IB MYP Mathematics: Global contexts: the six contexts and statements of inquiry (MYP Mathematics) – Revision Notes

These revision notes condense the global contexts and statements of inquiry material in the IB MYP Mathematics guide (for use from September 2020/January 2021, first assessment 2022). MYP mathematics has no SL or HL, and the same framework serves mathematics and extended mathematics. For full explanations and worked examples read the study guide, then test yourself with the practice questions.

Course pages: MYP mathematics hub, printable checklist, criteria in practice and the free diagnostics.

The idea in one paragraph

MYP mathematics builds understanding of concepts and sets that understanding in a global context so that the inquiry has a point. A statement of inquiry (SOI) is the sentence that joins them. Teachers have to pick a global context for their teaching, and may create extra ones.

The six global contexts

Context	Think of	Maths that often fits
Identities and relationships	People, groups, choices	Models for comparing plans
Orientation in space and time	Where and when	Scale, bearings, time zones
Personal and cultural expression	Art, design, creativity	Symmetry, tessellation, patterns
Scientific and technical innovation	Inventions, testing	Growth and decay, data, motion
Globalization and sustainability	Worldwide links, resources	Rates, standard form, impact models
Fairness and development	Sharing, access, rights	Proportion, per-person rates

The second and third columns are Marlbridge memory aids. The guide only names the contexts.

Must-know: scientific and technical innovation is the most natural fit for mathematics, but teachers are encouraged to offer all six.

Key concepts and related concepts

Level	What the guide gives	Remember
Key concepts	Table 1 lists sixteen across the MYP	Mathematics contributes form, logic and relationships
Related concepts	Table 2 lists twelve	Quantity, space, approximation and equivalence; validity, generalization, simplification and representation; models, patterns, change and systems

• Form: structure and shape, known by properties.
• Logic: reasoning that justifies conclusions.
• Relationships: connections between quantities or ideas, written as models, rules or statements.
• Teachers may use other key concepts and other related concepts, including ones from other subject groups.

Must-know distinctions

Often confused	The difference
Key concept and related concept	Key concepts are broad and cross-subject. Related concepts are mathematical and more specific
Global context and topic	The context says why it matters. The topic is the mathematics
Statement and question	A statement asserts a general idea. Inquiry questions (factual, conceptual, debatable) come from it
Context and decoration	A context shapes the inquiry. A picture on a worksheet does not

Building a statement of inquiry: method in steps

1. Name the mathematics (for example, proportion).
2. Pick the key concept it truly shows.
3. Pick one to three related concepts.
4. Pick the global context that explains why it matters.
5. Write one sentence in plain words, using a linking verb.
6. Test it: is it general, and can it be explored through the unit?

Weak and strong versions:

Draft	Verdict	Why
Proportion	Weak	A topic name, not a sentence
How do we share fairly?	Weak	A question, not a statement
Students will calculate ratios	Weak	A task, not an idea
A fair basis for comparison can change the decision a community makes	Strong	General, shows relationships and fairness

Table 3 pairings, summarised

Unit idea	Key concept	Related	Context
Volume	Form	Space, quantity	Fairness and development
Parallel lines	Logic	Validity	Orientation in space and time
Quadratics	Relationships	Models, representation	Identities and relationships
Transformations	Form	Patterns, space	Personal and cultural expression
Projectile motion	Logic	Patterns, simplification, models	Scientific and technical innovation
Exponentials and logarithms	Relationships	Systems, change	Globalization and sustainability
Line of best fit	Relationships	Patterns	Scientific and technical innovation

Lesson from the table: one branch of mathematics can serve several contexts, and one context can serve several branches.

Worked reminders

Check the arithmetic inside every context.

1. Fairness (MYP 1-3, ratios): clinic X has 90 patients and 6 nurses; clinic Y has 150 patients and 8 nurses. Patients per nurse: 90 ÷ 6 = 15 and 150 ÷ 8 = 18.75. Clinic Y is more stretched, though it has more nurses.
2. Space and time (MYP 4-5 standard, Pythagoras): a map scale is 1 : 25 000. Two legs on the map measure 8 cm and 15 cm. Direct line: the square root of 8² + 15² = 17 cm, which is 17 × 25 000 = 425 000 cm = 4.25 km.
3. Expression (MYP 4-5 standard, tessellation): regular hexagon interior angle = 4 × 180° ÷ 6 = 120°, and three meet at a point because 3 × 120° = 360°.
4. Innovation (MYP 4-5 standard, exponential): 50 units growing 4% a year gives 50 × 1.04³ = 56.2 after 3 years (3 s.f.), a simplified model of steady growth.
5. Sense-check: always add one line on whether the answer fits the situation, because criterion D asks for it.

From statement to inquiry questions

The guide’s Table 4 sorts questions into three kinds. One SOI should generate all three.

Kind	What it does	Example for the fairness SOI above
Factual	Recalls facts and methods	How do you find an amount per person?
Conceptual	Analyses a big idea	Why can a total give a misleading picture?
Debatable	Weighs perspectives	Is an equal share always a fair share?

One full build, start to finish

Unit: scale drawings and similar shapes (MYP 4-5).

1. Mathematics: lengths scale by a factor k, areas by k².
2. Key concept: form, because shape stays the same while size changes.
3. Related concepts: space and generalization.
4. Context: personal and cultural expression, because a mural is being enlarged from a sketch.
5. SOI: Knowing how shapes keep their form as they grow lets artists plan large works from small designs.
6. Check the numbers: a 20 cm sketch enlarged by a factor of 4 becomes 80 cm long, and its area grows by 4² = 16 times.
7. Sense-check: a wall must be big enough for the new size, and paint needed grows with area, not length.

Link to criterion D

Criterion D is applying mathematics in real-life contexts. The strands are: identify relevant elements; select strategies; apply them; comment on accuracy; and judge whether the solution makes sense. In the year descriptors the wording moves from describing and explaining to justifying.

Last-minute check

Before an assessment or a lesson task, ask yourself four things. Which context is this task set in? Which key concept is really being shown? Which related concepts name the mathematical ideas I am using? What one sentence would connect them? If you can answer all four in under a minute, you are ready.

Quick self-test

1. Name the six global contexts.
2. Which three key concepts does mathematics contribute?
3. Name four related concepts from Table 2.
4. True or false: teachers have to pick a global context for their teaching.
5. Is “Ratio and proportion” a good SOI? Say why.
6. A map has scale 1 : 25 000. A path measures 6 cm. How long is it in km?
7. Which context fits a unit that compares fair shares of water?
8. A right-angled triangle has legs 8 cm and 15 cm. Find the hypotenuse.
9. 450 litres are shared in the ratio 2 : 3. How much does each side receive?
10. Which context do many mathematics inquiries naturally fit?
11. Increase 240 by 20%.
12. Add a validity comment to this claim: “A straight line is 12 minutes quicker, so we should always walk straight.”

Answers

1. Identities and relationships (people); orientation in space and time (where and when); personal and cultural expression (art); scientific and technical innovation (invention); globalization and sustainability (world links); fairness and development (access).
2. Form, logic and relationships.
3. Any four of: quantity, space, approximation, equivalence, validity, generalization, simplification, representation, models, patterns, change, systems.
4. True.
5. No. It is a topic name, not a sentence stating a general idea in a context.
6. 6 × 25 000 = 150 000 cm = 1.5 km.
7. Fairness and development (a case could also be made for globalization and sustainability if resources are the focus).
8. The square root of 64 + 225 = the square root of 289 = 17 cm.
9. 450 × 2 ÷ 5 = 180 litres and 450 × 3 ÷ 5 = 270 litres.
10. Scientific and technical innovation.
11. 240 × 1.2 = 288.
12. The saving only holds if the ground allows a straight walk; terrain, fences or water could make it invalid.

Where marks are usually lost

• Naming a topic, not a general idea, as the statement of inquiry.
• Choosing a context that has no real link to the mathematics.
• Listing key concepts or related concepts that the unit does not use.
• Mixing up key concepts and related concepts.
• Forgetting that the context is a reason for the inquiry, not a decoration.
• Giving a calculation with no sentence about whether the answer makes sense in context.
• Using units loosely, such as leaving out cm or km when converting a scale.
• Comparing totals when a per-person or per-unit rate is needed.
• Writing a long answer when the task asks for a single clear statement.

Official syllabus

IB Mathematics guide (MYP), for use from September 2020/January 2021, first assessment 2022, published by the International Baccalaureate Organization.