MYP Design Curriculum · MYP Year 2

Grade 7

Visual systems and multimedia. Students move from single artifacts to coordinated sets (a brand system, a video + thumbnail + promotional poster), deepen their code fluency in MakeCode Arcade, and start vector work and video editing. Still no electronics.

Unit 1 · Sep–Oct

"Who I Am" v2 — Personal Brand System (Logo + Card + Letterhead)

ABCD
Key Concept
Communication
Related Concepts
Aesthetics, Identity
Global Context
Personal and Cultural Expression
Statement of Inquiry
A brand is a coordinated system of visual decisions that communicates identity consistently across media.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What is a brand? What is vector vs raster? Conceptual: How does consistency build trust? Debatable: Is imitation of an existing style theft or homage?
Skills / Tools
Inkscape (vector). Logo design principles. Brand systems: mark, wordmark, color palette, typography pairing. Comparative analysis of 3+ real-world brands. Mood boards.
AI Integration
AI for brand research and ideation expansion. Students use DeepSeek to: (1) analyze and compare brand strategies ("what makes Apple's branding different from Samsung's?"), (2) generate logo concept descriptions from a personal brief — text only, students then sketch by hand, (3) suggest color palettes with psychological rationale. Optional image generation via Doubao or Jimeng AI — but students must produce their own final logo by hand in Inkscape. Explicit discussion: AI-generated logos are almost always subtly generic; human designers see the subtlety, AI doesn't.
Summative Assessment
Three coordinated deliverables: logo, business card, and letterhead + full design folder emphasis on A (research of existing brands, SWOT, brief) and B (specification, ideation sketches, justification of chosen design) + AI Use Log.
Budget Note
0 RMB.
Unit 2 · Nov–Jan

"Playable Thing" v2 — MakeCode Arcade Game

ABCD
Key Concept
Systems
Related Concepts
Logic, Innovation
Global Context
Scientific and Technical Innovation
Statement of Inquiry
Game systems combine rules, feedback, and challenge to produce engaging experiences.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What is a sprite, variable, event? Conceptual: What makes a game challenging without being frustrating? Debatable: Should games reward effort or skill?
Skills / Tools
MakeCode Arcade (block mode). Projectile / enemy overlap logic. Dash mechanic. Variables for score and lives. Playtesting and iteration. Uses existing classroom knowledge from prior MakeCode work.
AI Integration
AI for code explanation and mechanic ideation. Students use DeepSeek to: (1) explain what a MakeCode block does when they're stuck, (2) describe how a mechanic from a game they love actually works under the hood ("how does Mario's jump physics work?"), (3) brainstorm "what if?" variations of their mechanic. Key rule: students build and debug the code themselves — AI explains, doesn't write. Discussion point: block-based code is hard for AI to help with directly because AI reasons about text; this is why understanding code mentally still matters.
Summative Assessment
Playable MakeCode Arcade game + design folder emphasis on C (plan with time allocation, technical skill, changes log) and D (quantitative playtest data from classmates, evaluation against specification, improvement plan) + AI Use Log.
Budget Note
0 RMB.
Unit 3 · Feb–Apr

"Campus Problem" v2 — Public Service Video

ABCD
Key Concept
Communities
Related Concepts
Communication, Perspective
Global Context
Fairness and Development
Statement of Inquiry
Public messages shape community behavior when they match the audience's perspective and values.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What is a PSA? What is a storyboard? Conceptual: How does framing change meaning? Debatable: Can a PSA manipulate even when it tells the truth?
Skills / Tools
DaVinci Resolve free. Shot types, storyboarding, script writing. B-roll and interview framing. Royalty-free music and licensing literacy. Audience analysis.
AI Integration
AI for scripting, research, and shot planning. Students use DeepSeek or Kimi to: (1) research the campus issue (statistics, existing campaigns, common audience objections), (2) generate 3 script drafts with different tones (urgent, humorous, emotional) and then write their own hybrid, (3) suggest shot lists from a script. Explicit lesson: AI scripts are almost always bland because AI averages — the student's job is to find the specific, local, true detail that AI can't know. Compare AI draft to final student script in the design folder.
Summative Assessment
60–90 second PSA video + promotional poster thumbnail + design folder emphasis on A (campus issue + stakeholder interviews + analysis of 3 existing PSAs) and B (script, storyboard, design specification, feedback-informed chosen direction) + AI Use Log.
Budget Note
0 RMB. Students use phones or school cameras; DaVinci Resolve is free.
Unit 4 · Apr–Jun

3D Introduction — Tinkercad Product Design

ABCD
Key Concept
Development
Related Concepts
Form, Function
Global Context
Globalization and Sustainability
Statement of Inquiry
3D design develops physical solutions through iterative prototyping, balancing form and function sustainably.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What is 3D modeling? What are the basic solids? Conceptual: How does form follow function — and when does it not? Debatable: Is 3D printing environmentally better than injection molding?
Skills / Tools
Tinkercad (browser-based — test VPN access; fallback is BlocksCAD or FreeCAD). Primitive shapes, boolean operations, measurements. Technical drawings (3-view). Exporting STL. Virtual testing (walkthrough, measurements).
AI Integration
AI as a form generator for inspiration. Students use DeepSeek to: (1) describe products that solve their target problem ("what shapes do ergonomic phone stands use and why?"), (2) critique their design verbally ("here's a photo of my model — what problems do you see?"), (3) suggest measurements for common objects. Optional: Doubao image generation to visualize the finished product in context. Discussion: AI can describe shapes well but doesn't actually understand physics or stress — it may suggest unstable forms. Students test virtually by measurement.
Summative Assessment
3D-modeled product (e.g., phone stand, pencil holder, custom hook) + design folder emphasis on C (plan, modeling technique, iteration log) and D (evaluation with a virtual or paper-printed test, improvement plan, impact on target user) + AI Use Log. If school has or can access a 3D printer elsewhere, final print is a bonus — not required.
Budget Note
0 RMB for software. \~100 RMB aspirational for a single demo print via local service if feasible.
IB compliance

Strand Coverage

Every strand of every criterion is assessed at least twice per year — summatively in the emphasis units (●) and formatively elsewhere (○).

Strand U1 BrandU2 ArcadeU3 PSAU4 3D
A.i Explain/justify need ●○●○
A.ii Prioritize research ●○●○
A.iii Analyze existing products ●○●○
A.iv Develop design brief ●○●○
B.i Design specification ●○●○
B.ii Range of feasible ideas ●○●○
B.iii Present/justify chosen design ●○●○
B.iv Planning drawings/diagrams ●○●○
C.i Logical plan ○●○●
C.ii Technical skills ○●○●
C.iii Follow plan / functioning solution ○●○●
C.iv Justify changes to plan ○●○●
D.i Testing methods ○●○●
D.ii Evaluate against specification ○●○●
D.iii Explain improvements ○●○●
D.iv Impact on client/audience ○●○●