IB Global Contexts
The IB Global Contexts are based on the idea that students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their experience of the world that they have experienced.
Using global contexts, MYP students develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet through developmentally appropriate explorations. These Global Contexts are incorporated into 9th and 10th grade curriculum, as well as are a part of the 10th grade Personal Project.
Image from Grisham Middle School International Baccalaureate
Identities and relationships Who am I? Who are we?
An inquiry into understanding: competition and cooperation; teams, affiliation and leadership; identity formation, self esteem, status, roles and role models; personal efficacy and agency; attitudes, motivations, independence; happiness and the good life; physical, psychological and social development, transitions, health and well-being, lifestyle choices; human nature and human dignity, moral reasoning and ethical judgment, consciousness and mind
Orientation in space and time What is the meaning of when and where?
An inquiry into understanding: civilizations and social histories, heritage, pilgrimage, migration, displacement and exchange; epochs, eras, turning points, and 'big history,' scale, duration, frequency and variability; people, boundaries, and exchanges and interaction; natural and human landscapes and resources; evolution, constraints, and adaptation
Personal and cultural expression What is the nature and purpose of creative expression? How do we express ourselves?
An inquiry into understanding: artistry, craft, creation, beauty; products, systems and institutions; social constructions of reality; philosophies and ways of life; belief systems; ritual and play; critical literacy, languages and linguistic systems; histories of ideas, fields and disciplines; analysis and argument; metacognition and abstract thinking; entrepreneurship, practice and competency
Scientific and technical innovation How do we understand the worlds in which we live?
An inquiry into understanding: systems, models, methods; products, processes and solutions; adaptation, ingenuity and progress; opportunity, risk, consequences and responsibility; modernization, industrialization and engineering; digital life, virtual environments and the information age; the biological revolution; mathematical puzzles, principles and discoveries
Globalization and sustainability How is everything connected?
An inquiry into understanding: markets, commodities and commercialization; human impact on the environment; commonality, diversity and interconnection; consumption, conservation, natural resources and public goods; population and demography; urban planning, strategy and infrastructure
Fairness and development What are the consequences of our common humanity?
An inquiry into understanding: democracy, politics, government and civil society; inequality, difference and inclusion; human capability and development ; social entrepreneurs; rights, law, civic responsibility and the public sphere; justice, peace and conflict management; power and privilege; authority , security and freedom; imagining a hopeful future