Element Checklist for MYP Unit Planners

Does the unit include the following?

o Name of the Teacher
o MYP Subject Group and the specific Discipline
o Unit Title
o Approximate Number of Learning Hours (total)
o Key Concept
o Related Concept(s)
o Global Context and Specific Exploration
o Subject Group Objectives and Specific Relevant Strands
o Task Specific Clarification (rubric to explain the criteria and level descriptors for assessment task)
o Content that specifies topics and/or local/national standards
o Learning experiences/teaching strategies, differentiation, formative assessments
o Resources
o Reflections developed before, during and after teaching

Using this Document

This document is a tool that can be used for self-assessment, collaborative peer review and organizing feedback
regarding the creation and implementation of MYP Unit Planners. Characteristics of effective implementation are
arranged according to a developmental scale that moves from emergent to capable to exemplary. Moving from lower to
higher levels, this continuum generally parallels terminology that all MYP learners can use to describe increasing levels
of competence. In educational terms, feedback based on this document is designed to be formative—it should be given
and received with the intention of prompting further personal and organizational growth.

Beginning/developing: emergent level of implementation that may require substantial revision in order
to create an effectively planned and recorded unit of work. These units may benefit from extended
collaboration that improves clarity, provides greater detail, and develops greater coherence.

Using: capable implementation that demonstrates confidence in planning and documenting inquiry using
the MYP collaborative unit planning process.

Sharing: exemplary implementation that provides a model of good practice that can inform and inspire
the unit planning process of other MYP teachers and schools.

Description of Elements in a Unit Planner

The “Inquiry” section of the MYP unit planner identifies the purpose of the unit to ensure its alignment with
MYP philosophy and requirements.
Statements of inquiry set conceptual understanding in a global context to frame classroom inquiry and direct
purposeful learning. Statements of inquiry summarize “what we will be learning and why” in language that is
meaningful to students.

Inquiry questions are drawn from, and inspired by, the statement of inquiry. Factual, conceptual and debatable
questions give shape and scope to the inquiry and promote critical and creative thinking.

Summative assessment task(s) provide evidence for assessing student achievement using required MYP subject-
group criteria.

MYP units aim to develop a range of approaches to learning skills for thinking, self-management, social
interaction, communication and research.

The “Action” section of the MYP unit planner identifies the taught curriculum. Teachers use this section to
focus on how students will learn.
Content describes the disciplinary knowledge and skills to be taught and learned throughout the unit.

Learning experiences and teaching strategies allow students with a range of needs to meet subject-group aims
and objectives.

Formative assessment (assessment for learning) provides teachers and students with insights into the ongoing
development of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes.

Differentiation involves modifying teaching strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners and building
opportunities for each student to develop, pursue and achieve appropriate personal learning goals.

Teachers inventory available resources and consider what additional people, learning environments and
teaching materials are necessary to fulfill the unit’s purpose.

The “Reflection” section of the MYP unit planner provides teachers with an invitation to record their reflection
at three important periods in the unit’s development and implementation.
Reflection on the unit planner can provide a starting point for collaborative planning, an ongoing reminder for
reflective practice throughout the teaching process, and a format in which to evaluate teaching strategies and
learning outcomes.
 Beginning/ Developing Using Sharing

• offers limited potential for transferring • clearly explains a significant conceptual • articulates a clear, meaningful purpose that is relevant and holds long-term
understanding beyond the content of this unit understanding of appropriate complexity value
Statements of Inquiry

• does not clearly include an identified key • identifies a specific global context and • establishes the unit’s purpose within a specific, relevant and engaging
concept, related concepts and global context exploration exploration of a global context

• limited description of the unit’s purpose • communicates in student-friendly language that • effectively connects key and related concepts in ways that students can
and significance invites inquiry and engagement understand and remember

• uses language that might overwhelm • has potential to develop disciplinary • connects MYP concepts and global context with creativity and complexity
students, limit their ability to engage with the understanding that enables students to transfer
inquiry, or articulate for themselves its knowledge to other contents. • develops disciplinary understanding that enables students to transfer
purpose and value. knowledge to other contents

• show limited understanding of the • include examples of factual, conceptual and • demonstrate clear understanding of the relationship between facts, concepts
Inquiry Questions

distinction between factual, conceptual and debatable questions and debates

debatable questions
• are clearly relevant to the purpose of the unit • provide variety, generate interest, establish relevance and represent
• may be disconnected from each other and appropriate complexity
the purpose of the unit • are developed to address the needs of diverse
learners • identify structured or scaffolded learning pathways
• represent a single approach to the unit’s
subject matter/topic • are appropriately rigorous. • develop sophisticated critical and creative thinking

• help to prepare students to undertake summative assessment.

Summative Assessment

• has a limited connection with the statement • relates to the statement of inquiry • thoughtfully connects with the statement of inquiry
of inquiry
• offers students a meaningful opportunity to • allows open-ended and multiple ways for students to communicate their
• may represent an assignment that is not demonstrate what they understand (know and understanding
challenging enough or too complex for most can do)
learners • thoroughly explains what students will do to demonstrate understanding
• addresses MYP subject-group objectives
• does not clearly address MYP subject- • uses MYP subject-group criteria to judge student achievement
group objectives. • can be differentiated to meet individual student
needs. • represents an appropriate degree of challenge

• balances manageability with authenticity

)Task(s

• takes into account students with inclusive assessment arrangements.

Beginning/ Developing Using Sharing

• identify skills from one or more MYP skill • develop general and subject-specific • support and develop MYP subject-group objectives
clusters competencies
Approaches to Learning

• offer students opportunities to develop responsibility for their own learning

• are chosen in relationship to the unit’s • are taught explicitly and practised in the course through independent practice
objectives and assessment tasks of the unit
• integrate meaningfully with learning engagements and assessment tasks
• connect with a larger plan for developing • will help students perform better on the unit’s
students’ ATL skills summative assessment task(s) • support a clearly identified progression of learning across the MYP years

• develop too many or too few ATL skills • provide a focus for student self-evaluation and
that may be too simple or too complex for the reflection on personal growth and development
intended learners.

• may not be clearly aligned with the unit’s • lists subject-group knowledge that illustrates or • includes disciplinary knowledge and skills to be taught and learned that are
key and related concepts is informed by the unit’s chosen key and related solidly connected with the chosen key and related concepts
concepts
• does not clearly connect with MYP subject- • begins with students’ prior understanding and builds necessary background
group aims and objectives • aligns with the MYP subject-group aims and knowledge
Content

objectives chosen for the unit

• suggests inappropriate expectations (too • connects MYP objectives with any local requirements, standards or subject-
low or too high). • represents an appropriate level of challenge. group content

• represents reasonable developmental and practical demands

Learning

• do not clearly align with the unit’s purpose • align with the unit’s purpose • are appropriate for the unit’s content and aligned with its purpose
and content
• include some inquiry-based approaches to • build on prior learning
• offer limited variety and more teacher- teaching
centered classroom activities • are developmentally (age) appropriate, thought-provoking and engaging
• are developmentally (age) appropriate
StrategiesExperiences / Teaching

• are not developed in sufficient detail. • use inquiry-based strategies for teaching and learning
• provide variety that sustains student
engagement. • are sufficiently detailed to understand what students will do, and in what
order.

Beginning/ Developing Using Sharing

 • provides few opportunities to monitor and • provides opportunities for practice and explicit • provides opportunities for practice and explicit feedback for learning
support student learning feedback for learning
• provides multiple opportunities to monitor and support student learning
Formative Assessment

• is not clearly connected with the • aligns with knowledge, understanding and
knowledge, understanding and skills required skills required for success in summative • comprehensively aligns with knowledge, understanding and skills required
for success in summative assessment assessment for success in summative assessment

• offers few opportunities to create evidence • creates evidence that teachers can use to adjust • creates evidence that teachers can use to make adjustments to planned
that teachers can use to adjust their teaching teaching and learning in ways that promote experiences and teaching strategies
plans. student achievement.
• considers opportunities for peer assessment and self-assessment.

• documents limited strategies for • considers content, process and product • offers opportunities in which each student can develop, pursue and achieve
accommodating learning diversity. appropriate learning goals
Differentiation

• takes into account students’ language profiles

and learning support requirements. • considers content, process and product

• takes into account students’ language profiles and learning support

requirements, using student diversity as a resource for all students’ learning.
 :
• provide some of the information and • provide the information and learning • represent a wide range of creative springboards to learning
learning environments necessary for environments necessary for achieving the unit’s
achieving the unit’s purpose. purpose • integrate technology effectively

• represent culturally responsive and diverse • create opportunities for hands-on learning
points of view
Resources

• utilize people, organizations and facilities from the community

• support differentiated learning.
• take into account students’ experiences and literacies

• use multilingualism as a resource

• promote further student inquiry.

Beginning/ Developing Using Sharing

• documents reflection that includes at least • documents reflection on the planning, process • demonstrates thorough and meaningful reflection throughout the teaching
one phase of the teaching process and impact of the inquiry and learning process

• partially considers connections to other • notes possible links with other subject groups • encompasses the written, taught and assessed curriculum
programme components and opportunities for student-led action and
service learning • makes interdisciplinary connections
• captures general observations about what
Reflection

went well and what might be improved. • considers student engagement • documents the unit’s reflection of the IB’s mission and values (including
the IB learner profile)
• notes opportunities for improvement
• links the unit with appropriate opportunities for student-led action and
• considers how the unit supports MYP service learning
philosophy.
• includes information about standardization of assessment and data analysis
SUMMARY AND NOTES

SCORE
ELEMENT NOTES
Beginning Using Sharing
Statement of Inquiry
Inquiry Questions
Summative Assessment
Approaches to Learning
Content
Learning and Teaching
Formative Assessment
Differentiation
Resources
Reflection

Credits: Evaluating MYP unit planners