MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMIC PROGRAM

MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMIC PROGRAM

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), integrated with the National Education Program, enables our students to enhance their acquired knowledge, attitudes, and skills through inquiry, allowing them to explore the natural connections between subjects and their relevance to life.

Through this knowledge transfer, our students perceive learning as a holistic endeavor. Additionally, they cultivate high self-esteem, tolerance, and happiness as individuals while exploring their social skills and talents through various educational clubs, teamwork, community service projects, artistic activities, as well as national and international competitions and events.

The aim of Turkish lessons is to maximize students' reading, comprehension, interpretation, listening, speaking, writing, viewing, media literacy, and presentation skills, drawing upon the approaches of the National Education Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB-MYP); fostering individuals with a respect for both their own culture and diverse cultures through the study of distinguished works of national and universal literature, and instilling a habit of reading.

In Turkish lessons, students are taught how language usage varies in literary works, scientific writings, media, and daily life based on perspective, target audience, genre, and purpose. Works are examined with a critical approach, and perspectives on the reflection of culture and the role of literary elements are discussed by comparing Turkish and world literary works from different aspects. Activities such as process and outcome-based tasks, performances, enactments, discussions, presentations, research, creative writing exercises, and visual readings related to literary works are effective learning tools for enhancing students' skills.

Our education program, prepared with a student-centered learning approach and considering individual differences, also supports students in taking responsibility for their own learning. Self-assessment and peer assessment activities enhance students' awareness of core expectations, and their progress is continuously monitored through feedback, fostering ongoing development.

In addition, within the scope of the "Literature and Book Days" events, which have a longstanding history of over 30 years, our students participate in discussions and workshops with authors whose works they have read. The "Pencere-Edebiyat Dergisi" (Window-Literature Magazine) serves as a significant platform to initiate our students' journey into writing, encompassing their writing activities throughout the academic year. The "Stars of the Month" competitions, the Debate Club, TÜBİTAK project competitions, and action and service initiatives, along with poetry, creative writing, critical reading, and idea workshops conducted after school, are essential activities aimed at enhancing students' personal development, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills in support of course objectives.

Eyüboğlu Educational Institutions Middle School English program is an instructional curriculum that aligns with the school's mission statement and International Baccalaureate (IB) requirements, aiming to support the development of students' listening, speaking, reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. The program aims for each student to develop their language skills to the highest level of their potential. In line with this, Eyüboğlu Educational Institutions aims to cultivate students with a national and international awareness who, based on the 21st-century education approach, acquire knowledge about their own language and the cultures associated with the different languages they learn, appreciating these cultural elements.

The English program fosters students' ability to discover information, become independent learners, inquire, express their ideas verbally and in writing fluently, and encourages critical and creative thinking. In lessons tailored to individual differences and needs, activities and assignments are designed to contribute to students' language development, while also providing opportunities to enhance social, communication, research, and thinking skills. The curriculum, designed to facilitate active use of lesson content and students' language skills, is supported by various technology programs and methods. Lesson materials incorporating various writing genres are utilized to help students enhance their individual interests, enabling them to effectively use language skills by establishing connections with their daily lives. With the aim of fostering language skill development and promoting international awareness, our students participate in internationally recognized language exams such as FLYERS, KET, and PET.

The success of Eyüboğlu Educational Institutions' Middle School English program in the mentioned international exams is exemplary, both in Turkey and worldwide. The students who participate in these exams showcase their achievements through the certificates they receive, bringing pride to our institution.

In today's world where borders are increasingly disappearing, our institution aims to cultivate individuals with intercultural and multilingual awareness. Alongside English as the first foreign language, we offer German/Spanish as the second foreign language to our students, languages that appeal to broad audiences globally and are actively used.

In order to enable our students to make this crucial choice consciously in line with their interests and goals, the Modern Languages Department teachers and high school students organize language introduction activities for fourth-grade primary school students, answer their questions, and arrange workshops for them to experience language. In addition to the second foreign language education that begins in the fifth grade and continues until the end of high school, a third foreign language education is offered among the club options for students interested in language learning.

Our 2nd Foreign Language Program developed within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) aims to help our students develop their four language skills (speaking, reading-comprehension, writing, listening) in accordance with international criteria. To facilitate versatile learning and support creative and original thinking, project-based work is employed, along with differentiated and diversified methods and techniques, incorporating interdisciplinary collaborations. Our students experience a rich learning environment through smart boards, tablets, podcasts, iTunes, and various web-based resources, as well as digital applications like Flipgrid, Scratch, Quizizz, Quizlet, LearningApps, and digital assessment tools. By the end of the 8th grade, they can analyze original texts such as discussions, informative pieces, data analysis, announcements, interviews, express themselves verbally, and deliver prepared presentations. Starting from the 7th grade, our students take part in certificate exams (FIT, DELE) in line with the European Common Framework.

One of our most important goals is to ensure that our students grow into young individuals with intercultural awareness. In pursuit of this goal, we organize extracurricular activities, cultural trips, and overseas summer schools. We also carry out numerous "Cultural Bridge" projects with schools from different countries. These initiatives provide opportunities for our students to both enhance their language skills and gain a better understanding of different cultures.

New educational approaches in mathematics are followed to ensure that students have a strong and effective interest and attitude towards mathematics in line with their individual differences. Visual materials, which are an essential part of mathematics education worldwide, are used at all levels. Our lessons, supported by tablets, utilize current mathematics software to help students explore concepts and make them visual and concrete. In mathematics classes, "Differentiated Instruction" and "Conceptual Learning" strategies are emphasized to accommodate students' individual differences and ensure lasting learning. Learning environments are created to facilitate all middle school students' acquisition of skills such as collaboration, research, and self-management, which are crucial requirements of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP). By participating in various real-life projects, students not only develop problem-solving skills but also become aware of the importance of mathematics in our lives as global citizens.

Mathematics lessons, structured into five different units – Numbers and Operations, Algebra, Geometry and Measurement, Data Analysis, and Probability – follow a spiraled structure, with learning outcomes expanded each year. Moreover, following the principles of conceptual learning, our students receive a more comprehensive mathematics education through collaborative efforts with other departments focusing on common concepts. Mathematics lessons are enriched with activities planned to complement each other, aligned with the interests and needs of our students.

Eyüboğlu students participate in various mathematics competitions, both nationally and internationally, such as Turkey Brain Games, TÜBİTAK Mathematics Project and Olympiad Contests, ASMA (American Scholastic Mathematics Association), Waterloo University Math Contests, Kangaroo Math Contests, and Mediterranean Mathematics Olympiads. These competitions provide them with valuable experiences and achievements on both national and international stages.

Within our department, we support our students through activities conducted in our Destination Imagination (DI), Mind and Strategy Games, and Sky Photography clubs. Destination Imagination (DI), the world's most important and largest creativity organization, prepares students for national and international competitions held every year. Eyüboğlu students, who have won numerous Turkey Championships in their respective categories, successfully represent our country at the Destination Imagination (DI) World Finals held annually in the United States. Following club activities focused on intelligence and strategy games, students participate in competitions organized by the Turkish Intelligence Foundation. In our Sky Photography Club, students delve into the field of astronomy as an application area of mathematical science, enhancing their skills in sky photography and space. During our annual Sky and Astronomy Festival, our students have unique experiences related to celestial bodies and space.

In Science classes, the aim is to cultivate individuals who understand the importance of science, adapt to social and technological developments, contribute to them, carry a sense of responsibility, and become skilled, knowledgeable, experienced, qualified, and scientifically literate individuals.

Our Science Program, created by integrating the National Education Ministry (MEB) Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP), aims to provide a universal education, enabling students to understand that science is a method of thinking, fostering a problem-solving approach to daily life issues through scientific research and project work, and preparing them for life by acquiring advanced thinking skills.

Our students are provided with active learning environments where they can analyze everyday events using the steps of the scientific method, and they acquire essential scientific thinking skills such as observation, research, investigation, and experimentation in the well-equipped laboratories of our schools.

All of our laboratories are equipped with interactive whiteboards, similar to our classrooms, which make the educational process interactive and enjoyable. In classrooms with technological infrastructure, students actively participate in lessons with wireless internet access and tablet usage. Our curriculum and activities are enriched with interdisciplinary work, STEAM projects, iPad applications, and virtual reality applications, all of which are prepared based on the principle that "every student is unique" and address students' personal learning skills.

Utilizing all the facilities in our school to develop their scientific projects, our students successfully represent our school and country in national and international competitions. Within the scope of the science education program, our students have the opportunity to explore the enjoyable aspects of science in clubs such as 'Mad Scientists,' 'Science Detectives,' 'World Wildlife Fund (WWF),' 'GIN (Global Issues Network),' 'Science in Movies,' 'Science Project Club,' Science Detectives,' 'Science in Movies,' 'WWF nature pioneers,' 'GIN (Global Issues Network),' and “Science Project”.

In the Eyüboğlu Science Fair, which we began organizing in 2010 and which hosts hundreds of students every year, students present their science projects, conducting fascinating, colorful, and enjoyable scientific experiments while exploring the fun aspects of science.

In our Social Studies classes, our students are prepared for the future as contemporary individuals of the 21st century who embrace Atatürk's Principles and Reforms, understand their history and culture, organize, use, and interpret information within a social and cultural context through scientific methods. They also grasp the fundamental values of democracy, are respectful of human rights, environmentally conscious, and aware of their rights and responsibilities, thus becoming active and productive individuals.

In our schools, Social Studies and Religious Culture and Ethics courses are taught at the 5th, 6th, and 7th-grade levels, while 8th-grade students receive lessons in Turkish History and Atatürk's Principles and Revolutions, as well as Religious Culture and Ethics.

Through our programs, which are implemented within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) and the Ministry of National Education (MEB) curriculum, our students examine individuals, societies, the environment, and events that affect them using analytical and critical thinking methods. They engage in age-appropriate activities that develop their cognitive skills in historical, geographical, social, economic, and cultural contexts.

Our program, enriched with computer and tablet applications, includes research, text analysis, presentation, discussion, and dramatization activities, providing our students with the opportunity to become inquirer, questioning, current affairs-aware, and sensitive individuals.

With the approach that learning is not bound to a specific location, we provide learning opportunities for our students outside the classroom through excursions. Trips to places such as Bursa, Edirne, Sakarya, Afyon, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Sweden, including experiences like viewing the Northern Lights, allow our students to gain a deeper and firsthand understanding of the topics they learn in their lessons.

Our students participate in TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) competitions every year with projects that integrate knowledge with technology.

In Physical Education and Sports classes, the aim is to maximize students' physical development and their capacity for movement through activities, considering their developmental characteristics. Students are encouraged to recognize and embrace the fact that sports is an integral part of human life, based on the principle of "Lifelong Sports”. In Physical Education and Sports classes, students learn the theoretical rules of various sports branches (such as swimming, athletics, gymnastics, basketball, golf, baseball, handball, darts, frisbee, volleyball, badminton, etc.) and have the opportunity to practice them. Additionally, within the framework of MYP, students' inquiry, thinking, communication, and risk-taking skills are developed.

While developing these skills;

  • Under the headings of Physical Development, Health, and Nutrition, Training methods and principles, nutrition, Lifestyle, Biomechanics, Exercise physiology, Sports, First aid topics are covered:
  • Under the "Aesthetic Movement" category, various sports and activities such as gymnastics, rope jumping, fitness, yoga, or dance disciplines are explored.
  • In team sports, disciplines such as water polo, basketball, volleyball, handball, and soccer are covered.
  • From individual sports, fencing, athletics, swimming, gymnastics, archery, darts, frisbee, and badminton are explored.
  • The program also provides international sports and activities such as golf, baseball, frisbee, and archery to enhance students' cross-cultural awareness.

Additionally, talent screenings are conducted at the beginning of each academic year. Based on the results of talent screenings, students join school teams and Eyüboğlu College Youth Sports Club teams according to their talents. Students in our school and Eyüboğlu College Youth Sports Club participate in various sports disciplines (such as fencing, gymnastics, dance, archery, chess, basketball, swimming, handball, tennis, volleyball, etc.) with licensed responsibilities. In order to compete successfully in Istanbul, Turkey, and World Championships, they undergo after-school training sessions under the supervision of expert coaches. In addition, students participate in club activities in their chosen field among academic, artistic, and sports clubs. Students who develop and demonstrate talent in these clubs are included in our school and club teams, representing our school in inter-school and inter-club competitions.

Developed in line with the perspective of the Ministry of National Education Curriculum (MEB) and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP), our Visual Arts Program aims to cultivate students who are observant, inquisitive, knowledgeable in art and design, respectful of art, and capable of expressing themselves through art with developed aesthetic sensitivity.

In our program, differentiated content, products, and learning environments are tailored to the interests and talents of our students, encompassing studies on art movements, techniques, creativity in art, composition, color elements, and the examination of artists and artworks.

In our art workshops equipped with all the necessary tools to meet the needs of our students, painting, ceramics, miniature, relief, sculpture, and digital art activities aim to encourage students to think alternately about their own artistic works, make evaluations, gain a different perspective, and reflect entirely their own ideas and thoughts in their works. Students explore the relationship between Art and Social Responsibility through projects such as children's rights, disabled rights, animal rights, environmental awareness, and Eco-School initiatives.

All of our studios are open for students to use after school. We offer after-school sessions for students who are talented and interested in art.

The "Inter-School Active Painting Competition" organized at our school has the distinction of being the first and only of its kind in Turkey. With its unique format, students begin painting simultaneously within the given theme, and hundreds of students participate in this competition every year, aiming to complete their paintings within a specified time frame.

Our students' paintings, ceramics, three-dimensional, and digital designs created during lessons and club activities are exhibited both online and in-person, allowing them to showcase their work to the audience. These exhibitions are continuously displayed in our schools.

Our students who participate in national and international painting competitions achieve significant successes every year.

The design course within the IB Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) focuses on a learning model that enhances design thinking skills through the steps of Inquiry and Analysis, Idea Development, Solution Generation, and Evaluation. Students, working on project-based tasks, present solutions to problems and develop products. In problem-solving or the process of developing a product or solution to meet a need, the design thinking cycle used in engineering is applied. This means that solving design problems is not always a linear process but a cyclical one aimed at continuous improvement. Inquiries focus on societal problems, scientific and technological innovations, and during the project process, students enhance their information technology literacy skills such as graphic design, website design, and programming. By the end of the program, students become specialized in these skills. Information technology literacy skills will serve as a powerful communication tool for our students to enhance their knowledge about the world they live in, contributing to their future lives.

Developed in accordance with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) perspective, our Performing Arts Program aims to support our students' personal, cognitive, and social development, enhance their musical cultures, and enable them to acquire the skill of playing a musical instrument.

From the 5th grade onwards, our students take their first steps towards specialization by choosing one of the branch courses such as Violin, Guitar, Percussion, Music Technologies, Choir, and Wind Instruments. Throughout the educational process, our students reinforce their skills and gain self-confidence in their chosen music branch through stage performances, recitals, year-end shows, and branch concerts.

Our music lessons take place in the music workshops of our schools. In these workshops, students have the opportunity to physically see and explore musical instruments such as piano, guitar, flute, saxophone, oboe, clarinet, harp, accordion, sousaphone, timpani, gong. In our workshops equipped with the latest technology, lessons are conducted using computers, projectors, and smart boards. We also have music technology workshops where students can make sound recordings and experience the connection between music and technology.

In addition to our music lessons, our students have the opportunity to showcase their work in music clubs such as String Ensemble, Cello, and Middle School Band. Every year in our traditional Eyüboğlu Voice Competition, students showcase their performances, gaining both self-confidence and valuable stage experience, evaluated by a jury consisting of our school's students and expert artists.

In our institution that values music and art, cultural trips are also organized. Our 6th-grade students participate in the Songs Of Hope event, a six-week performing arts summer camp held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, for children aged 10 and above from around the world. More than just a performing arts camp, Songs of Hope offers participants the chance to learn and showcase music from various countries, providing an opportunity to live together with children from different countries and cultures.

As part of the exchange project, our middle school orchestra travels to Amsterdam each year, collaborating with the local student orchestra to showcase our culture and provide our students with the opportunity to gain shared experiences with their peers from different cultures. Following this visit, students from the visited school are hosted by the families of our students in our school and orchestra, creating a reciprocal cultural exchange experience.

In our cultural event, Art Fest, attended by students from middle school to the final year of high school, students travel to at least 10 countries and 15 cities, gaining the opportunity to perform at some of the world's most important music festivals, thus acquiring a national and international perspective as an IB School.