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Spotlight on 'Design' - Middle Years Programme

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) curriculum framework comprises eight subject groups, providing a broad and balanced education for early adolescents. One of these wonderful subjects is Language and Literature.

Inquiry is at the heart of MYP language learning, and aims to support students’ understanding by providing them with opportunities to independently and collaboratively investigate, take action and reflect on their learning.

This outstanding educational course develops skills in six areas. The six skill areas are:

  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Viewing
  • Presenting

Year 9 Design - Materials

Across two Materials classes, Year 9 students have been tasked to create functional stools (zaishus) and a textiles bag, that communicate a message of community and change.

Students used Criteria A and B to investigate the origins of the Zaishu and analysed existing similar products. They drafted and refined design options, justifying their choice in the design they believe to be most suitable for production.

Workshop skills have been built through a number of tasks and experiments, including the use of a variety of hand tools, power tools, workshop machinery and a variety of decorating techniques. Student projects will be evaluated through peer surveys and feedback in the coming weeks.

Year 8 Digital Design

Year 8 Digital Design students surveyed peers to justify choosing only one design to make as a solution to a design problem based on the gaming industry. Criteria B in MYP 4 Design is about developing skills and justifying your decisions so you can create a relevant solution. Students developed skills by designing three characters using tools and filters of Adobe Photoshop. They surveyed peers, collated data, created graphs to represent their findings and summarised data before choosing a final design to animate.

Animations will be created as part of Criteria C where students construct a logical plan, demonstrate technical skills, follow the plan and list changes made to the plan. We look forward to seeing their final solutions and journals that back up their learning journey.

Year 8 Textiles

Year 8 Textiles’ students are developing knowledge and skills in a number of areas, including design development, machine sewing and hand sewing. With a focus on changing technologies, and imagining that they have been employed by Officeworks, students have been tasked to design and create functional laptop sleeves.

They have developed skills by creating and analysing three design options and selecting and justifying their best design. Through a number of practical tasks, including learning how to thread and operate a sewing machine, practicing measuring, cutting, pinning and ironing, students are building on transferrable and life-long knowledge and skills.

Year 7 Textiles

Students are imagining that they have been employed by Sheridan, to design and create a range of tea towels that communicate relationships. They have used Criteria A to investigate and analyse existing products, with a focus on using the ACCESS FM design framework throughout.

Further moving through the design process in Criteria B, students have drafted, refined and justified design options. Through a range of practical tasks, students have now begun producing their tea towels. This has required the acquisition of skills in measuring and cutting, pinning, ironing, hand sewing and machine sewing. We are excited to see students complete and evaluate their products as the term wraps up.

More information about the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme can be found here: