areas that students study in the Middle Years Programme: language acquisition, language and literature, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical and health education, and design. Teachers organize the curriculum with a focus on teaching and learning in context, conceptual understanding, approaches to learning, community service, and language and identity.
Community Project
The grade 8 Community Project encourages students to engage in service as action. Sometimes referred to as the Capstone Project, it represents a student’s entire middle-school experience. The Community Project requires eighth-graders to use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained and apply them to the real world. This project helps students develop the attributes of the IB Learner Profile (see pg. 3), provides students with an essential opportunity to demonstrate Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills developed through the MYP, and fosters the development of independent, lifelong learners.
The Community Project has the following goals:
- Participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context.
- Generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation.
- Demonstrate the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time.
- Communicate effectively in a variety of situations.
- Demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning.
- Appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments.
IB Policies
Arts
Arts in the MYP
Arts in the MYP stimulate imaginations, challenge perceptions, and develop creative and analytical skills. These courses encourage students to understand the context and cultural histories of artworks, supporting the development of an inquiring and empathetic world view. Arts challenge and enrich personal identity and build awareness of the aesthetic in a real-world context.
Students function as artists as well as learners of the arts. Artists have to be curious. By developing curiosity about themselves, others, and the world, students become effective learners, inquirers, and creative problem-solvers.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Arts, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each arts objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Arts Assessment Criteria Bands
Design
Design in the MYP
MYP Design challenges students to apply practical and creative-thinking skills to solve design problems, encourages students to explore the role of design in historical and contemporary contexts, and raises students’ awareness of their responsibilities when making design decisions and taking action.
Inquiry and problem-solving are at the heart of design. MYP Design requires the use of the design cycle as a tool. This provides the methodology to structure the inquiry and analyze problems, the development of feasible solutions, the creation of solutions, and the testing and evaluation of the solution. In MYP Design, a solution can be a model, prototype, product, or system independently created and developed by students.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Design, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each design objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work
Design Assessment Criteria Bands
Individuals and Societies
Individuals and Societies in the MYP
The MYP Individuals and Societies subject group incorporates disciplines traditionally studied under humanities and social sciences. This subject group encourages learners to respect and understand the world around them, and equips them with the necessary skills to inquire into historical, geographical, political, social, economic, and cultural factors that affect individuals, societies, and environments.
The study of individuals and societies helps students appreciate the diversity of human culture, attitudes, and beliefs. Courses in this subject group are important for helping students to recognize that both content and methodology can be debatable and controversial. They also learn tolerance and become comfortable with uncertainty.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Individuals & Societies, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each Individuals and Societies objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels (1–8), divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Individuals and Societies Assessment Criteria Bands
Language Acquisition
Language Acquisition in the MYP
Acquiring an additional language and exploring and reflecting on the cultural perspectives of our own and other communities is central to developing critical thinking and international-mindedness. These courses provide an intellectual framework to support personal development, cultural identity, and conceptual understanding. Language acquisition greatly contributes to the holistic development of students and equips students with the necessary multi-literacy skills and attitudes to communicate successfully in various global contexts.
The study of additional languages in the MYP provides students with the opportunity to develop insights into the features, processes and craft of language and the concept of culture, and to realize that there are diverse ways of living, behaving, and viewing the world.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Language Acquisition, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each language acquisition objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Language Acquisition Assessment Criteria Bands
Language and Literature
Language & Literature in the MYP
Language plays a central role in developing critical thinking, cultivating international-mindedness, exploring and sustaining personal development and cultural identity, and responsibly participating in local, national, and global communities.
MYP Language and Literature courses include a balanced study of genres and literary texts, including a world literature component. Students’ interactions with texts generate moral, social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental insights. Through their studies, students learn how to form opinions, make decisions, and engage in ethical reasoning.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Language & Literature, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each language and literature objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Language and Literature Assessment Criteria Bands
Criterion A
Criterion B
Organizing
Students understand and organize their ideas and opinions using a range of appropriate conventions for different forms and purposes of communication. Students recognize the importance of maintaining academic honesty, respecting intellectual property rights, and referencing all sources accurately.
Criterion C
Criterion D
Mathematics
Mathematics in the MYP
The study of mathematics is a fundamental part of a balanced education. It promotes a powerful universal language, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills that contribute to the development of logical, abstract, and critical thinking.
Mathematics in the MYP is tailored to the needs of students. It seeks to intrigue and motivate them to want to learn its principles. Students will experience authentic examples of how mathematics is useful and relevant to their lives and be encouraged to apply it to new situations.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Mathematics, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each mathematics objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Mathematics Assessment Criteria Bands
Physical and Health Education
Physical & Health Education in the MYP
Students engaged in physical and health education will explore a variety of concepts that foster an awareness of physical development and health perspectives, as well as positive social interaction. Physical activity and health are of central importance to human identity and global communities, creating meaningful connections among people, nations, cultures, and the natural world.
Through physical and health education, students learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, and develop effective collaboration and communication skills. This subject area also offers opportunities to build positive interpersonal relationships that help students develop a sense of social responsibility and intercultural understanding.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Physical & Health Education, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each physical and health education objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Physical and Health Education Assessment Criteria Bands
Criterion A
Knowing and understanding
Students outline physical health education-related factual, procedural and conceptual knowledge; identify physical and health education knowledge to describe issues and solve problems set in familiar and unfamiliar situations; and apply physical and health terminology to communicate understanding.
Criterion B
Criterion C
Criterion D
Science
Science in the MYP
The MYP science framework explores the connections between science and everyday life. As students investigate real examples of science applications, they discover the tensions and dependencies between science and morality, ethics, culture, economics, politics, and the environment.
Students learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, gain ethical reasoning skills, and further develop their sense of responsibility as members of local and global communities. The curriculum aims to guide students to independently and collaboratively investigate issues through research, observation, and experimentation.
© International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Subject Brief: Sciences, International Baccalaureate Organization 2015
Assessment Criteria
Each science objective corresponds to one of four equally-weighted assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement levels, divided into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work.
Science Assessment Criteria Bands
MYP Grading Structure
MYP General Grade Descriptors
The grading structure at the middle level aligns with the standards of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. This feedback model offers a more holistic descriptor of learning, with academic rigor embedded in the framework. Every class provides opportunity for students to stretch and challenge themselves to reach deeper levels of thinking — every class is an honors class with rich opportunities for students to enhance their learning experience.
Why MYP Grading?
Assessing students against criteria provides clear descriptions of what learning looks like, and ensures students know how to achieve at a high level before attempting an assignment. Criteria also help teachers clarify and express expectations for learning in ways students can understand. Students receive feedback on their performance based on the criteria level descriptors. In addition to instructor feedback, students self-assess their progress. Scores represent growth and learning demonstrated over the year.
Grades and Descriptors
- 7-8: High quality, frequently innovative
- 6: High quality, occasionally innovative
- 5: Generally high quality
- 4: Good quality
- 3: Acceptable quality
- 2: Limited quality
- 1: Very limited quality
7-8: High quality, frequently innovative
Produces high-quality, frequently innovative work. Communicates comprehensive, nuanced understanding of concepts and contexts. Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical and creative thinking. Frequently transfers knowledge and skills with independence and expertise in a variety of complex classroom and real-world situations.
6: High quality, occasionally innovative
Produces high-quality, occasionally innovative work. Communicates extensive understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, frequently with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar classroom and real-world situations, often with independence.
5: Generally high quality
Produces generally high-quality work. Communicates secure understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, sometimes with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar classroom and real-world situations, and, with support, some unfamiliar real-world situations. |
4: Good quality
Produces good-quality work. Communicates basic understanding of most concepts and contexts with few misunderstandings and minor gaps. Often demonstrates basic critical and creative thinking. Uses knowledge and skills with some flexibility in familiar classroom situations, but requires support in unfamiliar situations.
3: Acceptable quality
Produces work of an acceptable quality. Communicates basic understanding of many concepts and contexts, with occasionally significant misunderstandings or gaps. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical and creative thinking. Is often inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, requiring support even in familiar classroom situations.