Hello everyone, 

Greetings from the south of Germany where we are full-swing in pumpkin season and still enjoying warm days as Autumn approaches.

Welcome to the September 2024 Newsletter and welcome back to the new school year for everyone in the northern hemisphere. Please see below for some of the latest additions to the InThinking MYP Language & Literature website.

You are invited to join the website subscribers Whatsapp group for quick answers to your MYP L&L questions and to stay in the loop with new resources! This offer is available only to subscribers of the website and you must include your full name in your Whatsapp name.

You can also keep up to date with resources as they are published by following us on the following social media platforms:

Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Twitter

What's New on the Website in September?

NEW Global Goals Series of World Literature Reading Lists

One of the subscribers to the site contacted me and asked for a series of World Literature Reading Lists based around the United Nations Global Goals to add to the existing series of eight World Literature reading lists on the website. Part 1 was published a couple of weeks ago and Parts 2-8 will follow over the coming weeks. 

World Literature Reading List - Global Goals (Part 1)

This is the ninth in the series of World Literature reading lists. The list focuses on texts that connect with two of the United Nations Global Goals: No Poverty and Zero Hunger. Authors from all over...

Unit Planning Resources

Recently, we updated some of the unit planning resources on the site. Below is a selection of useful webpages that explain each stage of the unit planning process. If you have questions about any aspect of unit planning, either add them at the bottom of one of the webpages below or join the above Whatsapp group, and I will be delighted to provide you with answers.

Key Concepts

Key and related concepts are central to every MYP unit. Sixteen key concepts act as connectors to transfer big ideas between subjects and subject groups. In addition, there are twelve Language and Literature...

Related Concepts

Related concepts, along with key concepts are central to every MYP unit. There and 12 Language and Literature specific related concepts that develop the depth of students' conceptual understanding in...

Global Contexts

There are six global contexts that guide students’ inquiry into key and related concepts in the context of our global common humanity. Global contexts identify specific settings, events and circumstances...

Writing Statements of Inquiry

The statement of inquiry combines the key concept with the related concepts and the global context exploration to create a central focus for each Language & Literature unit. Students inquire into the...

Inquiry Questions

Inquiry questions support students' curiosity in the unit topic both from an intellectual and interest perspective. They help to structure our students' factual and conceptual thinking processes during...

Planning Summative Assessment

Once you have chosen the topic of your unit and planned the statement of inquiry, the time has come to begin planning teaching and learning with the end in mind. Planning the performances of students'...

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is an integral part of the assessment process. Throughout the process of teaching and learning teachers use a variety of methods to assess students' progress and plan for their future...

Choosing ATL Skills

By engaging with approaches to learning skills, our students develop relevant skills across the curriculum and help them “learn how to learn”.

Differentiation

Differentiation is tailoring your teaching to the different needs of your students to ensure they have equal access to learning. It can take the form of altering the content of units, the process of teaching...

Service as Action

During our Language and Literature units, we create opportunities for students to connect authentically their learning with the real world locally, nationally and globally. We introduce students to global...

Unit Reflection

The Reflection section of the unit planner is a place where teachers reflect on significant aspects of the unit before, during and after teaching it.Reflection questions offer an opportunity for teachers...

Subject Group Overviews

Subject group overviews provide a comprehensive summary of each unit, including key/related concepts, global context explorations, ATL skills and subject-specific objectives. They ensure a coherent educational...

Enhance your classroom with our ready-to-teach unit plans and lessons to go resources

There are over 30 ready-to-teach unit plans with lessons-to-go resources on the website. A New Unit is planned to be added or updated on the website each month. The units below have been updated or added recently:

Writing my autobiography

Students begin by reading and discussing extracts of autobiographical writing. Possible focuses for this unit include a wide range of topics such as autobiographical writing by human rights activists,...

Text to Go: Extract from 'Boy' by Roald Dahl

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl vividly tells the story of Roald Dahl's childhood in a way that is both engaging and relatable to students. Through a series of humorous and sometimes poignant anecdotes,...

Magical Realism

Magical realism is a genre of literature that depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic or fantasy. It is one of the most unique literary movements of the last century. While most commonly...

Text to Go: Like Water for Chocolate

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic...

Speeches of our Time

Words are powerful and put in the hands of skilful orators, they can inspire, heal and change our world. Reading, watching and studying the rhetorical techniques speakers use to build and support their...

Text to Go: Greta Thunberg Speech

Here's the full transcript of Thunberg's speech, beginning with her response to a question about the message she has for world leaders."My message is that we'll be watching you."This is all wrong. I shouldn't...

Do your students have access to the website yet?

A few schools have already signed up for student site access. One of the valuable aspects of the website is the possibility for teachers to create class groups and student assignments within the website environment. Teachers can assign pages for students to study and formative quizzes and summative assessment tasks for completion on the website. These features simplify the teaching and learning process, including setting and marking student assessments, recording student achievement and providing feedback.

In the short video below, I explain how to set up classes for your students:

Setting up student access

We value your input

A heartfelt ❤️ thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments about the site in recent weeks. Your suggestions and feedback aren't just appreciated; they are crucial for the website's evolution and growth. I welcome your thoughts, queries, resource recommendations, or suggestions at any time. I am particularly interested in your ideas for new sections of the website and new units you would like me to create.

Please feel free to leave your comments in the box at the bottom of each page - I aim to respond within a day.

Warm wishes,

Kate Beatty