MYP 2 Individuals and Societies

In I&S, our units were:

1) globalisation. where we studied about globalisation and it's pros and cons.

2) Then we did natural environments, where we studied about natural environments and the impact we have on them.

3) Then it was power in early societies, learning about hierarchies of early civilizations and who had power in early civilizations.

4) Our last unit was culture and diversity where we studied about how different cultures impact our lives and thinking. We also looked at the salad pot theory and the melting pot theory and compared them, and we had to decide which was the better one in our opinion.

Ms. Himani was a really kind person and we are saddened to see her leave. We wish her the best of luck and we will all miss her.

What is I&S? Individuals and Societies is a subject that teaches us about our world.

This is done by the combination of historical, geographical, political, social, economic, and cultural factors. This year we’ve learnt about Origin Stories from different religions, a lot about the Big Bang, our solar system and space, analysing theories from scientists such as Alfred Wegener, and the theory of evolution and natural selection.

For our work this year we’ve mainly focused on comprehensive reading, and for our formative tasks we’ve gotten more creative, working on art and visual ways to express our ideas, while our summative assessments have been writing essays to improve our argumentative skills and to prepare us for tasks like this in our upcoming school years.

Our I&S teacher, Ms. Himani helped us throughout the year a lot in order to Understand ideas that were new to us and at first were challenging to us. We learned different ways of learning and learned different ways we can Take in information, such as for our essays that we write at the end of every unit.

MYP4 Individuals and Societies

MYP4 classes spent this year collecting knowledge about how our world became the one we live in today. Starting the year off with how colonisation dominated America and how it made or ruined entire communities. Looking at the impacts of exploration, both positive and negative, it was interesting to dive into the reality and history that shaped our understanding of the world.

We continued by looking at how disadvantaged communities stand up for themselves in the forms of revolutions. Looking at specific examples, we started understanding how these conflicts developed and what led to the events.

Remaining with the time period, we looked at The Industrial Revolution and the consequences this led to in the future. From global warming to child labour, we looked at everything that was introduced and tried out their effects during interactive activities. Overall, it was a knowledgeable year, focusing on humanity and how our actions may lead to devastating consequences in the future.

MY 5 Individuals and Societies

Do you want to learn about the world around you and understand the skills of geography, history, politics, societies, cultures and economics?

Then look no further than Individuals and Societies at BBIS!

The Individuals and societies department has been busy this year looking into global issues and learning about world issues around them.

The MYP individuals and societies students study under the humanities and social sciences. This subject group encourages learners to respect and understand the world around them, and equips them with the necessary skills to inquire into historical, geographical, political, social, economic, and cultural factors that affect individuals, societies and environments. The study of individuals and societies helps you to critically appreciate the diversity of human culture, attitudes and beliefs.

What have we studied in MYP5?

MYP 5 this year learned about how our population has exploded rapidly due to globalisation, improvements in technology and immigration. We delved into topical issues like conflict over borders and development issues due to government control and colonisation.

Message from Miss O’Keeffe: Well done MYP5!

You have been a wonderful year group and I cannot wait to teach some of you discreet topics like Business or Economics next year. This year has been a wonderful year teaching you all and I have loved our lessons. We have had some really interesting classroom discussions and I have really enjoyed the interesting perspectives and reflective ideas you have all brought to the lessons. This was a busy year as we prepared for our E-Assessment but you took it in your stride. Well done for being organised and studious towards your exams. Your creativity as a year group didn’t go amiss as you created “shark tank presentations” to interesting (and realistic) podcasts to animations (Adelya) and super presentations. I am so impressed by you all and your talents.

Special shoutout to Mate and his world of geographic and historic facts throughout the year, Lilli’s amazing creative skills and the wonderful acting skills of Ash, Josh, Laura, Noa and Martina!

You have all been fantastic. Have the best summer and see you all in August

There is always something exciting happening in the Science labs at BBIS. In MYP 1 this year, students were fascinated to learn all about being a scientist, by using microscopes to look at cells, dropping eggs from the balcony and researching the life cycle of stars. Recently, the M1s have developed their teamwork and presentation skills. They have come along leaps and bounds as a year group of budding scientists.

MYP 2 students have been on a wild ride, from building roller coasters to taking a journey through the human digestive system. They also investigated the dirtiest surfaces in the school by observing mould growth on bread- yikes!

By far the highlight for MYP 3 students was the Body Systems unit, in which the class was able to get hands-on with heart and lung dissections. Even if they don’t remember all the anatomy, they will certainly remember those lessons for years to come!

The MYP3s also joined up with Ms. Warlop in Design for the IDU week- their creations show their joint understanding of a scientific topic and their design skills. We wish them best of luck in their Science options next year!

The MYP 4 and 5 students had the difficult but exciting decision to choose between studying Biology, Chemistry or Physics this year. In Biology, students learned about the different types of cells, and did a taste test experiment on each other to determine the relationship between sight, smell and taste. They also created family trees where they tracked genetic traits. The Chemists were challenged to perform advanced investigations such as acid-base titrations and redox reactions. In Physics, they dove into farreaching topics such as astrophysics and renewable energy sources. The MYP 5s had the added challenge of studying for their MYP eAssessments. Ms. Brunt, Mr. Fleming and Mr. Crawford are very proud of the whole cohort for completing their Science exams with such enthusiasm!

I am amazed at how much I have learned and grown over the past half year. Chemistry was a subject that initially intimidated me at the beginning, with its difficult concepts and units. However, under the guidance of our knowledgeable teacher Mr. Fleming, I gained more confidence and a deeper understanding of the subject. The class was structured in the way that it encouraged active participation and active learning.

We had numerous experiments, which not only solidified our theoretical knowledge but also increased our curiosity and critical thinking skills. The teacher helped us achieve a collaborative learning environment, encouraging us to work in groups and engage in discussions. These interactions allowed us to learn from our peers and develop our communication and teamwork skills. Mr. Fleming’s passion for the subject was contagious, making each lesson engaging and enjoyable even when I was falling asleep basically every second lesson. I appreciate how the class connected chemistry principles to real-life applications, demonstrating the importance of what we were learning.

It was very helpful being able to focus better on class when Mr. Fleming told this particular student to be quiet or else he would get a strike but in conclusion the whole class basically received more strikes than house points in the entire semester. Overall, this MYP4 chemistry class has not only expanded my scientific knowledge but also taught me valuable skills that extend beyond the classroom it helped me to achieve different levels of knowledge and understanding.

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