Get started with MYP Design! If you have a science or STEAM background and are new to MYP Design, this post should help you understand how to develop MYP design project ideas from science. The information targets upper elementary and middle school teachers, but higher grade levels can benefit as well.
Many teachers who teach MYP Design for the first time, need ideas. If you inherit units from a previous teacher, you may want to use these MYP Design project ideas. If you want to feel more ownership and investment in the teaching, you may want to develop your own units, but it takes time to develop lessons. Science teachers can harness their knowledge of setting up experiments to teach MYP Design (e.g., engineering a paper water tank).
A background in science provides teachers with solid skills to teach MYP Design. Science teachers have lots of experience following a process (scientific method), gathering data, and evaluating results–these skills help with the design process. Although science and design are not the same, they share similarities.
What is MYP Design?
MYP stands for Middle Years Program and is part of the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) educational program. The IB’s goal is to foster curious, informed, self-confident, and caring students.
In the MYP Design Program, students have a chance to explore and learn more about design principles and design thinking. Through MYP Design lessons, students have the chance to use design thinking to develop their own projects.
To create a design project, students first target a problem and research it. They then brainstorm ideas by using a creative tool such as a brainstorming exercise or inspiration from things around them. Next, students choose their best idea and visualize their design concept on paper or digitally on a computer. Students also create a mockup or prototype of their designs to best determine how it could solve the problem and possibly how it would actually work in the real world. Finally, students evaluate the success of their solutions.
Image Credit: http://anwatindesign.weebly.com/
What are the 4 Steps of the MYP Design Cycle?
The MYP Design Cycle uses four logical steps (called “criterion”) to guide students through the entire design process. Each criterion has four parts called “strands.” The cycle can be repeated to improve upon the solution to the problem. The four MYP Design Cycle Criteria are:
- A – Inquiring and Analyzing – Define and research a design problem
- B – Developing Ideas – Brainstorm and develop ideas to solve the problem
- C – Creating the Solution – Plan and build a prototype
- D – Evaluating – Test and evaluate the solution
How Do I Teach MYP Design?
The design projects for MYP are a great way to implement a variety of design skills. With these projects, students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the MYP curriculum. Students achieve a greater understanding of how design can be used as a tool to communicate ideas that solve problems.
Some student MYP Design project topics could be:
- a dream house plan for a grandparent
- an animated public service announcement to promote cyber safety at school
- a water tank prototype from simple materials
- a gift from upcycled plastic for a family member
Scientific Method vs Design Process
If you are using MYP Design project ideas from science, it’s important to compare and contrast the scientific method and the design process. The scientific method is a process of developing knowledge about our world. It is based on empirical evidence and involves testing hypotheses to come to conclusions. The design process, on the other hand, can be more like an art form than the scientific method. MYP Design includes coming up with all kinds of ideas and making prototypes of these ideas before deciding which ones are worth pursuing further.
Within the MYP Design Cycle steps, students and teachers can use different methods for designing products or services. These methods include but are not limited to: the scientific method, brainstorming, and rapid prototyping. Most designers would agree that there are pros and cons for each of these methods.
How is the Design Process Different from the Scientific Method?
Designers use a process that can be different from the scientific method. They are guided by the methods of design thinking (which parallels the steps in the MYP Design Cycle) in order to create solutions that are useful for an individual or group of people. Design could solve a problem for plants or animals too.
Designs are almost always subjective in nature. Maybe because what is considered a problem-to-be-solved is determined by the eye of the beholder! Designs need to be tested against design specifications and these requirements could be subjective as well. Scientists, using the scientific method, make great efforts to control certain variables to look for accurate cause and effect relationships between other variables.
How is the Design Process Similar to Scientific Inquiry?
MYP Design is a process of creating and exploring possibilities to solve a problem. It’s also a process of making decisions based on research and evidence and then testing those decisions to see if they work sufficiently.
Designers often leverage the scientific method as a metaphor for design. The scientific method is a set of steps that scientists take to explore and test their ideas about our physical world. They observe, hypothesize, experiment, analyze data, and then draw conclusions. These steps are not always followed in the same order or with the same emphasis when using design thinking.
MYP Design Project Idea from Science
An easy fit for an MYP design project developed from a science experiment would fall into the category of engineering design. This means the science experiment to reference should be in the area of physical science for a smooth connection to design.
A typical MYP unit lasts about six weeks. The KIS International School reports that their MYP units can span from four to ten weeks long. Unit length should be kept in mind if you’re going to conduct the scientific experiment within the steps of the MYP Design Cycle. Even if you’re not new to MYP Design, the process from beginning to end can seem long, especially for students new to design (e.g., grade 6).
A science experiment fits well into Criterion A – Inquiring and Analyzing. Specifically, in the second strand of this criterion, students in MYP Design identify and prioritize the research needed to solve the problem. Here, students can use the data from a physical science experiment as their research. If time allows, students can conduct the full experiment. Criterion A does benefit from hands-on experience, and a hands-on experiment here would probably improve student engagement in this inquiry and analysis phase.
Examples of a Physical Science Experiment
Physical science experiments can be expensive and time-consuming. But there are some low-budget, quick experiments that can yield valuable results. Easy-to-do, low-budget experiments can be done at home or in a classroom with simple materials and minimal equipment. They require very little cost and time to complete and they provide valuable information about how the world works in ways that may not have been thought about before.
The Paper Helicopter Experiment is a good example of a simple, inexpensive science experiment that can be done at home or school. In this example, the researcher is looking at the cause and effect relationship between the helicopter blade length and the time aloft. The specific scientific inquiry question is:
Does changing the blade-length-to-body-height ratio of a paper helicopter affect how long it stays in the air?
MYP Design Cycle Example
An MYP Design unit that can be most easily developed from a science experiment would be based around an engineering design problem. Many engineering scenarios center around efficiencies and tradeoffs. Tradeoffs involve giving up one desired quality in exchange for another desired quality. In other words, tradeoffs tend to offset each other, and a balance between competing and desired design characteristics should try to be achieved.
A typical engineering problem is to build something as strong as possible with the least amount of materials, such as a bridge. Ideally, successful engineering solutions solve problems completely (i.e., meet all the design specifications) with minimal resources.
The paper helicopter experiment tests blade length’s effect on drop time. An MYP Design unit should benefit from the knowledge gained in this experiment and extend naturally into an engineering design problem. The concept of tradeoffs can help frame the design problems.
MYP Design Problem
The MYP design scenario example developed from a science experiment should provide students with an authentic design experience and offer a productive struggle with tradeoffs. By requiring two design specifications that set targets for a paper helicopter’s flight time and drop accuracy, this experience can be achieved.
MYP Design projects center around a problem to be solved. The problem is essentially the goal. The engineering design problem for a paper helicopter would be to create a prototype that reliably:
- Stays aloft for as long as possible (i.e., drops slowly)
– AND –
- Descends as straight down as possible (i.e., lands accurately)
The key term here is “reliably.” Can these two goals be achieved over and over consistently? Multiple trials for each helicopter would be needed during the evaluation phase to ensure the data are truly representing the results.
Typically, some students will be able to create a helicopter that descends very slowly–probably with a design that tends to have longer blades and a shorter tail. This slow-descending model tends to be unpredictable and can veer off course during any trial. A longer-tailed and shorter-bladed paper helicopter will descend predictable straight down, but sacrifice time aloft to do so. Helicopters with more than two blades are sometimes explored as well.
MYP Design Scenario
A simple MYP Design project ideas for the paper helicopter tradeoff problem could look like this:
- Goal – To create a paper helicopter prototype that reliably: 1) Stays aloft for as long as possible (i.e., drops slowly); and 2) descends as straight down as possible (i.e., lands accurately).
- Role – You (the student) are training to be a junior aeronautical engineer at NASA working on terraforming Mars.
- Audience – Your NASA bosses are evaluating your helicopter engineering skills to help deliver important technology safely to Mars.
- Situation – Expensive, essential, and delicate technology is needed at a precise location on Mars to begin terraforming. Only a specially designed helicopter can complete this mission. One that both descends slowly and accurately.
- Product – A paper helicopter prototype shall be made from an entire one-half piece of letter paper. The paper to be used measures 5.5 by 8.5 inches (14 by 21.6 centimeters).
- Standards for Success – The paper helicopter prototype shall stay aloft as long as possible and descend as straight down as possible.
Download the illustrated version of the GRASPS as slides:
If you want flight data as a reference, download student trial data generated during Criterion A. These student-generated data come with paper helicopter activity questions:
MYP Design Lesson – An Introduction to the Design Cycle
If your class is just getting started with MYP Design, then consider spending one week going through the four criteria of the MYP Design Cycle as a warm-up to longer units. Here’s an outline of how to become familiar with the Paper Helicopter Design Tradeoff Problem:
- Criterion A – Discuss the who, what, and why of the GRASPS: What are you making? Who is it for? Why are you making it? There’s almost too much information online about paper helicopters, so consider making a curated set of links to focus students’ research on the design problem. Consider some hands-on investigation as well with paper helicopters.
- Criterion B – Brainstorm as many solutions as possible to meet the standards for success (essential design specifications). Sketch and annotate the best idea.
- Criterion C – Creating the Solution – In groups, have students choose the best idea and build one prototype per group for official testing.
- Criterion D – Test each group’s prototype as many times as possible. Gather drop-time data and target accuracy data for each trial. Summarize the data for each group (e.g., mean and standard deviation). Use the data to evaluate how each helicopter performed in terms of drop time and accuracy.
If possible, repeat the process, using the data from Criterion D to inform the inquiry and analysis in Criterion A.
Another short example of MYP Design with an engineering focus is the Paper Airplane Design, Data, and Discovery post. This mini-unit takes about one week to complete (three classes of about one hour).
MYP Design Testing Methods
The MYP Design Teacher Support Material resource was developed to assist with the 2014 MYP Design Guide. It classifies testing methods conducted in Criterion D into five areas:
- Expert Appraisal
- Field Trial
- Performance Testing
- User Observation
- User Trials
For the Paper Helicopter Design Tradeoff problem, performance testing is needed to properly evaluate the success of the solution. Set up the launching areas and calculate flight times as described in the Paper Helicopter Experiment. Accuracy can be measured with a centered target combined with a 1 cm grid overlay placed on the floor.
from the Cieling
above the Floor with Tape
To accurately place the target below the launch point, hang a mass (e.g., paperclip) on a thread from the ceiling to directly above the floor, then mark the floor. This mark will be the center of your target. The eventual drop height of 200 cm works well to test for the optimal relationship between blade length and accuracy.
If you want to convert the time aloft and accuracy into one metric, make sure you’re not dividing by zero. For example, if we define the tradeoff metric to be flight time divided by accuracy, then accuracy can never be zero. In this case, accuracy should be defined as the furthest part of the helicopter to the target’s center. The higher the tradeoff metric, the more successful the design.
MYP Design Lesson – Full-length Unit
A full-length, six-week-long MYP design lesson is possible with the paper helicopter. Covering every strand will allow you to go deep into the process on a very low budget. A full-length design unit may feel process heavy and can seem to require a lot of writing. If you can find other forms of how students can show what they know (e.g., vlog) and your MYP program coordinator allows it, consider these options for students to communicate their thinking as you go through the design cycle.
One MYP Design example that is a full-length unit and is engineering-focused is the paper water tank. The paper water tank design problem requires students to build a water tank from a minimum amount of newspaper, Popsicle™ sticks, and tape to hold 200 mL of water for three minutes.
This MYP design unit covers each of the 16 strands of the MYP Design Cycle and is a model for a full-length MYP design unit. In addition, Criteria A, B, C, and D can serve as templates for an engineering-based MYP design lesson such as the paper water tank.
There are additional elements to a full MYP Design lesson that help students go deeper into understanding. Also, at some point, your school’s MYP program coordinator will probably require you to create and document an MYP unit, which can be referred to as an MYP unit planner. These broader elements will probably need to be documented in the planner. Global contexts, key concepts, and a statement of inquiry are the interrelated specific elements to add relevance for students in an MYP unit.
Global Contexts
These contexts help teachers reference real-world examples outside of the classroom. The MYP Design Guide lists six global contexts:
- identities and relationships
- orientation in space and time
- personal and cultural expression
- scientific and technical innovation
- globalization and sustainability
- fairness and development
Key Concepts
In MYP Design, the key concepts are communication, communities, development, and systems. These four broad categories of concepts represent one-fourth (16 total) of all of the key concepts in the MYP Program. According to the MYP Design Guide, “Key concepts provide a framework for design, informing units of work and helping to organize teaching and learning.”
Statement of Inquiry
The statement of inquiry attempts to capture the importance of the lesson succinctly. The design problem is derived from the statement of inquiry and presents the essence of the project. The MYP Design Guide (2014-15) explains: “Statements of inquiry set conceptual understanding in a global context in order to frame classroom inquiry and direct purposeful learning.”
The statement of inquiry should come across as timeless and universally transferable. In other words, the concept put forward should feel essential for all learners and worth knowing in general. Factual, conceptual, and debatable questions help students explore and understand the statement of inquiry. These questions can be part of the inquiry and analysis in Criterion A.
Adding Context to the Paper Helicopter Design Tradeoff Problem
For the Paper Helicopter Design Tradeoff Problem, the MYP Design elements would be:
- Global Context – Scientific and Technical Innovation
- Key Concept – Systems (interacting components where a tradeoff must be found to achieve the goal)
- Statement of Inquiry – Engineers adjust a design’s characteristics to optimize performance
MYP Design Assessment Criteria
If you are new to MYP Design, assessment is not done on an A-F or 0-100 scale. The assessed curriculum in the MYP spans from an achievement level of one up to eight. Each criterion (A through D) has its own set of level descriptors. See the Assessment Criteria Overview section in the MYP Design Guide for more information.
My former school decided to modify the MYP assessment scale to be from one to seven. Check out my post, MYP Design Assessment Criteria Modified, to learn more and for a set of concise MYP Design Assessment rubrics.
MYP Design Project Ideas Summary
In conclusion, MYP Design project ideas from science can be an excellent starting point! MYP Design units center around the MYP Design Cycle and can focus on any problem. Quantifiable problems based on physical experiments naturally lend themselves to a design process and are a great place to start.
Teachers new to MYP Design can leverage their knowledge of physical science experiments to familiarize themselves with the design process. Both design and science seek to uncover knowledge through a deliberate process. Science uses controlled experiments to evaluate relationships between phenomena. Design aims to create solutions to problems from engineering to all aspects of society.
Final Thoughts on MYP Design Project Ideas from Science
MYP Design is easier to teach when you start with science. Simple experiments, such as a paper helicopter drop, can evolve into fun design challenges that help students learn to think, plan, build, and improve. These projects are ideal for upper elementary and middle school students, providing them with practical opportunities to apply the MYP Design Cycle and solve real-world problems.
Try These MYP Design Project Resources in Your Class
Try this STEM helicopter challenge!
These free downloads have everything you need to run the paper helicopter project:
Paper Helicopter GRASPS Challenge (PDF)
Student Trial Data for the Experiment (PDF)
Print them out, follow the steps, and launch a low-budget design unit your students will love!