CURRICULUM

Qatar Academy is fully authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) from Grades 6-10. The IB developed the MYP program to meet the unique educational needs of young adolescents, ages 11-16.

The program offers an international education designed to help students become lifelong learners. Courses offer rigorous content based on international standards of education, and include teaching methods which assist students in viewing their learning in the greater context of the world around them. While the IB sets broad parameters for curriculum design, each member school has some flexibility to fit the program to the particular needs of its students. The IBMYP is offered in over 300 schools around the world.

The Middle Years Programme is taught in traditional academic subject areas, such as Math and History. In each class, however, an interdisciplinary approach is used, so that students learn about the connections between each subject area, other courses, and the world beyond school. Over the course of the five-year program, students develop a wide range of knowledge and skills.

The MYP also builds on the development of social skills from the Primary Years Programme. Students participate in community service activities as part of and in addition to class activities.

The key features of the Middle Years curriculum are:

• International perspective: in order to make the most of the diversity of background and experience of our students, Qatar Academy has chosen the MYP as it synthesizes the best practice from education systems around the world.
• Student-centered: our teaching methods take students' knowledge and skills into account; teachers use multiple strategies to meet the needs of our many different students.
• Integration: the subject areas are taught in separate courses, but teachers frequently use an integrated approach to strengthen student knowledge and build an understanding of the connections between each subject and real world topics.
• Assessment: student work is assessed against clearly defined criteria; teachers ensure that students are aware in advance of these criteria.
• The subject areas in the Qatar Academy MYP are:

At the beginning of the school year, Grade 10 students will complete the Personal Project, an exciting and challenging opportunity to work on a topic of individual choice under the supervision of a teacher.

For more information on the IB Middle Years Programme please visit the IB's website, www.ibo.org, or contact the MYP Coordinator. Email: cschwaberow@qf.org.qa

CS Programme Handbook 07-08