An introduction to the MYP Personal Project. Includes a visual representation of the year and the Personal Project cycle. Also, advice on drafting highly challenging goals based on the MYP Personal Project Teacher Support Materials.

1. Personal Project Session
One
Friday, September 5

2. Today
A Letter from the Past
Visualizing the Personal Project
Where to Start
First Steps
Goals
Global Contexts

3. A Letter From the Past
What We Know About Success
To succeed, we must have confidence in our ability
The key is not to eliminate setbacks, but to build up the ability to bounce back from
setbacks
One way to build this feeling is hearing from people with experience
Getting Inoculated Against Failure
Expose you to what might go wrong.
Think about what you need to make things go right.
Believe that you can do what needs to be done.

4. Read Your Letter
At your table
Talk about what your correspondent is telling you
Moments in the process that they found difficult
High points that gave them confidence they could succeed
What kinds of help did they get to put them on the right track?
What reassurance do they give that you can succeed?
Any advice that they offer for you.

5. Investigating Planning
Taking
Action
Reflecting

6. Investigating
Define a goal based
on personal interest
Identify prior
learning and subject
specific knowledge
Demonstrate
research skills
(ATL)

7. Planning
Develop a proposal
for action (with
criteria for success)
Plan and record the
development
process
Demonstrate Self-
Management Skills
(ATL)

8. Taking Action
Create a Product or
Outcome
Demonstrate
Thinking Skills (ATL)
Demonstrate
Communication and
Social Skills (ATL)

9. Reflecting
Evaluate the Quality
of the Product or
Outcome
Reflect on
Knowledge and
Understanding
Demonstrate
Development of ATL
Skills and as an IB
Learner

10. Where to Start
Strengths and
Weaknesses
School subject
Your Interests
What you want to
make
Problem to be
addressed

11. Outlining a Goal
State a Basic and
Appropriate Goal
Outline a Clear and
Challenging Goal
Outline a Clear and Highly
Challenging Goal
To design my own electric
violin
To research violin design
and violin making and then
design my own violin
To research violin design
and violin making and then
design and produce my
own 4 or 5 string violin

12. Outlining a Goal
State a Basic and
Appropriate Goal
Outline a Clear and
Challenging Goal
Outline a Clear and Highly
Challenging Goal
To design my own summer
clothing collection
To research current fashion
trends and then design my
own summer clothing
collection
To research current
clothing trends and how to
design patterns. Then
design and create a
summer clothing collection.
Learn how to create a
template website and
market my designs.

13. Outlining a Goal
State a Basic and
Appropriate Goal
Outline a Clear and
Challenging Goal
Outline a Clear and Highly
Challenging Goal
To raise 50 000 yen to
support the education of a
child in Southeast Asia
To sponsor a Southeast
Asian child’s university
education by raising 200
000 yen
To volunteer at UNICEF
Japan over the December
break and then raise 200
000 yen to sponsor a
Southeast Asian child’s
university education.

14. Outlining a Goal
State a Basic and
Appropriate Goal
Outline a Clear and
Challenging Goal
Outline a Clear and Highly
Challenging Goal
To raise 50 000 yen to
support the education of a
child in Southeast Asia
To sponsor a Southeast
Asian child’s university
education by raising 200
000 yen
To volunteer at UNICEF
Japan over the December
break and then raise 200
000 yen to sponsor a
Southeast Asian child’s
university education.

15. What’s the Difference?
What distinguishes a basic appropriate goal from one that is challenging?
What distinguishes a challenging goal from one that is highly challenging?
Basic goal
Stating what you’re going to do or what you’re going to make.
Challenging goal
Outlining what you’re going to do and explaining what the purpose of your project is.
Highly challenging goal
Outlining a goal that has multiple parts and leads to greater learning
Check the number of verbs in your goal
More verbs require greater intensity, complexity, and learning.

16. Global Contexts

17. Global Contexts and the Personal Project
Step One:
Choose one global context to focus on through your personal project
You can frame this connection this way
An inquiry into Personal and Cultural Expression
Step Two:
Identify which part of the global context you will explore
I will focus on the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity
Step Three
Explain why you chose this particular global context
Use the explanation included with each context
I chose Personal and Cultural Expression because …

18. Identities and Relationships
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chant3/

19. Identities and Relationships
Who am I? Who are we?
An inquiry into identity and relationships explores the following areas:
Identity
Beliefs and values
Personal health
Physical health
Mental health
Social health
Spiritual health
Human relationships, including families, friends, communities and cultures
What it means to be human

20. Personal and Cultural Expression
https://www.flickr.com/photos/candiedwomanire/

21. Personal and Cultural Expression
What is the nature and purpose of creative expression?
An inquiry into personal and cultural expression explores the following areas:
The ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs
and values
The ways in which we reflect on, extend and
enjoy our creativity
Our appreciation of the aesthetic (beauty)

22. Orientation in Space and Time
https://www.flickr.com/photos/t_zero/

23. Orientation in Space and Time
What is the meaning of ‘when’ and ‘where’?
An inquiry into orientation in space & time explores the following areas:
Personal histories
Homes and journeys
Turning points in humankind
Explorations and migrations of humankind
Discoveries
The relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and
civilizations, from personal, local and global perspectives.

24. Technology and Innovation
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mugley/

25. Technology and Innovation
How do we understand the worlds in which we live?
An inquiry into scientific and technical innovation explores the following areas:
The natural world and its laws
The interaction between people and the natural world
How humans use their understanding of scientific principles
The impact of scientific and technological advances of communities and
environments
The impact of environments on human activity
How humans adapt environments to their needs

26. Fairness and Development
https://www.flickr.com/photos/riacale/

27. Fairness and Development
What are the consequences of our common humanity?
An inquiry into fairness and development explores the following areas:
Rights and responsibilities
The relationships between communities
Sharing finite resources with other people and with other living things
Access to equal opportunities
Peace and conflict resolution

28. Globalization and Sustainability
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ironpoison_photos_69/

29. Globalization and Sustainability
How is everything connected?
An inquiry into globalization and sustainability explores the following areas:
The interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities
The relationship between local and global processes
How local experiences mediate the global
Reflect on the opportunities and tensions provided by world-interconnectedness
The impact of decision-making on humankind and the environment