OVERVIEW

What is MYP Individuals & Societies?

MYP Individuals & Societies (I&S) is an interdisciplinary humanities subject that integrates History, Geography, Economics, and Social Studies within the IB's conceptual framework. It develops students' ability to understand how human societies function, how they have changed over time, and how global forces shape the world today. It is assessed against four criteria — Knowing & Understanding, Investigating, Communicating, and Thinking Critically — each marked out of 8. I&S requires students to analyse primary and secondary sources, construct extended written arguments, and apply concepts such as change, causation, globalisation, and sustainability to real-world contexts. At Improve ME, our I&S tutors help students develop the analytical and essay-writing skills that MYP rewards — and that feed directly into IB Diploma History, Geography, Economics, and Business Management.

MYP

Qualification

Ages 11-16

Age range

IB Middle Years Programme

Exam boards

COURSE CONTENT

MYP Individuals & Societies Course Content

Inquiry-led coverage with criteria-based success strategies and progress to DP.

History & Geography

Historical thinking — causation, consequence, change and continuity, significance, perspective
Source analysis — identifying origin, purpose, content, and limitations of primary and secondary sources
20th century history — World War I and II, the Cold War, decolonisation, the United Nations
Modern history topics — the Arab-Israeli conflict, the rise of China, civil rights movements
Physical geography — tectonic hazards, coastal systems, glaciation, weather and climate, ecosystems
Human geography — population, urbanisation, migration, development, resource management
Environmental geography — climate change, sustainability, water scarcity, biodiversity
Geopolitics and global interactions — trade, globalisation, political systems, international relations

Economics & Social Studies

Basic economic concepts — scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, market equilibrium
Economic systems — free market, planned, and mixed economies; their advantages and limitations
Development economics — measuring development (GDP, HDI), causes of poverty, aid and trade
Globalisation — economic, cultural, and political dimensions; winners and losers
Political systems and governance — democracy, authoritarianism, federalism, the role of international organisations
Human rights — universal declaration, case studies of human rights abuses, NGOs and advocacy
Cultural diversity and identity — religion, ethnicity, language, cultural interaction and conflict
Social issues — inequality, gender, migration, and social justice in a global context

MYP Assessment Criteria in Detail

Criterion A: Knowing & Understanding — demonstrating knowledge of the subject content; using relevant terminology accurately; applying concepts to explain events, issues, and developments
Criterion B: Investigating — formulating a research question; selecting, analysing, and evaluating a range of sources; developing a structured and coherent line of argument based on evidence
Criterion C: Communicating — structuring responses clearly and logically; using appropriate text types (essays, reports, source analysis responses); maintaining consistent academic register throughout
Criterion D: Thinking Critically — analysing and evaluating information from multiple perspectives; recognising bias and limitations in sources; drawing conclusions supported by evidence; making judgements about significance and impact

ASSESSMENT

Assessment Structure

We support criteria-based success with clear expectations, task planning, and consistent feedback aligned to MYP objectives.

Criteria

A–D (0–8 each)

Criterion A: Knowing & Understanding — subject knowledge, terminology, applying concepts to explain events and developments
Criterion B: Investigating — research question, selecting and evaluating sources, structured argument from evidence
Criterion C: Communicating — clear structure, appropriate text types (essays, reports, source analysis), academic register
Criterion D: Thinking Critically — multiple perspectives, bias and limitations, evidence-based conclusions, judgements on significance

Task types

Source Analysis & Extended Writing

Source analysis exercises — origin, purpose, content, value, limitations
Research-based investigations and extended essays (500–800 words typical)
No MYP eAssessment for I&S — all assessment is school-based and internally moderated

Skills

What We Build

Systematic source analysis framework that earns Criterion B marks
Extended response structure — thesis, paragraphs, developed analysis — for Criterion C
Critical evaluation and multiple perspectives for Criterion D

EXAM BOARDS

Assessment Framework

MYP Criteria

Inquiry Cycles

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TEACHING APPROACH

Our MYP Individuals & Societies Teaching Approach

01

Source Analysis Framework

We teach students a systematic approach to source analysis — identifying origin, purpose, content, value, and limitations — that directly maps to Criterion B marks and is applicable to any source type, whether primary or secondary, visual or written.

02

Extended Essay Structure

I&S assessments frequently require extended written responses of 500–800 words. We teach students to plan and write these responses with clear thesis statements, structured paragraphs, and developed analytical arguments — the exact format that earns top Criterion C marks.

03

Critical Thinking Development

Criterion D requires students to evaluate multiple perspectives and make evidence-based judgements. We deliberately challenge students with counterarguments and alternative viewpoints in every session, building the habit of considering complexity that IB rewards.

04

Concept-Based Teaching

MYP I&S is organised around key concepts (change, global interactions, systems) and related concepts. We explicitly teach students how to identify and apply these concepts in their responses — a skill that differentiates high scorers from average ones.

WHY CHOOSE US