Subjects in the MYP
At International School Delft, MYP students currently study the following subject areas.
Language and Literature
The school offers English and Dutch as Language and Literature courses. The Language and Literature courses focusses on six skill areas: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Viewing, Presenting. The school encourages, in compliance with the IB philosophy, students to keep up their home language. This can be done through mother-tongue after-school groups which are initiated by parents with the support of the mother tongue coordinator.
Language Acquisition
This subject group is known as the modern foreign languages. For students who are not first English language learners, English Language Acquisition will be offered. These students may also receive additional support hours. Dutch will also be offered as an Acquisition language.
In MYP 1, students choose either Spanish or French. The choice of language in MYP1 will determine the further language choice in MYP2 and onwards. Students receiving EAL support will not participate in the French or Spanish class. EAL will be mostly taught at the same time as the above named subjects.
Mathematics
In the MYP 1, 2 and 3 all students follow the core maths programme, differentiation may take place within the group. A maths extension programme is offered as an after school programme.
In MYP 4 and MYP 5, Maths Core and Extended is offered. The IB describes the differences as follows: ‘Standard mathematics aims to give all students a sound knowledge of mathematical principles while allowing them to develop the skills needed to meet the objectives of MYP mathematics. Extended mathematics consists of the standard mathematics framework supplemented by additional topics and skills. This level provides the foundation for students who wish to pursue further studies in mathematics: for example, HL mathematics courses as part of the DP. Extended mathematics provides greater breadth and depth to the standard mathematics framework”. Students will be placed in these groups based on advice of the Maths teacher in conjunction with the MYP coordinator and per choice of the student.
Integrated Sciences
In MYP 1, 2, 3 an integrated science course is offered covering a variety of topics such as biology, physics, and chemistry. In MYP 4 and 5, the school continues to offer integrated Science but the amount of teaching hours is substantially more. Students will be acquainted with the distinctive features of each of the Sciences allowing them to make a choice for the separate sciences in the Diploma Programme. The MYP sciences objectives and assessment criteria A–D are aligned with the DP sciences objectives and internal assessment criteria, supporting the smooth transition from the MYP to the DP (IBO.org)
In MYP 5, students can choose for an extra Science hour as an elective subject.
Individuals and Societies
The ISD offers the Integrated Humanities programme from MYP 1–5. This programme covers topics from subjects from the Individuals and Societies group such as Geography, History, Global Citizenship, World Beliefs and Economics. In MYP 4 and 5 students will be introduced to the distinctive elements of the different subjects in preparation for the Diploma Programme.
Design
Design is offered at ISD as an integrated subject in the MYP including a variety of design disciplines including design technology, digital design and design cycle thinking. Close connections with the TU Delft and Design-thinking experts provide a strong design focus in the curriculum.
Arts
The school will offer visual arts and performing arts over the course of the five years of the MYP. In MYP 1, 2 and 3, students are introduced to both visual and performing arts. In MYP 4 and 5 students will be offered Visual Arts as a subject. Students interested in Music can enroll in the after school programme which will be offered for MYP 4 and 5 students.
Physical and Health Education
Physical and Health Education is an important part of the MYP curriculum. It aims at empowering students to understand and appreciate the value of being physically active and to develop the motivation for making healthy life choices. choices. To this end, physical and health education courses foster the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will contribute to a student’s balanced and healthy lifestyle. Students receive 3 hours of PHE throughout the MYP.
Interdisciplinary Unit:
In each year of the programme, MYP schools are responsible for engaging students in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit that involves at least two subject groups. This interdisciplinary unit is assessed and included on the end of year report.
Mentor Hour
In addition to the curriculum subjects, ISD aims to support students in acquiring skills they need to manage their lives personally and socially. Topics such as Healthy Lifestyle, Digital Citizenship and Approaches to Learning will be covered.
MYP projects: Community Project and Personal Project
MYP projects encourage students to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work – key skills that prepare them for success in further study, the workplace and the community.
In MYP 3 students will work on their Community Project. The community project provides an important opportunity for students ages 13-14 to collaborate within a project team and pursue service learning. At the end of the project, students are able to showcase their work during the Community Project exhibition.
In MYP 4 students will start with their Personal Project. The Personal Project is an independent piece of work based on a topic of personal interest which students do outside the normal lessons. The project can take many forms, such as an original work of art, an original science experiment, a business plan, etc. Led by the Personal project coordinator, students will be introduced to the idea of Personal Project in MYP 4 and continue to finish it in MYP 5.
Students develop their own research plan and manage the process. The Personal Project consists of a process, a product and a report. Collectively, these interrelated components allow students to meet the aims of the project.
The Personal Project gives students an opportunity to demonstrate ATL skills learned in the MYP and to develop as an independent learner. In MYP 5, students will showcase their end product in the Personal Project Exhibition.