How to Build an MYP Unit (Without Losing Your Mind)
So, you're staring at a blank unit planner and wondering where to start. Whether you're new to the MYP or just want to streamline your planning, building an MYP unit doesn't have to feel like decoding ancient hieroglyphs. Let's break it down step by step, with a little less jargon and a little more common sense.
To help you with your unit planning journey, download this FREE MYP unit planner. It has prompts to help you, and contains everything you need for your unit.
Step 1: Start with the Big Picture – Key Concept
Before you dive into the content or assessments, take a step back. The MYP is concept-driven, which means we start with concepts, not topics.
Ask yourself:
What’s the big idea I want students to walk away with? What connects this unit to other disciplines?
From the list of MYP Key Concepts (like communication, change, systems, relationships, etc.), pick ONE that really captures the essence of your unit.
Example: If you’re designing a music unit on jazz (like I have done!), a great key concept is Change, since jazz evolved through social, cultural, and political transformations.
Step 2: Get More Specific – Related Concepts
Next up are the Related Concepts—these help zoom in on discipline-specific ideas. Choose 2-3 from the MYP subject guide for your discipline.
Ask yourself:
What concepts help students dive deeper into the key concept? What are the building blocks of this unit?
Example (Music – Jazz):
Genre and Structure are excellent choices. Jazz is all about pushing the boundaries of musical genre and experimenting with structure—think improvisation, swing rhythms, 12-bar blues, and so on.
This step is crucial because it helps shape the direction of your inquiry and learning activities.
Step 3: Add the Real-World Layer – Global Context
Now comes the fun part: giving your unit meaning beyond the classroom. The MYP has six Global Contexts, and you’ll choose one that best frames the unit in a broader, real-world perspective.
Ask yourself:
Why does this learning matter? How does it connect to students’ lives or the world around them?
Example: For jazz, consider the Global Context: Fairness and Development. Jazz music has deep roots in human rights, inequality, and the struggle for justice.
Then, define a specific lens. For this example, the lens could be: The development of human rights movements and their influence on artistic expression.
So, this is what we have so far (from my ‘Jazz Music’ unit plan).
Step 4: Craft Your Statement of Inquiry (SOI)
Now that you’ve got your key concept, related concepts, and global context—this is where you tie it all together.
The Statement of Inquiry should be a clear, conceptual sentence that shows how these elements interact.
SOI Formula:
Key Concept + Related Concepts + Global Context = SOI
SOI from our jazz music examples:
The development of human rights changes structure and genre.
Keep it abstract enough to apply to different contexts, but focused enough to guide your unit.
From the ‘Jazz Music’ unit plan
Step 5: Develop Inquiry Questions
Now, translate that big idea into questions that drive curiosity.
You will need to create:
Factual questions (Remembering Facts and Topics)
Conceptual questions (Analyzing big ideas, questions you are asking throughout the unit)
Debatable questions (Evaluating Perspectives and Developing Theories, synthesizing)
Example:
Factual: When and where did jazz music originate?
Conceptual: How can changes in society influence musical structure and genre?
Debatable: Has jazz music lost its social and political relevance today?
Here are the questions we will investigate during this ‘Jazz Music’ unit. Remember to be REALISTIC when writing your questions. Only write questions that you will actually have the time and scope to answer during your unit.
Let’s Recap
1. Key Concept – Choose a big idea.
2. Related Concepts – Add specific disciplinary lenses.
3. Global Context – Connect it to the real world.
4. Statement of Inquiry – Tie everything together in one meaningful sentence.
5. Inquiry Questions – Get students thinking deeply and critically.
Final thoughts from an IB teacher
Yes, the MYP planner can look intimidating, but remember—at its core, it’s all about meaningful, connected learning. Once you get the hang of thinking conceptually and globally, it actually makes planning more purposeful (and way more engaging for your students).
Now, go forth and plan like the MYP rockstar you are!
Download my FREE unit planner here:
I also have lots of fully-planned Performing Arts and English EAL unit planners in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Check out my TPT store here:
