MYP IB Personal Project

Student Guide
2019-2020

Learner name: Supervisor name:

________________________________ _________________________________

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Contents
Introduction: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
i. What is the Personal Project? ............................................................................................................................... 6
ii. What can the aim of my project be? ......................................................................................................................... 7
iii. What Sort of Project Can I Do? ................................................................................................................................. 7
iv. PP is this…., PP is not….: ............................................................................................................................................ 8
v. Who will help me with my Project? ........................................................................................................................... 9
vi. My Notes ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
vi. PP Timeline ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
2. What Does the Personal Project Involve? ................................................................................................................... 14
Objective A: Investigating (Criterion A) ....................................................................................................................... 14
Objective B: Planning (Criterion B) .............................................................................................................................. 14
Objective C: Taking Action (Criterion C) ...................................................................................................................... 14
Objective D: Reflecting (Criterion D) ........................................................................................................................... 15
4. What do I have to Create for the Personal Project?.................................................................................................... 15
The Process Journal ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
The Product or Outcome ............................................................................................................................................. 15
The Project Report....................................................................................................................................................... 15
5. What will be assessed and How? ................................................................................................................................ 16
6. Starting the Personal Project: ...................................................................................................................................... 16
Step 1: Identifying the global context for the project ................................................................................................. 16
How can the Global Context Shape the Personal Project: .......................................................................................... 18
Step Two: Topic for Investigation ................................................................................................................................ 19
Step Three: Inquiry Question ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Sample Questions ............................................................................................................................................ 20
Step Four: Setting a Goal ............................................................................................................................................. 21
Step Five: Deciding on the outcome or product.......................................................................................................... 22
Step Six: Creating specifications .................................................................................................................................. 23

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 Step Seven: Organising ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Some Examples of Personal Projects:.............................................................................................................................. 24
Documenting the process: Process Journal ..................................................................................................................... 25
What should my journal look like? .............................................................................................................................. 26
How Can I Complete a Successful Project: ...................................................................................................................... 26
4. What is my supervisor’s role ? ................................................................................................................................... 27
5. Inquiry Cycle ................................................................................................................................................................ 28
6. My smart goal .............................................................................................................................................................. 29
Connecting Smart/Smarter Goals to the Personal Project .......................................................................................... 30
7. Creating criteria for the Goal: ...................................................................................................................................... 32
Creating criteria for the product/outcome ................................................................................................................. 32
8. Writing the Report ....................................................................................................................................................... 33
Format of Written Report:........................................................................................................................................... 35
Length of the report: ................................................................................................................................................... 37
Guiding Questions: .......................................................................................................................................................... 37
INVESTIGATING SECTION............................................................................................................................................. 37
PLANNING SECTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 38
TAKING ACTION SECTION ............................................................................................................................................ 38
REFLECTING SECTION .................................................................................................................................................. 40
Select sources: ............................................................................................................................................................. 41
You may use the following table to help guide you. You MUST record your answers in the Process
Journal. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Assessment Criteria: ........................................................................................................................................................ 43
13. FAQ’s ......................................................................................................................................................................... 45
Appendix 1 : Rationale..................................................................................................................................................... 47
Step 1 : Decision on the Global Context ...................................................................................................................... 47
Step 3 : Decision : Topic for Investigation ................................................................................................................... 49
Step 5 : Decision : The Outcome or The Product......................................................................................................... 49
Step 6 : Decision : Specifications ................................................................................................................................. 50
Appendix 2: Personal Project Contract............................................................................................................................ 51
PP Contract: Student ....................................................................................................................................... 51
PP Contract: Supervisor ................................................................................................................................... 52
PP Contract: PP Coordinator ........................................................................................................................... 53
Appendix 3: Plagiarism and Academic Honesty .............................................................................................................. 53
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Appendix 4: Personal Project Plan................................................................................................................................... 54
Student Reflections ......................................................................................................................................................... 55
I Think the Process Journal is….. ...................................................................................................................................... 56
My Understanding of the Personal Project is… ............................................................................................................... 57

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5
Introduction:
i. What is the Personal Project?

Have you ever wanted to write a song? Make an instrument? Create a

machine?
Well, now is your chance as you have the complete freedom to choose
whatever topic and project your heart desires. This is your chance to learn
something, be creative & innovative, take action, and develop old skills
and learn new ones.

The personal project is the culmination of your experiences in the MYP.

During the program you will have developed in many ways, it reflects all
the ATL skills you have developed from your earlier years of study and a good understanding of the
Global Contexts. If you choose the right personal project, it will give you the opportunity to share with
others something that is of great interest to you as an individual but that also shows some of what you
have learned as a result of being in the MYP.

It provides an excellent opportunity for you to produce a truly personal and creative work. The
personal nature of the project is important, as it should be based around a topic which motivates and
inspires YOU!

The Personal project consists of:

● a Process Journal,
● an outcome or product
● a report

Your project is incomplete if any of these three items are not submitted.

The Personal Project is similar to every other subject you study because you have to:

➢ complete a minimum of 25 hours of study over an extended period of approximately 6-8 months
➢ use many of the approaches to learning skills you have learned in your other subjects
➢ produce items
➢ undergo assessment

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The Personal Project is different from many of your other subjects because you have to:
➢ complete your investigation within a Global Context
➢ work independently throughout the course
➢ interact with an adult supervisor whose role is to provide guidance and advice only

This is a very valuable experience, which you should really enjoy.

ii. What can the aim of my project be?

The aims of the MYP projects are to encourage and enable students to:

❖ participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context

❖ generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth
investigation
❖ demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an
extended period of time
❖ communicate effectively in a variety of situations
❖ demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning
❖ appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments.

iii. What Sort of Project Can I Do?

Depending on your goal, you may choose one of the following types of projects. This list is not finite;
you could choose another type that will completely inspire you.

★ An original work of art (for example, visual, dramatic or performance).

★ A written piece of work on a special topic (for example, literary, social, psychological or
anthropological)
★ A piece of literary fiction (for example, creative writing)
★ An original science experiment
★ An invention
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 ★ The presentation of a developed business, management, or organizational plan that is, for
an entrepreneurial business or project, a special event, a campaign or the development of a
new student or community organization.
★ A video or computer game
★ A model
★ A debate
★ A file or video

iv. PP is this…., PP is not….:

Your Personal Project is something that:

★ has a clear and achievable goal

★ is focused on one Global Context
★ allows you to express a personal
message
★ is the result of your creativity and
ability to organise and plan
★ reflects your special interests,
hobbies, special abilities, or concerns
about particular issues
★ is entirely your own work—authenticity is very important and you will be required to sign a
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 document stating that the personal project is your own work
★ includes a process journal, an outcome or product and a report.

Your project must not:

★ be part of an internal assessment

★ take over your whole personal and social life, nor interfere with your studies, even though it
will involve many hours of work.

v. Who will help me with my Project?

You are responsible for your Personal Project. It is an investigation that you do alone to show your
skills as an independent learner. However, you are not entirely alone in doing the project. You will be
assigned a supervisor who will be available to offer you advice and guidance as and when you might
need it. Your supervisor can do a number of things to help you in the process including:

➢ Advising you on whether or not you are undertaking an achievable project

➢ Helping you to create a schedule for completing the project
➢ Discussing your global context and topic to ensure they complement each other
➢ Meeting to discuss and review your progress with your project
➢ Advising you should any part of your project start to present difficulties

Being an independent learner does not mean you have to work in isolation. In fact the best
independent learners recognise 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 other teachers in the school, your school librarian
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and your parents, friends and other adults. However, the work you do on the project must be your
own work.

vi. My Notes
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vi. PP Timeline

Date Steps by PP Specific Action ü Date / time/

School Steps venue

August 2019 PP Guide given Criterion A Steps of Friday 16th

to students finalize criterion A Aug 2019
Criterion B start finalize
discussed,
expectation
levels made
clear
Brainstorm/
finalize first
details/ Global
Context /
statements
Make entries
Decide on
format of
Process Journal

Sep 2019 PP Guide Need for 2nd Sep, 2019

provided outside Write questions
coordinators
Exemplars of PP for supervisor
assessed
shown to Discussion with
students, MYP
discussions coordinator
initiated.
Confirm with
PP coordinator supervisor for
initiates the being on track.
process
Start structured
PP timings set writing
up in the
timetable Time allocated
in study halls

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 with supervisors
Meetings begin

October PP internal Need for 11th Oct,

2019 standardization outside 2019
Discussion with
for supervisor coordinators MYP
assessed
Supervisors coordinator
inform PP Supervisor and
coordinator students set up
regarding their own
progress deadlines
Criterion C, D
complete First draft due
to supervisor

October Assessment by First draft Drafts handed Oct 18, 2019

2019 supervisor handed over over to PP
coordinator
Supervisor
after first
gives feedback
evaluation by
the supervisors
Draft returned

November Prepare samples Final Draft after Awards given November

2019 for monitoring changes and 2nd week.
Reflection
and dispatch requirements and evaluation 3rd week of
assessed with Nov
PP coordinator Work begins on
second draft
Second draft
Prepare samples initiated (final)
for monitoring Awards given
PP 4th week of
and dispatch
presentations Reflection November
and evaluation

December Final reports Work on the PP Start working As per

and end on PP requirement

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 products First prototype Media rooms
to be presented
by 2nd
December, 2019

January Exhibit School MYP Y5 January

organized to Community students to School
celebrate PP invited exhibit their PP Auditorium
and answer
questions.

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2. What Does the Personal Project Involve?

The objectives of the personal project define what the student will accomplish as a result of
completing the personal project. Students should develop a goal that they can accomplish, but which
challenges their knowledge, skills or techniques in an appropriate way. Goals should be achievable
based on the time and resources available. Some proposed projects may require overly complex
procedures or a process of learning that is too lengthy. Other projects may be too simplistic and
present no challenge to the student. Deciding whether a project is realistic or unrealistic for a student
will be based on discussions between the student, the supervisor and the coordinator.

Objective A: Investigating (Criterion A)

Students should:
i. define a clear goal and context for the project, based on personal interests
ii. Identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge relevant to the project
iii. Demonstrate research skills

Objective B: Planning (Criterion B)

Students should:
i. develop criteria for the product/outcome
ii. Plan and record the development process of the project
iii. Demonstrate self-management skills.

Objective C: Taking Action (Criterion C)

Students should:
i. create a product/outcome in response to the goal, context and criteria

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ii. demonstrate thinking skills
iii. demonstrate communication and social skills.

Objective D: Reflecting (Criterion D)

Students should:
i. evaluate the quality of the product/outcome against their criteria
ii. Reflect on how completing the project has extended their knowledge and understanding of the topic
and the global context
iii. Reflect on their development as an IB learner through the project.

4. What do I have to create for the Personal Project?

You must create three items:

➢ A process journal
➢ A product or outcome for display that shows other people what you did
➢ A project report

The Process Journal

Your process journal is the record of your involvement in the Personal Project process. It should record
all your ideas, your planning, your discussions, clippings of readings and concepts, diary excerpts,
meeting schedules and outcomes with your supervisor, photographs – whatever you do that is part of
the process should be kept in this document. You choose the format of your journal. It might be a
scrapbook, a notebook, an electronic site for example.

The Product or Outcome

The product you create is how you show other people what you have investigated. Apart from
your journal, which will be part of the display, you need to have some way of showing what you
produced or achieved for your goal. This might be the actual product such as a model, electronic
article, artwork or it might be visuals of the outcome such as photographs of an event you organized.

The Project Report

The MYP personal project report demonstrates a student’s engagement with his or her personal
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project by summarizing the experiences and skills recorded in the process journal. The report you
produce can be in different formats; it can be written, oral or in multi-media form. You will need to
think carefully about how you report your project and how you work best.

5. What will be assessed and How?

All of the three items are assessed: the use of the process journal, the product or outcome and the
projects report. Assessment for the MYP personal project is criterion-related, based on four equally
weighted assessment criteria. Your supervisor will use these four criteria to assess your project at the
end of the process, and will also invite other supervisors to check the result to ensure that it is
consistent with the international standard set for projects.

Please note that the Personal Project will be assessed throughout

the year and is not just a summative task at the end of MY5.

6. Starting the Personal Project:

The Personal Project requires significant steps. Please note that at every step, there is a rationale to
be written down and formats are provided for in Appendix 1.

Step 1: Identifying the global context for the project

The global context chosen by the student provides a context for inquiry and research for the project.
Students choose only one global context to define their goal. In most cases there may be links to other
global contexts, but the focus on one context will present opportunities that emerge through
(self-imposed) limitations and give a specific focus to the project. The global context helps the student
engage in a cycle of inquiry and a process that leads him or her from academic knowledge to
thoughtful, principled action.
Global Context Examples of Personal Projects
● Two sides of social networking; an
awareness campaign about digital
Identities and relationships citizenship and cyberbullying
Students will explore identity; beliefs and values; ● How online identities impact offline
personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual relationships; a research essay
health; human relationships including families, ● Keeping culinary traditions; a video series
friends, communities and cultures; what it means following family recipes with historical
to be human. relevance
● The effect of mass media on teenage
identity; a short film
Orientation in space and time
❖ The Euclidean space perspective of the
Students will explore personal histories; homes
universe; a 3D model
and journeys; turning points in humankind;
discoveries; explorations and migrations of ❖ Explorers in search of a new world;
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humankind; the relationships between and the
interconnectedness of individuals and
civilizations
from personal, local and global perspectives.
Personal and cultural expression
Students 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
Scientific and Technical Innovation
Students 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.
Globalization and sustainability
Students 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.
Fairness and development
Students will explore rights and responsibilities;
the relationship between communities; sharing
finite resources with other people and with other
living things; access to equal opportunities; peace
and conflict resolution.
immigration over the ages through visual
texts.
❖ The Mayflower and the dream of religious
freedom; a personal family history
❖ Charting a family history through archives
and a representational statue
➔ Video games as a form of cultural
expression; a short film using five video
games that shows how they are an
expression of our culture
➔ The art of miniature painting, what it
expresses and its understanding amongst my
peers
➔ Culture and self-expression through dance
at the local community arts centre; a
performance
★ What’s the matter with the anti-matter?;
an informational talk
★ Why are genetics and genomics important
to my health?; a media presentation
★ Can stem cells replace organ transplants?;
an investigative report
★ Nanofibers build stronger bikes; a
prototype bike with nanofibers
➢ The struggle for water in developing
countries; an awareness campaign
➢ The impact of the financial crises of
Europe and the European Economic
Community on the United States; a visual
presentation
➢ Education as the tool to change the future
of Peru; a workshop for adults
➢ The role of the developing countries in
protecting the tropical rain forest; a
collection of slides
❏ Supporting fair trade: an awareness
campaign for our school
restaurant/cafeteria to promote fair trade
❏ Open-market economies and their role in
fair trade; a talk for students
❏ Exploring the intersections of race and
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 inequality; a radio broadcast.

How can the Global Context Shape the Personal Project:

Here are two examples of how the Global Context can shape the PP focus:
Example #1: Hip Hop
Global context chosen Example of a project
Identity and Relationships Why does hip hop speak to me?

Explore the development of hip hop as a style of

Orientation in Space and Time
music across continents

Perform a hip hop song for peers and have a

Personal and Cultural Expression questions and answer session
about the song, inspiration, and development

Example #2 Solar Energy Devices

Global context chosen Example of a project

Design a 3D model of a solar device with

Scientific and Technical Innovation
instructions for construction

Investigate how, in history, different cultures

Orientation in Space and Time have made use of energy for
different needs

Debate Herve Kempf’s ideas about “how the

Globalization and Sustainability
rich are destroying the earth”

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Step Two: Topic for Investigation
Choose a topic for investigation that genuinely interests you. It is very important that your topic readily
relates to your chosen global context. You will certainly find that most topics can be investigated
within all six global contexts so the real challenge is to understand your topic within the context of any
ONE of the global contexts. This becomes the focus for your investigation.

Make a list of all of the things you currently do – school, sport, socially. Add to the list the things that
you enjoy – music, games, and activities. To this, add a list everything that you think is important to
you –
family, friends, and beliefs, fun. List out issues that you think are important to many people in your age
group fashion, cars. etc. Then add to the list the bigger issues that seem important to the community
that sometimes affect you – money, law, poverty, environmental issues, education, transport etc.
Now there are several lists of possible topics to investigate. Go through the lists and tick the topics
that are obviously connected to your choice of global context. Reflect on the ticked topics.
➢ Which one appeals to you the most?
➢ Which one fits in with what you already do?
➢ Which one will be challenging enough to keep you interested over several months?
➢ And then this is the hard part. Make a choice.

After careful consideration, talking to parents, family, friends, teachers etc. and weighing your options,
pick one topic.

Step Three: Inquiry Question

The inquiry process in MYP projects involves students in a wide range of activities to extend their
knowledge and understanding and to develop their skills and attitudes. These student-planned
learning activities include:
• deciding what they want to learn about, identifying what they already know, and discovering what
they will need to know to complete the project
• creating proposals or criteria for their project, planning their time and materials, and recording
developments of the project
• making decisions, developing understandings and solving problems, communicating with their
supervisor and others, and creating a product or developing an outcome
• evaluating the product/outcome and reflecting on their project and their learning.

As students become involved in the self-initiated and self-directed learning process, they will find it
easier to construct in-depth knowledge on their topic as well as to develop an understanding of
themselves as learners. The question should also demand inquiry, and not be a question that can be

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answered simply in a sentence or two.

Sample Questions
➢ What ingenious ideas will enable householders to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet?
➢ What can be done to improve access to all areas of our school for students with physical
movement disabilities?
➢ What factors and clever strategies enable a performer to excel in a performance?
➢ Is the school’s use of resources efficient or wasteful and what can be done to improve the
existing situation?
➢ What are the best environmental conditions for rearing cockatiels in captivity and why are those
conditions effective?
➢ How can I positively improve the current environment within my family’s home?
➢ What strategies and techniques can students use to more effectively manage and complete
homework?
➢ How might our school enable all students to become proficient with Information and
Communication Technologies?
➢ What could teachers do to make learning experiences more enjoyable and effective for Middle
School students at our school?
➢ Why is it important to train a dog and what are effective ways to achieve this aim?
➢ Is it important to have single gender classes at school or should everyone be in coeducational
classes all the time?
➢ What exactly is a healthy lifestyle and is it the same for everyone?
➢ Why is it important to have a school transition program for new students and what should it
involve?
➢ What actions should the general community take to enable older citizens to live safe and
comfortable lives?
➢ How can a person change the world for the better through service without spending money?

Talk to other people about your inquiry question ideas – your parents, friends, your teachers etc. Make
sure that the global context is obvious in the question or can be clearly connected to the question.
Then, make a decision. You can always edit your question later, but choose one now to get started
with your Personal Project and record it.

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Step Four: Setting a Goal

You should develop a goal that you can accomplish, but that challenges your knowledge, skills or
techniques in an appropriate way. Make sure that you can achieve your goal with the time and
resources available to you. Discuss your goal with your supervisor to make sure it is realistic and not
too simple or too complex. Refer to the chart below as a guide.

Challenging goal Highly challenging goal

A student documents his or her self-taught A student documents his or her neighborhood
skills of photography. through a photography exhibition.

A student creates a range of bags using

A student creates a durable bag using second-
second-hand materials to exhibit at the local
hand materials.
arts center.

A student writes an article on a topic of

A student writes and publishes an original
interest for a journal (school/academic/special
book-length feature on a topic of interest.
interest) and submits it to an audience.

Weak goal statements:

 I will analyze the Pakistani elections of 2018 by looking at demographics of voters based on
age, gender, and race.
Problem: The project is too big.

 I will teach myself to speak Greek.

Problem: The project is too vague.

Strong goal statements:

 Create a fully developed strategic plan for Learning alliance international to become a Green School
next school year.
Strengths: The statement is specific. A “fully developed strategic plan” and the timeframe is precise.
The topic of the plan is identified as is the audience who will receive the plan.

 Direct and produce a community performance of the musical Rent in February 2019.
Strengths: The goal is specific and will be verifiable when the play is presented as scheduled.

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 I will record on video a 10 minute culture show of three Learning alliance international cultural
events.
Strengths: The goal can be verified when it is presented. The number of events to be discussed is
specific.

Step Five: Deciding on the outcome or product

Now that you have the global context, topic and inquiry question in place, you need to think about
what your outcome or product will be; you have to decide the format that you will create to show your
response to other people.

How do you plan to answer your inquiry question? So for example, if your inquiry question is “What
exactly is a healthy lifestyle and is it the same for everyone?” In what form do you plan to answer this?
You decide that you will answer the question, for example, through producing an information board
for healthy living that will be displayed in an area of the school for a period of time. You might have
decided to answer it in another way such as creating a short film or writing a report for the school
online newspaper. You decided on a goal that you think is achievable for yourself as well as is
challenging.

You can choose from an almost endless list of possibilities for your product – choose to create an item
that will best demonstrate what you have learned through your investigation and will show other
people what you have learned.

Examples include:
Performances
play, dance, song, speech
Published writing
creative prose, collection of poetry, major essay, extended article, script, review
Events
Fund-raising evening, service in action, celebration, major event
Static visual displays
photographs, art, poster, model, artefact, drawings, statistical data
Interactive displays
website, video, audio-visual, animation
Depending on your project you might combine two or more of these ideas to create your product in
response to the inquiry question.

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Step Six: Creating specifications
You will need to create specifications for your outcome or product. The specifications are the way you
will know you’ve achieved your goal. You will need to ask yourself different questions in order to
define the specifications. The questions you ask might change depending on the type of outcome or
product.
Questions you might find helpful:
➢ What will my outcome or product look like?
➢ What type of materials will I use?
➢ What techniques will I use?
➢ What type of information will I include?
➢ How will I present the information?
➢ Will I include visuals?
➢ Do I need to consider any copyright or intellectual property issues?
➢ Who is the audience?
➢ How will I get feedback?

Step Seven: Organizing

With your global context, topic, inquiry question and specifications in place, you should take
time to plan your time over the period allowed for the Personal Project. Managing time is one of
the most crucial elements of the project. It is essential that you create a timeline of what you plan
to do. To help you plan, you should know that the Personal Project has at least five phases:

Think
This is the phase involving the first five steps – you develop your personal project concept through
your choice of global context, topic and inquiry question.
Investigate
This is the phase you will undertake next – you gather as much information as you can on your topic.
Plan
This phase is when you plan your response to the inquiry question – sorting through information and
designing your product or outcome.
Create
This is the phase when you actually create your product or outcome for the Personal Project
Present
Finally, you present your Personal Project for viewing and assessment.

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Therefore, it is good to plan ahead for these phases. Remember plans can change as circumstances
change, but by planning you give yourself clear goals and raise your awareness of the time you have
to complete tasks for the Personal Project.
The examples below provide illustrations of goals focused through specific global context, as well as
the specifications for the outcome or product. Some of the information is based on personal projects
that were completed by students.

Some Examples of Personal Projects:

Global context : Identities and Relationships

Goal of
Outcome
Topic Personal Specifications Process
or Product
Project
The article:
The student uses the focus of
• is of the length
approaches to learning to
agreed with the
Produce an consider how computer
magazine editor
Learning article for games can help learning. She
• includes the review Article on
how student/parent researches varied computer
of five computer computer
interactive magazine that games; surveys users and
games games
technology evaluates tests games.
• includes references published
can popular The student produces an
from in student
help computer article that reports her
research /parent
people games to learn findings.
• includes two magazine.
learn mathematics The student reflects on her
visuals
content. knowledge of how computer
• is written in an
games help with learning and
appropriate
their limitations.
language register.

Global context : Globalization and sustainability

Outcome
Topic Goal Specifications Process
or Product
To improve The location of the The student is interested in the
the school plants take into effect of environment on health Arrangement
Working
environment account health and how she can make a of plants in
environment
in a simple, and difference in her own school areas of the
and health
cost-effective safety policies of environment. school.
way. the school. Through the focus of
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 The plants are environments, she researches
easy to maintain. findings relating to health and
There is a range of environment in public buildings.
plants that The student identifies a way that
provides a mix of she can benefit the school
foliage and colour. enviro specific plants for certain
There is a system classrooms and public areas.
for ensuring the She discusses this with her
plants are cared school administration.
for. The student organizes a variety
of ways of receiving plants and
pots from parents and local
organizations.
The student organizes the
planting and arrangement of
plants in
rooms. She seeks feedback from
peers and teachers.
The student reflects on her
learning
both in relation to how
human-made environments can
be manipulated as well as her
own learning in managing such a
project.nment, which is
providing

Documenting the process: Process Journal

Your journal is a complete record of EVERYTHING you do for your Personal Project, from START to
FINISH. You should use your journal to store:
➢ Notes and ideas on your project global issue
➢ Concepts for your project
➢ Drawings, pictures, clippings, photographs
➢ Information gathered from your investigations
➢ Copies of interviews and discussions with people
➢ Plans for your project
➢ Reflections
➢ Timeline(s)

25
You should use your journal to make regular and detailed REFLECTIONS on your ideas, progress and
challenges. Record your responses to other people’s feedback, your good experiences and your
disappointments. Your journal will be the most important document in your Personal Project
experience, because from it you will be able draw all kinds of information you will need to write your
statement.

What should my journal look like?

“The process journal is a generic term used to refer to the record of progress maintained by the
student throughout the project. However, the media for documenting the process can vary depending
on student preferences. It can be written, visual, audio or a combination of these, and it may include
both paper and electronic formats. In the use of electronic/digital media, students are strongly advised
to make digital copies of their journals or to transmit copies of their journals to an online storage site.
Students will be familiar with the practice of documenting the development of their project in the
process journal and can draw on techniques used to document the arts process journal, the design
folder or similar workbooks in other subject groups. Students may develop their own format and
design, although schools can provide templates or examples to support students’ work.
The process journal is personal to the student, in the sense that he or she is also exploring ways of
recording his or her process. Students are not restricted to any single model of recording their process
journals. However, the student is responsible, through his or her use of the process journal, for
producing evidence of addressing the four objectives to demonstrate achievement at the highest
levels of the criteria.” (MYP Projects Guide 2014)
You choose your journal format. Choose a format that allows you to be organised and chaotic, tidy and
messy, because you will be putting scraps as well as good documents into it. You therefore can choose
from a number of formats - the one you feel will be the most effective for your style of learning:
➢ A web site
➢ A scrapbook
➢ A booklet
➢ Electronic booklet
➢ A wiki
➢ A blog

How Can I Complete a Successful Project:

Try the following steps to organize the steps you need to complete a successful project:

1. Create a calendar on a piece of poster board or on the computer that begins with today’s date and
ends when your project should be completed.

2. Complete your Process Journal using any format you are comfortable with.

26
 3. In your process journal, brainstorm all of the things that need to be done to complete the project:
interviews, appointments, book/internet research, rehearsals, phone calls, film editing, anything and
everything that will go into completing the project.

4. Using this list, fill in your calendar with action items for each week. Obviously, some items need to
take place before others, but you might also have to start some things earlier since they have multiple
steps.

5. Decide on 2-3 days a week that you will schedule 15 minutes or so to write in your process journal.
Mark these days with symbol of some kind on the calendar. On these days, write anything and
everything you can think of about your project: actions taken, thoughts/concerns/feelings, ideas,
conversations you have had, sketches, etc. Your supervisor will monitor your progress.

4. What is my supervisor’s role?

There is no “one answer” to a supervisor’s role

Meetings:

1. Set a regular meeting time with each candidate/ group.

The meeting does not have to be long; it is to check on progress, offer help and encourage effort.

2. Both the supervisor and the student should keep a record of these meetings.

3. Let the coordinator(s) know if students are not attending meetings or are not doing the assigned

work.

Process Journal:

4. Do a quick scan of the process journal at each meeting or check a digital version.

Check to see that the student DATES JOURNAL ENTRIES, and is progressing through the stages of the

project and is focusing on meeting the project objectives

The Product

5. Monitor whether the student is working to complete the product/ outcome (PP)product

The PP Report
27
 6. If you have questions about the content, development, or organization of any project, see the

coordinator(s).

7. Ensure that the product/ outcome is complete early enough that the students have time to

focus on the writing of the Personal Project report.

General Suggestions

8. Review the project at each step of the process, offer suggestions and support as necessary.

9. Review the criteria for evaluation on an on-going basis with the student.

Add your own comment what are the supervisor's duties and who is he/she?

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5. Inquiry Cycle
Inquiry cycle is a continuous process that you may go through many times before your project is
complete.

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6. My smart goal
A goal allows you to obtain an objective, but a fuzzy, vague goal has little likelihood of ever being
achieved. SMART is an acronym for a 5 step tool often used by businesses to create actionable plans to
achieve results. SMARTER is a seven letter variation on this tool. Each letter in SMART or SMARTER
refers to a different criterion for judging objectives to see whether they are clear and focused.

Term Explanation

Specific Make your goal SPECIFIC, rather than general. A specific goal will
usually answer the 5 “w”s: what do you want to accomplish, why
is it important, who’s involved, where is it going to happen, and
which attributes are important (identify requirements and
constraints)

Measureable This criterion stresses the need for measuring progress toward
the goal and of its completion. It will usually answer questions
like: how much, how many, how will I know when the goal has
been achieved.

Attainable This criterion emphasizes the need to keep the goal realistic and
attainable. The goal should neither be out of reach nor below
standard.

29
 Relevant Choose a goal that matters to you. Consider current conditions,
your interests, and the realities of your environment.

Time-based A goal should be grounded within a time frame.

Evaluated A good goal must be evaluated to see whether it has been met,
or to what degree it has been achieved. You figure out ways to
accomplish your goals by developing the attitudes, abilities, skills
and financial capacity to reach them.

Reflected-on Once the goal has been achieved (or not completely achieved),
think about what went well, or where problems arose and why.
What did you learn from the process?

Connecting Smart/Smarter Goals to the Personal Project

The Smart Goals process can be used in the Planning / Goal stage of the Personal Project

Consider the planning chart given below. The Smart goal set of tools will allow students to plan,
attempt to achieve their goal, and review the process afterward.

Planning Chart for Personal Project

Topic Goal Global Specifications Process Product or

Context Outcome
(Criteria)

General This List one List specific What steps What is the
area of statement Global criteria to will you thing you will
interest should be Context measure/ decide follow to do/ create?
precise and whether you meet your
(usually not
measureable have met your goal?
approaches
goal. Be precise
to learning)

Relevant: Measureable: Specific:

Specific: Relevant: the Specific:
the
student the student the student
student the student Some of the should focus on
should should ensure
should should focus “W”s will

30
 choose a on ensuring choose a goal that details in come into ensuring the
goal that the goal’s that matters the goal play here, goal’s language
matters language is to him/her statement such as , is precise and
to precise and provide a way to who’s narrow in focus.
him/her narrow in verify whether involved,
focus. the goal has where is it
been achieved going to Measurable:
happen, and the student
Measurable: which should ensure
Time-based: the attributes
the student that details in
goal will provide are
should ensure the goal
details about a important
that details in statement
the goal timeframe in (identify provide a way
which the goal requirements
statement to verify
must be and
provide a way whether the
achieved constraints)
to verify goal has been
whether the achieved
goal has been
achieved

Attainable:
The student
should choose
a realistic
goal. The
student
should
consider
factors such
as the time
and resources
available.

Smarter goals: Value is seen in the Achieving the Goal Stage and in the Reflecting Stage of the
Personal Project.

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 Step of Smarter Stage of Personal Project
Goal Process

Evaluated In the achieving the Goal stage of the project the student and
supervisor meet to decide whether most or all of the
specifications were met and whether the project was of high
quality

Reflected-on At the end of the project the student must reflect on how he/she
has learned more about the topic, the /area of Interaction, and
how he/ she has grown as a learner.

7. Creating criteria for the Goal:

You must define a realistic criterion to measure the quality of the project’s final outcome or product.
The criteria/specifications should be specific and clearly defined after the initial research.

Your supervisor will help you to work out the requirements for a good product. You could use tools like
rubrics or checklists to help you. All the criteria should be documented in the process journal.

You must document the criteria in the process journal and use it to assess the final outcome or
product.
Normally the criteria should be defined after you have spent some time researching the
goal.
Criteria should only be determined once you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve
and the proposed product or outcome of the project

Creating criteria for the product/outcome

As part of the goal, students must determine a final product/outcome of their project. The
product/outcome might be an original work of art, a model, a business plan, a campaign, a blueprint or
architectural drawing, an essay, a course of study, a debate, a film or some other work. Students must
define realistic criteria to measure the quality of the project’s final outcome or product. Working with
their supervisor, students decide what constitutes a high-quality product/outcome. Some appropriate
tools for setting standards and assessing quality include checklists or rubrics. Students document the
criteria in their process journal and use them to assess the final outcome or product.

Example:
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Project Idea: design a personal fitness programme to prepare for a half-marathon.

The project is aiming to increase fitness through a training schedule, with the outcome of
demonstrating increased fitness by successfully running a half-marathon.

Criteria for Success:

 a proposed running schedule with interim projected running times, and

 the final running time the student hopes to achieve in the half-marathon.
 The outcome might be documented through a fitness chart, diary entries, running times and a
series of photos of the actual marathon.

Example:
Project Idea: A student documents his or her neighborhood through a photography exhibition.
Criteria for Success:

 A clear artist statement explaining the vision and purpose and how they are reflected in the
photographs
 Aim to answer the question: What cultural identity does my community reflect?

 A minimum of 10 photographs that reflect the vision and interpretation of student’s community’s
culture and identity

 Each photograph must fulfill aesthetic criteria: appropriate use of shadow and light, color, focus,
composition

Usually, students will not be able to define the criteria until they have spent some time researching the
goal, and criteria should only be determined once students have a clear understanding of what they
want to achieve and the proposed product/outcome of their project. (MYP Projects Guide 2014)

8. Writing the Report

This is the part of the project where you will describe the whole process, analyse your research and all
the knowledge you have gained. The report, however creatively developed and presented, does not
replace the product/outcome of the personal project. A report aims to inform and explain the process
of the personal project in a concise form and usually consists of sections. Students must ensure that
the report meets the assessment criteria and conforms to the structure as outlined. This report has a
specific format, which is outlined below. You will be required to discuss your report with your
supervisor and look for feedback at every stage of this process.

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“ A report is a spoken or written account of something observed, heard, done or investigated. A report
aims to inform, as clearly and succinctly as possible. The MYP personal project report demonstrates a
student’s engagement with his or her personal project by summarizing the experiences and skills
recorded in the process journal.” (MYP Projects Guide 2014)

The report should be presented in identifiable sections, following the MYP project objectives -
investigating, planning, taking action and reflecting. The report must include evidence for all the
strands of all criteria. The format of the report for the personal project can vary depending on the
resources available and the interests of the students. Students should take into consideration learning
preferences, personal strengths and available resources when deciding on the best format for the
report. The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is essential to demonstrate the elements of
the report and reach the highest levels of the criteria.

Possible formats for the MYP personal project report are divided into four main areas: written,
electronic, oral and visual.

Format Length

English

Written 1500-3500 words

Electronic (Website, blog, 1500-3500 words

slideshow)

Oral (Podcast, radio 13-15 min

broadcast, recorded)

Viual (Film) 13-15 min

The report, however creatively developed and presented, does not replace the product/outcome of
the personal project. If the product/outcome of a personal project is in written form, such as an essay
or novel, this is considered as distinct from the project report.

A written report aims to inform and explain the process of the personal project in a concise and
succinct form and usually consists of sections with subheadings. Students must ensure that the report
meets the assessment criteria and conforms to the structure as outlined above.

An oral report can take many different forms such as podcast, interview and radio broadcast. Oral
reports must be recorded for internal standardization purposes and for possible submission to the IB
for moderation. Students may use notes, cue cards and visual support aids for an oral presentation.
34
Care should be taken to ensure that all elements of the report contribute towards the assessment
criteria.

The school and the student should determine whether an appropriate audience would be effective for
this format.

A visual report is usually a short film where the student addresses the key moments of his or her
personal project, informed by the entries in the process journal. The short film must be structured in a
manner that demonstrates his or her achievements in the development of the personal project.
Planning and time allocation for the filming process and subsequent editing should be taken into
account from the outset. An electronic report can take many different forms such as a website, a blog,
a Prezi, PowerPoint, or other slide show presentation. As in all other formats, students must ensure
that the electronic report meets the assessment criteria and effectively demonstrates his or her
engagement with the personal project. For students submitting multimedia reports comprising both
written and audio/visual formats, the maximum number of words and time of audio/visual
presentations correlate in the manner shown below:

Time (audio or audio-visual recording) Word limit

3 minutes And 1200-2800 words

6 minutes And 900-2100 words

9 minutes And 600-1400 words

12 minutes And 300-700 words

“As the report is a component of the MYP personal project, students should plan their time carefully.
Planning, drafting, rehearsing and preparing materials are all necessary steps, and students should be
aware of the amount of time required to complete the report. Students should be careful to ensure
that their report is a distinct component of the MYP personal project and is not a collection of process
journal entries.” (MYP Projects Guide 2014)

Format of Written Report:

The report must include:
 title page
 students name
 title of the project
 length ( word count)
 school name
35
  year
 table of contents
 Include page numbers in the report.
 body of the report
 Acknowledgements
This is a short paragraph where you thank your supervisor and any other people who
helped you with the project.

 Four sections with headings (include citations as appropriate)

a. Investigating
b. Planning
c. Taking action
d. Reflecting

The report must include evidence of all 4 steps.

 bibliography or reference list (Harvard Style Formatting)

 appendices
a. Photocopies of your 10 well-chosen process journal entries that highlight your ATL skills
b. Photos of the process of doing your project (optional)
c. Photos of the project itself (optional)
d. Other important documentation (speak with your supervisor)

You have access to a variety of information sources:

➢ Books
➢ Articles from magazines, journals, newspapers
➢ Web sites
➢ Expert people

You should use them all, initially, to find out as much as you can on your topic. Record all of the
sources you read, view, listen to, interview in your process journal. This will form a valuable resource
for later in the project process. Record bibliographic details of the books, magazines all other
resources. Citation for all bibliographic sources will be done in the Harvard Citation Style.

36
Length of the report:
The length of the personal project report must be a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 3,500
words, not including appendices and bibliography or reference list.

Guiding Questions:

These are questions you might use to help you think about your project when producing your report.
You don’t have to answer each question, but they can give you an idea of the type of information to
include. You need to be aware of the overall word or time limit for the project.

 What was the Global Context for your project?

 Why did you generally choose that Global Context?
 What specific features of the GC did you intend to focus upon in your project and why?
 What personal interest topic did you select?
 Why did this topic interest you?
 How much prior experience or understanding of this topic did you have?
 How does this interest or topic directly relate to your chosen Global Context?
 What goal did you set for your project?
 What specifications did you put in place to help you successfully complete your investigation
and your project overall?

INVESTIGATING SECTION
Developing Your Goal

 What is your project goal? How is this a challenging goal for you?
 Which global context did you choose? How did the global context shape the project
goal?
 What personal interests led to you doing this project?

What You Knew When You Started

 What relevant prior learning did you have about your project and/or the topic?
 What relevant subject-specific knowledge did you have about your project and/or the
topic?

37
Your Research Process

 Describe your research process to demonstrate EXCELLENT research skills.

 What sources did you use? How did you find them?
 How do you know your sources are credible? accurate? relevant? unbiased?
 What new understandings did you gain from your research?
 How did your research help you to complete your project?

PLANNING SECTION
Criteria for Success

 What criteria have you developed to assess the success of your project?
 Why did you choose these criteria?
 Why do you feel that it is rigorous?

Your Timeline & Process

 What was your timeline for creating your project?

 Did you stick to this timeline? Why or why not?
 What adjustments did you have to make to the timeline as you worked to finish the
project? Why?
 What time management strategies did you use to complete the project?
 What was easier for you to accomplish than you thought it would be? What was more
difficult than you thought it would be?

Your Self-Management Skills

 What roadblocks did you have as you worked to complete your project? How did you
overcome them?
 Were there times that you did not want to finish the project? Why did you keep going?
 Were there times that you got frustrated, angry, stressed out, etc.? How did you deal
with these emotions?
 Were there times that you thought that the project would fail? How did you deal with
this and persevere?
 Who did you turn to for help & support while doing the project?

TAKING ACTION SECTION

Your Thinking Process

 How did you demonstrate EXCELLENT critical thinking when creating the project?

38
  As you answer, consider the following but ONLY write about what you actual DID do
to:
o --formulate an argument?
o --interpret data?
o --evaluate arguments?
o --draw conclusions?
o --test conclusions?
o --develop questions?
o --analyze complex ideas?
o --synthesize ideas into a new understanding?
o --consider ideas from multiple perspectives?
o --propose new solutions?
o --troubleshoot?
 How did you demonstrate EXCELLENT creative thinking when doing the project?
 As you answer, consider the following but ONLY write about what you actual DID do
--use brainstorming & visual diagrams to generate new ideas?
--consider multiple alternative even if impossible or unlikely?
--propose novel solutions to problems?
--make unexpected connections?
--make guesses & ask “what if” questions?
--create original works or ideas?
--practice flexible thinking?

Your Communication & Social Skills

 Describe who you had to interact with in order to complete the project.
 Describe the positive interactions that you had.
 What kind of constructive criticism did you get while doing the project? Did you like getting this
feedback
 Did you have any conflicts with others while doing the project? If so, how did you resolve
them?
 What was the best interaction that you had while doing the project?
 How did you communicate with others?
 Did you talk, email, call, or use social media?
 Were any of these ways more effective?
 Describe ways in which you used your literacy skills to do the project:
 Reading
 Writing
 Listening
 Speaking

39
Application of Information:

 What exactly did you do to complete your project? What decisions did you make based on the
information you discovered? How did you solve problems? How did the information affect your
choices?
 Were there any specific techniques you developed as a result of your investigation?

Achieving the Goal:

 Did you adjust or alter your original goal as the project developed? If you made changes, why
did you make the changes? Do you feel that you successfully achieved your goal?
 Did you have to alter your specifications much during the process? Explain how effective your
specifications turned out to be overall and evaluate your product.
 What level of achievement would you award your product or outcome based on your
specifications? Does your supervisor agree with this?

REFLECTING SECTION

Your Evaluation of Your Project

 Based on your criteria for success, how well did you do creating your project?
 Fully justify your answer by referring to each of your criterion for success.
 If you fell short in meeting any of your criteria, explain why.
 If you were able to exceed any of your criteria, explain why.
 Overall how do you feel about the success of your project? Explain why.
 What would you do differently next time?
 What would your next steps be if you continued this project?

Reflecting on What You Learned

 By doing this project, how did you extend your knowledge and understanding of the topic you
chose?
 How did you deepen your understanding of the global context?
 How will you use what you learned in the future?

Reflecting on Yourself as an IB Learner

40
  How did you grow as an IB Learner by doing this project?
 Choose a few specific IB traits to discuss. You do NOT have to choose all 10 of them.
Only discuss the ones that most apply to you.
 Thinker
 Knowledgeable
 Caring
 Risk-taker
 Principled
 Inquirer
 Open-minded
 Communicator
 Balanced
 Reflective
 How will you be more successful in the future based on the learner profile attributes that you
developed by doing this project?
 What exactly did you learn from your investigation? What was your response to your inquiry
question? How did you reach your conclusion or hypothesis or point of view? What aspects of
your investigation really helped you to reach a better understanding of your topic?
 How well did you do the project, according to your self-assessment? What did you feel you did
well? What would you improve next time you do a similar project?
 What specific ATL skills did you need to develop/apply to investigate and complete your
project? What new skills did you learn, or what existing skills did you improve?
 What format did you use for your Journal and why was it your preferred format?
 What did you learn about yourself as a person through undertaking the project process?
 What action should be taken by yourself and others as a result of what you discovered through
your investigation? Why should that action occur? How might that action be implemented?

 What are your final thoughts about how doing this project benefited you as a learner and as a
person?

Select sources:
 What resources did you investigate for your project?
 Why did you choose them?
 Were some resources better than others?
 Did you have any difficulties finding or using resources?

 What printed resources did you use?

 Why did you use them?
 Where did you find them?
41
  How easy were they to obtain?
 What was valuable about them?

 What electronic resources did you use?

 Why did you use them? How did you access them?
 How easy were they to access?
 What was valuable about them?

 What human resources did you use?

 Why did you use them?

 How easy were they to meet or talk to?
 What was valuable about them?

 How did you make your choices about what information to use and what to discard?

 How did you evaluate your sources?

You may use the following table to help guide you. You MUST record your answers in the Process
Journal.

Who is the source’s author?

1. Credibility
What are the author’s credentials?
(Origin)
Who is the publisher?

What is the date of publication?

2. Currency
For websites, when was the site last updated?

3. Point of view or
bias What is the intended purpose?
(Purpose or Is it easy to make out the author’s opinions?
Limitations)

4. Coverage Is the work a primary or secondary source?

42
 5. Relevance and What have you learned from this source?
value How will it help you achieve your product/outcome?

Assessment Criteria:
Personal
7-8 5-6 3-4 1-2
Project
The student is able
The student is able
The student is able to:
to: The student is able
to: i. state a goal and
i. define a clear and to:
i. define a clear and context for the
highly i. outline a basic
challenging project, based on
challenging goal and
goal and context for personal
and context appropriate goal
the interests, but this
for the project, and context
project, based on may be
based on for the project,
personal limited in depth or
personal interests based on
interests accessibility
Criterion A: ii. identify prior personal interests
ii. identify prior ii. identify prior
Investigating learning and ii. identify basic
learning and learning and
subject-specific prior learning
subject-specific subject-specific
knowledge and subject-specific
knowledge knowledge,
that is consistently knowledge relevant
generally relevant but this may be
highly to some
to the limited in
relevant to the areas of the project
project occurrence or
project iii. demonstrate
iii. demonstrate relevance
iii. demonstrate adequate
substantial iii. demonstrate
excellent research research skills.
research skills. limited research
skills.
skills.
The student is able The student is able The student is able The student is able
to: to: to: to:
i. develop rigorous i. develop i. develop adequate i. develop limited
Criterion B:
criteria for the substantial and criteria for criteria for the
Planning
product/outcome appropriate criteria the product/outcome
ii. present a for the product/outcome ii. present a limited
detailed and product/outcome ii. present an or partial
43
 accurate ii. present a adequate plan and plan and record of
plan and record of substantial plan record of the the
the and development development
development record of the process of the process of the
process of the development project project
project process of the iii. demonstrate iii. demonstrate
iii. demonstrate project adequate self- limited self-
excellent self- iii. demonstrate management skills. management skills.
management skills. substantial self-
management skills.
The student is able The student is able
The student is able The student is able
to: to:
to: to:
i. create an i. create a
i. create a basic i. create a limited
excellent substantial
product/outcome product/outcome
product/outcome product/outcome
in response in response
in response to in response to
to the goal, global to the goal, global
the goal, global the goal, global
context and context and
Criterion C: context and context and
criteria criteria
Taking criteria criteria
ii. demonstrate ii. demonstrate
Action ii. demonstrate ii. demonstrate
adequate limited thinking
excellent thinking substantial
thinking skills skills
skills thinking skills
iii. demonstrate iii. demonstrate
iii. demonstrate iii. demonstrate
adequate limited
excellent substantial
communication and communication and
communication and communication and
social social
social social
skills. skills.
skills. skills.
The student is able The student is able The student is able The student is able
to: to: to: to:
i. present an i. present a i. present a basic i. present a limited
excellent substantial evaluation of evaluation of
evaluation evaluation of the the quality of the the quality of the
of the quality of the quality of the product/outcome product/outcome
product/outcome product/outcome against his or against his or
against his or against his or her criteria her criteria
her criteria her criteria ii. present ii. present limited
Criterion D: ii. present excellent ii. present adequate reflection reflection on
Reflecting reflection on substantial on how completing the
how completing the reflection how completing the project has
project has on how completing project has extended his or her
extended his or her the project extended his or her knowledge
knowledge has extended his or knowledge and understanding
and understanding her and understanding of the topic
of the topic knowledge and of the topic and the global
and the global understanding and the global context
context of the topic and the context iii. present limited
iii. present global iii. present reflection on

44
 excellent reflection context adequate reflection his or her
on iii. present on development as an
his or her substantial his or her IB learner through
development as an reflection development as an the project.
IB on his or her IB learner through
learner through the development as the project.
project. an IB learner
through the
project.

13. FAQ’s
1. What is the personal project?

● It is a significant piece of work produced over an extended period- about one year.
● It is a product of a student’s own initiative and must reflect their experience of the MYP
especially the links to the Global contexts and ATL skills.
● This is their opportunity to undertake something truly personal and creative.
2. When do students begin the personal project?

● Students begin the personal project when they start Year 5 of MYP.
● The approaches to learning skills learned in all of their subjects from MYP Y1- MYP Y5 are used
for their personal project.
● At the end of MYP Y 4, students receive a brief overview of the project, which students
complete in MYP Y 5.
● They should use the time after MYP Y4 to plan what they would like to do so that they have
enough time to plan and execute the project over a year.
3. How should students choose a personal project?

● Students should look first to the Global Context and choose one related to their project.
❖ Which one do they find inspiring?
❖ Which one asks questions that they find interesting?
● They should then consider their hobbies, talents, interests, dreams, loves and passions.
● They should receive guidance from a supervisor in making their final decision.
4. How do the supervisors help with students’ personal projects?

The personal project supervisor meets regularly with students to guide them in making decisions
about their project. The supervisor will also provide guidelines about staying focused. Students may
ask their supervisor for help when they struggle for ideas or experience difficulties.

5. When do students work on their personal projects?

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 ● They should work on their projects in their free time. Students should plan this carefully.
● The project should not destroy a student’s social life!
6. How is the personal project assessed?

● Like all subjects in the MYP, the personal project is assessed using published assessment
criteria. These are used all over the world by every IBO school that offers the MYP
● Samples of the personal projects will then be sent to an external moderator- appointed and
trained by the IBO academic office. This ensures that all MYP schools use exactly the same
standards.

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Appendix 1 : Rationale
Step 1 : Decision on the Global Context

The GIobal context I will use as the context for my Personal Project is:
____________________________________________________________________________________

I have chosen this GLOBAL CONTEXT because I want to explore…

____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________

Step 2 : Decision the Topic

MY CURRENT ACTIVITIES ( Make a list of all of the things you currently do – school, sport, socially.)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT AND RELAXATION (Add to the list the things that you enjoy – music, games,
activities.)

_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME (Add to the list everything that you think is important to you – family,
friends, beliefs, fun.
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT ISSUES AND MATTERS TO PEOPLE MY AGE (Add to the list the issues that you think are
important to many people in your age group- parties, fashion, cars. etc.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT ISSUES AND MATTERS TO THE WORLD (Then add to the list the bigger issues that seem
important to the community that sometimes affect you – money, law, poverty, environmental issues,
education, transport.)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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Step 3 : Decision : Topic for Investigation
The topic I will investigate for my Personal Project is:
____________________________________________________________________________________

I have chosen this topic because…

____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Step 4 : Decision : Inquiry Question

The inquiry question to which I will respond for my Personal Project:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Step 5 : Decision : The Outcome or The Product

The outcome or product for my Personal Project is:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Step 6 : Decision : Specifications

The specifications for my outcome or product are:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix 2: Personal Project Contract

PP Contract: Student

I, ___________________________, understand that I have the right to:

 Have clear guidelines about the formal presentations of the Personal Project and assessment
criteria from the Personal Project Coordinator.
 Receive training and support during the research process from the Personal Project
Coordinator & Librarian.
 Receive guidance and advice from my supervisor

I understand that I also have the responsibility to:

 Make & keep appointments with my supervisor

 Attend briefing sessions arranged by the Personal Project Coordinator
 Keep to deadlines
 Work steadily throughout the period
 Consult supervisor or Personal Project Coordinator as soon as I realise I have a problem
 Acknowledge all sources of information and ideas in an approved academic manner.
 Spend a minimum of 25 hours in total on this work.

Signature: ________________________

Date: ___________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

PP Contract: Parent/ Guardian

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I, _________________________, parent/ guardian of _______________________ understand that:

● The student is expected to spend a minimum of 25 hours on this work, which is not timetabled
● The student is expected to meet all deadlines
● The students will need to follow all norms of academic honesty in the entire process
● The student will need to consult academic works and may need to go to libraries or conduct
fieldwork etc in their own time

Signature: ________________________ Date: ______________________

___________________________________________________________________________

PP Contract: Supervisor
I, __________________________, agree to supervise this student and:
● Ensure the chosen MYP project topic satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard to
health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues
● Provide guidance to students in the process and completion of the project
● Confirm the authenticity of the work submitted
● Assess the MYP project using the criteria in this guide
● Participate in the standardization of assessment process established by the school
● The students follows all norms of academic honesty in the entire process

Signature: _________________________ Date:_________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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PP Contract: PP Coordinator

● I agree to co-ordinate the supervision and final submission of the Personal Project for this
candidate
● Provide details of the requirements for formal presentation
● Support students in the acquisition of research and study skills
● Allocate a supervisor
● Be available for consultation if problems arise
● Provide the supervisor with all the available material

Signature: ___________________________ Date: ____________________

Appendix 3: Plagiarism and Academic Honesty

The work in the Personal Project must be your own. You and your supervisor must use the academic
honesty form provided by the IB to note your meeting dates and the main points discussed and to
declare the academic honesty of work. (Available with the PP coordinator)
If you plagiarize (copy) someone else’s words without acknowledging where they came from, you will
fail. You will also fail if you copy someone else’s personal project and will be required to do a new
personal project under the guidance of the same supervisor. This is a very serious offence.
The consequences of plagiarism and cheating are based on the school’s Academic Honesty Policy.

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Appendix 4: Personal Project Plan

Project Title

Student Date/ Duration of Project

Goal: Formulate a statement that clearly shows your goal, based on your personal interests.

What is the purpose of the goal? What do you hope to achieve?

Global context: Identify the global context.

Identify which part of the global context you will Explain why you have chosen it, justifying the
focus on. relevance of your inquiry.

Product/outcome: What product/outcome will you create in response to the goal, global context and
criteria?

Product:
Specifications: Which criteria will ensure my product/outcome is of excellent quality? How will I evaluate it?

Research: Media Surveys:

What do you have to
research? Be specific
and list how you will Interviews Observations & experiences:
collect all the
information you
need.
Process Journal: How will you record the significant findings and development of the process? Specify type of
format.

Report: How will you report it? Written/digital format/mixed media/oral presentation

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Student Reflections

Name of the Student ___________________________________________

What are the 3 main things that you will take away from this session
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
Your understanding of what is the way forward with reference to what needs to be done for the
Personal Project
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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I Think the Process Journal is…..

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My Understanding of the Personal Project is…

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