Help+with+MYP+Criteria

= **Understanding MYP Criteria in Maths** =

To do well in MYP Maths, it is necessary to know and understand the criteria against which student work is evaluated.

Look at the left-hand navigation bar - there is a page where you can see the official MYP criteria.

To do well on **Criterion B**, there are four main steps:
 * 1) Do Math - We will give you many problems so you can spot a pattern.
 * 2) General Rule - You need to write your pattern using a mathematical equation with variables (letters).
 * 3) Test It - Can you draw conclusions based on your rule and show they are correct?
 * 4) Prove It - Show that it is always true by using variables not numbers and by giving reasons along with your statements.



**Criterion C**

Of the four criteria, it is **Criterion D** that causes most confusion. Parents and students often ask what is it about, and how can students "get better at it"?

At its heart, Criterion D (Reflection & Evaluation) has three key features:
 * Engaging with the accuracy and reasonableness of an answer to a problem
 * Linking the answer and problem to real-world features
 * Critically looking at the limitations of the mathematical method(s) used, and suggesting alternative methods

There are some examples below of how Criterion D can be brought into very simple mathematical situations:


 * ===Example=== || ===Document=== || ===Comment=== ||
 * Example 1: Paper Thickness || [[file:Criterion D - paper Thickness.pdf]] || Here we look at accuracy, rounding, percentage error and how we might use more than one method to get an answer ||
 * Example 2: Looking at Averages || [[file:Criterion D - Looking at Averages.pdf]] || Here we look at what the word "estimate" might mean in a particular context. We look at rounding again, and we compare two different ways of getting an answer ||
 * Example 3: Looking at Population Growth || [[file:Criterion D - Population Growth.pdf]] || Here we bring up ideas of research, and how reliable data is. We try to answer the question "When will the Earth's population hit 8 billion" and although we reach an answer, we need to consider how valid the answer might be. ||
 * Example 4: Would you like to win a Mercedes car? || [[file:Criterion D - Looking at Probability.pdf]] || Here we look at what a "fair" game might be and use simple ideas of probability to talk about risk versus profit. And it's based on a true story! Read on! ||

Now let's get back to the question - "How can students get better at Criterion D?"

If you have read through the examples above, you will now be in a better position to appreciate that the answer to this question won't be about purchasing a particular type of book, and it won't be about practicing a specific calculation technique.

Rather, Criterion D is an understanding about the nature of mathematics: namely that you can do every calculation correctly and still the real world answer may differ from your calculation. Students will become more comfortable with Criterion D when they increasingly appreciate that:
 * The answer to a problem may not be completely reliable, or it may only have a limited validity
 * Mathematics describes the real-world, and the real-world provides mathematics with a context
 * All measurements have an implied level of accuracy associated with them, and that this needs to be taken into consideration when those measurements are used in further calculations
 * There are often several methods we can use to solve a problem, and some methods are more efficient and/or more reliable than others

And how will students start to appreciate these issues more?
 * By listening carefully to, and engaging with, their teacher during class discussions
 * By thinking more about how mathematics connects with the world
 * By developing a better understanding of rounding and errors

Here is a writing frame to help students construct a strong answer for criterion D: