Local and global issues

In the MYP, you explore concepts and questions that matter in real life. You investigate issues from personal, local and global perspectives, then use your learning to take thoughtful action.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can help you explore many of these issues. They connect well with MYP global contexts, concepts and service as action.

Use MYP global contexts

Your unit may connect to one or more of the six MYP global contexts:

• Identities and relationships
  Who we are, how we connect with others and how we build healthy communities.

• Orientation in space and time
  Personal histories, cultures, journeys, discoveries and how the past shapes the present.

• Personal and cultural expression
  The ways people express ideas, feelings, beliefs and creativity.

• Scientific and technical innovation
  How science, technology and innovation affect people, communities and environments.

• Globalization and sustainability
  How people, places, systems and resources are connected around the world.

• Fairness and development
  Rights, equality, peace, justice and the impact of decisions on people and communities.

Ask your teacher which global context connects to your current unit.

Connect your learning to the SDGs

The SDGs are 17 goals created by the United Nations to support a fairer, healthier and more sustainable world.

They can give you ideas for inquiry, research and action.

Develop a focused inquiry question

A broad issue is a starting point. Your research question gives you a clear direction.

Instead of:

SDG 13: Climate Action

Try:

How is climate change affecting communities and wildlife in Serbia?

Instead of:

Inequality

Try:

How can access to technology affect students’ opportunities to learn?

Instead of:

Sustainable cities

Try:

How could public transport help reduce air pollution in a city?

A strong MYP inquiry question is:

• Connected to your unit, concept or global context.

• Focused enough to investigate.

• Open to evidence and more than one perspective.

• Relevant to the real world.

• Interesting to you.

Build ATL research skills

Research is one of the MYP Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. As you investigate, practise how to:

• Turn a topic into a focused question.

• Choose useful keywords and search terms.

• Find reliable information.

• Evaluate evidence and different perspectives.

• Take notes in your own words.

• Organise your sources.

• Cite the work of others.

• Reflect on what you have learned.

These skills will help you in every subject and prepare you for larger MYP projects.

Explore different perspectives

Local and global issues are often complex. People may have different experiences, priorities and ideas about possible solutions.

Ask:

• Who is affected by this issue?

• Whose voices are included?

• Whose voices may be missing?

• How does the issue affect people locally?

• How does it affect people in other places?

• What evidence supports different viewpoints?

• What solutions are possible?

Use more than one reliable source before forming your own conclusion.

Consider service as action

MYP learning can lead to action. After researching an issue, ask:

• What is already being done?

• What could I do as an individual?

• What could our class or school do?

• How could we help our community?

• How will we know whether an action has made a difference?

Action can be small, practical and informed by research. It might involve sharing accurate information, changing a habit, supporting a community project or designing a solution.

Before you begin

Check that:

• I know the global context for my unit.

• I can connect my topic to a real-world issue.

• I have developed a focused inquiry question.

• I have identified useful keywords.

• I will look for different perspectives.

• I will use reliable evidence.

• I can consider possible action and reflection.

Use the UN Sustainable Development Goals to explore further ideas.