The IB programme aims to develop learners who are Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced and Reflective. While designing the unit, the teachers experience how the MYP science aims are closely linked to the IB learner profile attributes and how many opportunities the teachers have as educators to shape these attributes in our classes.
The science units in MYP do not only focus on passing scientific knowledge to the students but also expose students to several activities which assist in the development of the learner profile attributes. The current unit of science is designed for the students to understand the various abilities and systems we possess as human beings. The statement of inquiry of the unit is – “Human identities include the impulse to help family members & also those we are not closely related to”. In recent discussions, students tried to see the word ‘Sensitivity’ from two different lenses, from the lens of Biology & Psychology. Students performed simple experiments to investigate their senses. In biology they discovered that sensitivity is a measure for how strong a stimulus has to be before a system reacts to it; the smaller a stimulus is sufficient to elicit a reaction, the more sensitive a system is. They also explored the connection between emotions and sensitivity. They discussed how important it is to balance different aspects of their lives- intellectual, physical, emotional and social for achieving well- being for themselves and others. They expressed their ideas to answer the question: “How sensitive, are we?” Students brainstormed, observed and analysed and did a lot of thinking from various angles to understand the word sensitivity from two different perspectives. At the end of the discussion, students rated themselves for biological and emotional sensitivity.
This activity made our students reflect on their behaviour towards their family members, fellow students, teachers and any stranger they interacted with. They realised the need of being mindful of their verbal and non-verbal responses and actions. This activity involved a combination of experimenting, feeling and connecting it to the real-world situation. This learning approach brought a fun-filled experience for our students leaving thoughts to mull over. Activities like this will help imbibe the attitude of thinking, communicating, caring and mindfulness for our students.
Quoting a thought by Aristotle in connection- “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
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