In IB MYP PHE, I consider this topic to be one of the most complex for new IB teachers. To aid students in producing the best possible product for their summative assessment, the Task-specific clarification serves as a guide. As teachers, it is crucial to provide precise information that offers clear instructions on what the task requires.

This clarification significantly impacts students’ comprehension of the summative assessment. Therefore, it is essential to execute it effectively if you want your learners to navigate through the task with a solid understanding. Although I have some experience in this area, I acknowledge that there is still much to learn. Consequently, I have decided to write this article to share my knowledge on this topic and support new teachers on their journey.

Throughout this article, I will share key points necessary for creating an excellent task-specific clarification for your students.

To begin with, the first step in creating your task is as follows:

Upon examining this document from the IB, we find the level descriptors provided, which present a rather complex language for the students. This complexity poses a particular challenge for Grade 6 students transitioning from PYP. As educators, we need to be mindful of this fact when presenting them with this document and urging them to excel in their summative assessments.

This is the criteria we use to assess the students. After exploring all the concepts and content during the unit, we provide this document to the students, allowing them to understand what is required to achieve the highest level of performance. Upon reviewing this document, you will notice its comprehensiveness, with one complexity being the utilization of command terms such as “States,” “Defines,” “Outlines,” “Lists,” “Identifies,” “Constructs,” and more. It is crucial to instil a culture of employing these command terms in our lessons to familiarize students with them. Before delving into the topic of creating a task-specific clarification, let me share the command terms and their definitions. Please note that these definitions may vary in other contexts.

Understanding command terms benefits both teachers and learners. It provides clarity for teachers on what they expect from their students, and it helps learners comprehend what is required to achieve a certain level of accomplishment. However, this alone does not resolve all challenges. In Physical and Health Education (PHE), we explore various concepts and content, but how can students effectively apply their knowledge and allocate the right information in the appropriate context?

For instance, let’s consider a fitness unit where the task states:

1. Outlines physical and health education factual, procedural, and conceptual knowledge.
2. Applies physical and health terminology to communicate understanding.

How can learners satisfy these descriptors effectively? To address this, you need to create a task-specific clarification using student-friendly language. For the fitness unit, I would suggest the following clarification:

1. Outline background information about your client, providing an organized summary of weaknesses, strengths, and areas of improvement using fitness tests and video analyses.
2. Correctly apply terminology during the analyses.

Now, let’s examine another example, focusing on Criteria C, where learners have been practising gymnastics throughout the unit. The task descriptors state:

1. Recalls and applies a range of skills and techniques
2. Recalls and applies a range of strategies and movement concepts.

To provide more guidance to the students, I would suggest the following clarification:

1. Gymnastics artistic elements, acrobatic balances, aerobics routine, and exercises of organization and control, all executed with good technique.
2. Creativity (Good connections and organization between skills, use of different gymnastic elements, excellent presentation), Engagement throughout the routine. Effective and creative use of space and music.

This will give the students a clear picture of what you expect them to focus on during their summative assessment. The more you discuss command terms with your students and incorporate them into the task-specific clarification, the better their understanding and language usage will become.

As seen in the first example, you can still include command terms in the task-specific clarification. However, make sure to provide definitions of the terms used, as follows: 

MYP Command Terms

• state: to give a brief answer without an explanation
• outline:  to give a brief  summary
• construct: display information using diagrams/ organizers or in a logical form
• identify:  recognize and state briefly a distinguishing fact or feature
• describe:  give a detailed account/ picture of a situation, event, pattern, or process
• apply:  use knowledge and understanding in response to the situation
• recall:  remember or recognize from prior learning experiences

I hope you found this information helpful. Don’t forget to subscribe to receive more articles related to IB MYP PHE. If you have any additional insights or information to share, please feel free to leave a comment; I would greatly appreciate learning from you. Thank you!

Coming Soon: Elevate Your Teaching with “Empowering Student Learning in PHE”! 📣

Get ready to take your IB MYP PHE teaching to new heights! 🚀 Our upcoming eBook, “Empowering Student Learning in PHE: Insights from an IB MYP Teacher,” is about to revolutionize your classroom experience.

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