IB MYP Personal Project

Your Passion. Your Inquiry. Your Impact.

Introduc)on for MYP Year 4 Students

What is the Personal Project?
🎯 An independent, student-led inquiry grounded in personal interest

📋 Three interdependent parts: Process, Product & Report

⏱ Approximately 25 hours of engagement across MYP Year 5

🌟 A chance to take ownership of your learning and demonstrate iniDaDve

✨ FoundaDon for IB Diploma: Extended Essay, TOK & self-directed learning

Why the Personal Project Ma3ers
🧠 DEVELOPS CRITICAL THINKING & AGENCY

You choose the topic, set goals, and manage your own inquiry

📚 PREPARES YOU FOR DIPLOMA PROGRAMME

Extended Essay, TOK, and lifelong independent learning

🎓 BUILDS ATL SKILLS (Approaches to Learning)

Research, Dme management, creaDve thinking, reflecDon

🌍 TACKLES REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES

Apply knowledge to issues that maYer to you and your community

The Three Essen6al Components
🗂 THE PROCESS 📝 THE REPORT
Complete documenta5on from start to finish Your structured account (IB assesses this)
• Notes, dra?s, research, photos • Max 15 pages wriSen OR
• Evidence of planning & decision-making • Max 10 minutes spoken OR
• Supervision mee5ng records • Combined format
• Must address 3 Objec5ves: A, B, C
📦 THE PRODUCT
The tangible or non-tangible outcome 💡 TIP
• Artwork, film, book, app, skill The report SHOWS evidence of both process
and product. You must clearly connect them.
• Campaign, performance, or ini5a5ve
• Must demonstrate learning
Two Interconnected Goals
🧠 LEARNING GOAL 🏆 PRODUCT GOAL
What will you LEARN or UNDERSTAND? What will you CREATE or ACHIEVE?

• What skill, knowledge, or insight do you • What is the tangible outcome of your
want to gain? learning?
• What ques5on are you inves5ga5ng? • What will you produce or accomplish?
• What do you want to get beSer at? • How will you demonstrate mastery?

Example: Example:
"Learn how to compose music using digital "Compose and produce a 3-minute original
produc5on so?ware" song and create a music video"
What Could Your Project Look Like?
🎨 ARTS & CREATIVITY: Write & illustrate a children's book | Compose original
music | Design a fashion collecDon | Create a photography exhibiDon

⚽ SPORTS & HEALTH: Train for a 5K race | Design a fitness program | Learn and
master a marDal art | Create a nutriDon guide

💻 TECHNOLOGY: Build a funcDonal website or app | Learn coding & create a game
| Design 3D-printed products | Develop an AI project

🌍 SOCIAL & COMMUNITY: Run an awareness campaign | Organize a fundraiser |

Create resources for a local cause | Research a global issue

🌿 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT: Conduct an original experiment | Create a school

sustainability plan | Research local biodiversity | Build a working model
The Three Assessment Objec6ves
⚠ YOUR REPORT MUST ADDRESS ALL STRANDS OF ALL THREE OBJECTIVES

🎯 OBJECTIVE A: PLANNING

WHY did you choose this? WHAT will you create? HOW will you measure success?

🛠 OBJECTIVE B: APPLYING SKILLS

HOW did you use ATL skills? WHAT evidence shows your learning and
development?

💭 OBJECTIVE C: REFLECTING

WHY does this maYer? WHAT did you learn about yourself? Did you meet your
criteria?
Objec6ve A: Planning (HOW TO SCORE HIG
STATE YOUR LEARNING GOAL

Be specific: "I want to understand [topic] by [method]" NOT just "I like [topic]"

EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL INTEREST

Why does this maYer to YOU? Connect it to your life, passions, or values

STATE YOUR PRODUCT & SUCCESS CRITERIA

Define WHAT you'll make AND measurable criteria for success (e.g., "3-minute
song, <50 uses of auto-tune")

PRESENT A DETAILED ACTION PLAN

Timeline with milestones. Show research, design phase, creaDon phase, and
evaluaDon
Objec6ve B: Applying Skills (HOW TO SCOR
SELECT 2 STRONG PIECES OF EVIDENCE

These must SHOW ATL skills in acDon, not just tell about them

EVIDENCE 1: SupporDng your LEARNING GOAL

Example: annotated research notes, brainstorm sketches, interview transcript,

experiment logs

EVIDENCE 2: SupporDng your PRODUCT

Example: draks, screenshots, design iteraDons, feedback reflecDons, code snippets

EXPLAIN CLEARLY HOW ATL SKILLS HELPED

Don't just say "I used research skills." Explain: "I evaluated 8 sources for
credibility..."
Objec6ve C: Reflec6ng (HOW TO SCORE HIG
EVALUATE AGAINST YOUR SUCCESS CRITERIA

Go back to the criteria you set at START. Was each met? ParDally? Not met? Use
evidence.

EXPLAIN THE IMPACT ON YOU

What new knowledge/skills did you gain? How did this change your thinking or
future acDons?

REFLECT HONESTLY ON THE PROCESS

Even if the product wasn't perfect, the process has value. What would you do
differently?

DEMONSTRATE PERSONAL GROWTH

How to Gather Evidence (The Process Journ
✅ EVIDENCE IS:

• Collected THROUGHOUT the project (not at the end!)

• An evolving record: iniDal ideas, research, draks, iteraDons, reflecDons

• Notes from supervision meeDngs, feedback from others, your own reflecDons

• Photos, screenshots, sketches, annotated sources, brainstorming

❌ EVIDENCE IS NOT:

• WriYen AFTER the project is already finished

• A daily diary of acDviDes

• Extra work on top of the project itself

💡 You don't need a formal journal—just show your supervisor progress at each
Approaches to Learning (ATL) Skills
💭 THINKING: Research, analysing informaDon, creaDve thinking, criDcal thinking

💬 COMMUNICATION: WriDng, presenDng, referencing, explaining your work

clearly

🤝 SOCIAL: CollaboraDng with supervisor, seeking feedback, working with others

📋 SELF-MANAGEMENT: Time management, meeDng deadlines, organisaDon, self-

discipline

🔍 RESEARCH: Gathering informaDon, evaluaDng sources, synthesising ideas,

proper citaDon
Academic Honesty: Non-Nego6able
⚠ Academic dishonesty can affect your ENTIRE IB results

YOU MUST:

✓ Cite ALL sources (websites, books, interviews, images)

✓ Use proper referencing (MLA, APA, or Harvard)

✓ Write YOUR OWN words (no AI-wriYen secDons)

✓ Complete and sign the Academic Honesty Form at 3 key meeDngs

YOU CANNOT:

✗ Copy text without citaDon (plagiarism)

✗ Use AI to write report secDons for you

✗ Have someone else do the work

Your Report: Format & Submission
📄 WRITTEN REPORT: Max 15 pages (11pt font, 2cm margins)

🎙 SPOKEN REPORT: Max 10 minutes (audio file: .mp3, .m4a, .mp4, .mov)

🔀 COMBINED: Mix of pages + recording (e.g., 10 pages + 5 min audio)

STRUCTURE YOUR REPORT AROUND THE 3 OBJECTIVES:

SecDon A: Planning → Learning Goal, Product, Success Criteria, Timeline

SecDon B: Applying Skills → 2 pieces of evidence + explanaDon

SecDon C: ReflecDng → Impact evaluaDon + evaluaDon vs criteria

📚 SEPARATE SUBMISSION: Bibliography (uploaded separately, doesn't count

How Your Project is Assessed
TOTAL MARKS: 24 points (converted to a grade of 1–7)

CRITERION A: PLANNING (out of 8)

7–8: All strands excellently addressed, detailed plan, strong success criteria

5–6: All strands clearly addressed, detailed and mostly complete

3–4: Most strands adequately addressed, parDal plan

CRITERION B: APPLYING SKILLS (out of 8)

7–8: Excellent evidence with insighxul explanaDon of how skills were used

5–6: Evidence clearly explained and well-linked to learning

3–4: Basic evidence with some explanaDon

Your Timeline: 25 Hours Across the Year
📅 PLANNING & RESEARCH 📝 WRITING YOUR REPORT
~8 hours ~5 hours
• Brainstorm topics • Structure around 3 objec5ves
• Set learning goal & product • Include 2 pieces of evidence
• Develop success criteria • Write reflec5on sec5on
• Create ac5on plan • Proofread and finalize

🛠 CREATING YOUR PRODUCT 🤝 SUPERVISION MEETINGS (Minimum 3)

~12 hours 1⃣ START: Set goal, product, plan
• Execute your plan 2⃣ MIDDLE: Progress check, feedback
• Gather evidence along the way 3⃣ END: Final review, submit work
• Iterate and refine • Sign Academic Honesty Form at each
• Document progress
Your Supervisor: Your Guide, Not Your Teac
🤝 YOUR SUPERVISOR WILL:

✓ Guide your thinking and planning

✓ Give feedback on your work

✓ Help you stay on track

✓ Assess your report and moderate with IB

❌ YOUR SUPERVISOR WILL NOT:

✗ Choose your topic or goal for you

✗ Do the work for you

✗ Write secDons of your report

✗ Make decisions about your product

Your Ac6on Checklist
☐ Brainstorm topics that genuinely interest you (hobbies, passions, skills, causes)

☐ Develop your LEARNING GOAL + PRODUCT GOAL (linked to each other)

☐ Create SUCCESS CRITERIA (specific, measurable, realisDc for ~25 hours)

☐ IdenDfy 2 ATL skill categories you'll focus on

☐ Write a detailed ACTION PLAN with milestones and interim deadlines

☐ Meet with your supervisor (meeDngs 1, 2, 3 with signed Academic Honesty

Forms)
Your Project Journey Begins
Now
Start brainstorming. Trust yourself. Make it meaningful.