A student guide

to the

Personal Project

Name:______________________________Supervisor:__________________________

Table of Contents

Introduction.3

Choosing a Topic.,..5

Global Contexts..6

Investigating....8

Process Journal.....9

Outcome/Product..10

Developing Criteria...12

Organizing..13

Process Journal Extracts (Appendices)..15

The Report.........17

Assessment....21

Rubrics...23

Additional Resources.33

Introduction

So what is the personal project?

The personal project is exactly that-a personal project.

The personal project is your chance to practice and strengthen your approaches to learning skills, to develop an understanding of yourself, as a learner, and to develop an area of personal interest. In other words, you will choose a topic that interests you, you will choose a global context that will help you develop your project with a clear and specific focus, and once you have done some research, you will determine your goal.

You will complete and submit your personal project during the final year of the MYP, your sophomore year.

The personal project is similar to every other subject you study because you will:

complete approximately 40-50 hours of study over an extended period of approximately 6 months,

use many of the approaches to learning skills you have learned in your classes,

create a product that will be turned in, and

be assessed against a set of criteria.

The personal project is different from many of your other subjects because you will:

complete your investigation within the context of one global context,

work independently on a topic you have selected, and

interact with an assigned adult supervisor whose role is to provide guidance and advice.

What is the point?

To participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry

To generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation

To demonstrate the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time.

To communicate effectively in a variety of situations

To demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning.

To appreciate the process of learning and take pride in your accomplishments.

What exactly do I have to create for the personal project?

You must create three items, each of which will be assessed:

a process journal (similar to the developmental workbook in arts),

a project presentation,

and a take action product or outcome (evident in presentation).

Will anyone help me do the project?

Of course! You cant think we would set you on this task without support.

You are responsible for your project. It is an investigation that you do on your own outside of school, to show your skills as an independent learner.

However, you will have help. You will be assigned an adult supervisor at ISB, who will can do a number of things to help you in the process:

Advising you on your project choice (is it achievable and appropriately challenging?)

Helping you to create a schedule for completing the project

Discussing the global context chosen to ensure it matches the goal of your project

Meeting to discuss and review your progress

Advising you should any part of your project present difficulties.

Being an independent learner does not mean you work in isolation. In fact, the best independent learners recognize how important it is to collaborate with other people when undertaking a project because a wider range of ideas can lead to a better outcome. Apart from your supervisor, you will talk with and seek advice from your parents, friends, other adult leaders, and experts in the field of study. However, the work that you do must be your own.

How will I be assessed?

The personal project is assessed against four criteria. Each criterion is of equal value and has eight levels of success:

The criteria are:

Criterion A: Investigating

You will be assessed on your ability to define a clear goal and global context for the project, your ability to identify prior learning and subject specific knowledge relevant to the project, and the quality of your research skills.

Criterion B: Planning

You will be assessed on your ability to develop criteria for the product/outcome, your ability to plan and record the development process, and your ability to demonstrate self-management skills.

Criterion C: Taking Action

You will be assessed on your ability to create a product/outcome in response to the learning goal , the global context and the criteria you created in the planning process. You will also be assessed on your ability to demonstrate your thinking skills and your communication and social skills.

Criterion D: Reflecting

You will be assessed on your ability to evaluate the quality of the product/outcome against the criteria you created, your ability to reflect on how completing the project has extended your knowledge and understanding of the topic and the global context, and your ability to reflect on your development as IB learners throughout the project.

Great! So, how do I start the personal project?

Choosing a Topic

YOU MUST START WITH THE TOPIC! NOT WITH THE PRODUCT!

Your product will be a result of your topic and your global context. Dont decide you will build a skateboard without having a topic first! There needs to be a good reason for building that skateboard.

Choose a topic for investigation that genuinely interests you, is NEW learning and is appropriately challenging.

So, what topics can you choose? You can choose anything that is of interest to you. To help you get started, make some lists:

What do you want to achieve through your project?

What do you want to understand through your work?

What impact do you want your project to have?

What is most important to you?

What issues concern you?

Once you have generated a list of possible topics to investigate, you will need to whittle it down.

Which one appeals to you the most?

Which one will be challenging enough to keep you interested for several months?

Now comes the hard part: make a choice. Pick ONE topic.

Choosing a Global Context

Now, and most importantly, you MUST choose a global context to be the focus of your project investigation. You have six choices:

Identities and Relationships: You will explore identify; beliefs and values; personal physical, mental social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures. You will be looking at what it means to be human.

Projects that fit in this global context might include:

Two sides of social networking

An awareness of bullying in in its many forms

How the digital world impacts relationships

Culinary traditions and the importance of food in a culture

The effects of mass media on the teenage identity

Orientation in space and time: You will explore personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations from personal, local, and global perspectives.

Projects that fit in this global context might include:

The Euclidean space perspective of the universe

Immigration issues

Family histories

Personal and Cultural Expression: You will explore 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.

Projects that fit in this global context might include:

Video games as a form of cultural expression

The art of Manga

Culture and self-expression through dance

Artistry, craft and creation

Philosophies and ways of life

Scientific and technical innovation: You will explore 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 on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs.

Projects that fit in this global context might include:

Building a stronger bike using nano fibers

An informational talk on space diamonds

Can stem cells replace organ transplants

New technologies and their impact

Globalization and sustainability: You will explore the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the relationship between local and global processes; how local experiences mediate the global; the opportunities and tensions provided by world-interconnectedness; the impact of decision-making on humankind and the environment.

Projects that fit in this global context might include:

Raising awareness on the struggle for water in developing countries

The impact of the financial crises of Europe and the European Economic Community on the United States

Education as a tool to change the future of a community

The role of the developing countries in protecting the rain forest

Conservation

Urban planning and infrastructure

Fairness and development: You will