How do I learn?  What am I interested in?  How can I help others?  How do I understand the world? 

The Middle Years Programme regards these questions as important for students to explore during their time in middle school.  In fact, the Middle Years Programme believes that students are the center of importance; their interests, their thoughts, and knowledge about their own learning are vital in order for education to be meaningful.  Therefore, after much research, the International Baccalaureate Organization designed a programme that helps teachers keep in mind what is important to students, while they teach important concepts, content, processes and skills. 

Global Themes (Areas of Interaction) Provide a Context for Learning
An interdisciplinary and holistic approach to teaching is facilitated through providing a context for student learning. Using five global themes called, Areas of Interaction, students are taught to connect what they are learning to thier personal lives, to other subject areas and to real-world issues.

A message to students about the five global themes:

The first theme is called approaches to learning.  This theme asks us to think about how we learn, how we think, and how we express what we are thinking.  During the year your teachers will teach you about different ways to learn and organize what you are learning.  They will also ask you to participate in reflection about how you learned.  The Middle Years Programme breaks this theme down even more.  Successful students know how important it is to stay organized and manage your time wisely.  Your teachers will help you learn how to organize both your notebook and your time.  But, it is up to you to make it happen!

The second theme is called community and service.  Being aware of and taking action in your community is a key part of being a good citizen of the world.  What communities do you belong to?  What needs do you see in them?  How can you help fill those needs?  You will participate in service to one or more of your communities this year.  Sometimes a teacher will sponsor an activity that helps a community; or, you can decide to do a service activity on your own.  Either way, you must think about the needs of the community, an action that fills a need, and then reflect on how providing a service impacted you  and the group of people you served.

The third theme is called environments.  While we are very good about caring for our friends and family, it is equally important for us to take care of our earth.  This theme asks us to think about the choices that we make and their impact on the natural, built and virtual environments.  This is often done in science classes especially when you learn about recycling or natural resources.  However, it should be something we think about more.  From very simple things, like what is the impact of littering on our school grounds to more complex ideas such as how do we make an environmental change happen through our local government system?  The health and safety of our planet is in your hands!

The fourth is a theme called health and social education.  Similar to environments, this theme asks us to think about the impact of our choices on our physical and mental health.  Health class should not be the only class in which you think and learn about healthy choices!  This is an idea you should consider daily, and in many different ways.  For example, have you ever thought about what people ate during the Revolutionary War?  Would their diet be considered healthy by today's standards?  What was the life expectancy of a healthy male or female in the late 1700's?  How does that compare to today?  These are interesting questions that might help you reflect on the choices that you make to be healthy.

Finally, the last area of interaction is called human ingenuity.  This theme asks us to think about the human ability to create, and how this sets us apart from other beings.  You will be asked to think about human creations and innovations over time, and to examine the impact of these contributions.  For example, think about how the computer has changed our world just in your lifetime!  You may be asked to think about how these creations could change in the future.  How will the computer be used differently in 10 years?  20?  Your ability to create and design will also be important.  How can you be creative?  How will your creativity change the world?

You will hear these themes discussed in all classes, at all grade levels.  In fact, teachers may center many of their lessons and units around one or more of these themes because they help make what you are learning meaningful.  You will also notice that teachers cross disciplines.  This means that you might be asked to talk, read, or learn about history in your English class.  Maybe your science teacher focuses on graphs that you have done in math class.  It is possible that you will play songs in band and orchestra that are from the time in history that you are studying!  This type of teaching is called interdisciplinary and it will help you understand the concepts that you are studying!