IB MYP · Sciences · Years 8–9

MYP Physics

Criterion-referenced physics for Years 8 and 9, taught through inquiry and built around a statement of inquiry for each unit

MYP Physics runs across Years 8 and 9 as part of the IB Middle Years Programme. It is not exam-driven in the way GCSE is. Instead, each unit is framed by a key concept, a set of related concepts, a global context, and a statement of inquiry that ties the physics to a bigger idea. Students build subject knowledge while developing the skills of a working scientist: designing investigations, processing and evaluating data, and reflecting on what science means for people and the planet.

Assessment is criterion-referenced. Rather than a single percentage, work is judged against four strands, each marked out of 8 and reported separately, so a student can see exactly where they are strong and where to push next.

The four MYP Sciences criteria

A — Knowing and understanding. Recalling and applying scientific knowledge to explain phenomena and solve problems, including in unfamiliar situations.
B — Inquiring and designing. Asking a focused question, forming a hypothesis, and planning a fair, safe investigation with controlled variables.
C — Processing and evaluating. Presenting and interpreting data, drawing valid conclusions, and evaluating the method and its limitations.
D — Reflecting on the impacts of science. Discussing how science is applied to real problems, weighing its implications, and using scientific language and sources correctly.

Year 8

Unit 1 · Change Light & the EM Spectrum Reflection, refraction, eclipses, colour, and the seven regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. How the way we interact with waves shapes what we perceive. Enter → Unit 2 · Relationships Celestial Bodies The motion of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars seen from Earth. Seasons, moon phases, the ecliptic, and finding your latitude from the night sky. Enter → Unit 3 · Forces Forces & Materials A hands-on look at the forces around us — gravity, friction, upthrust, static charge and air pressure — explored through a forces circus of demonstrations. Enter →

Year 9

Unit 1 · Systems Mechanics Describing and measuring motion: distance-time and velocity-time graphs, speed, acceleration, and the forces that make systems move. Do all objects fall at the same rate? Enter → Unit 2 · Systems Oscillations & Waves Frequency, period, and resonance — the useful and the destructive consequences of regular movement, and how engineers design structures to survive them. Enter → Unit 3 · Change Electricity & Energy Building and reading circuits, the idea of charge, controlling current, energy stores and transfers, and the question of how to use energy sustainably. Enter →