Biology (SL/HL)
Course Description
Biology is the study of life. The first organisms appeared on the planet over 3 billion years ago and, through reproduction and natural selection, have given rise to the 8 million or so different species alive today. Estimates vary, but over the course of evolution, 4 billion species could have been produced. Most of these flourished for a period of time and then became extinct as new, better-adapted species took their place. There have been at least five periods when very large numbers of species became extinct and biologists are concerned that another mass extinction is underway, caused this time by human activity. Nonetheless, there are more species alive on Earth today than ever before. This diversity makes biology both an endless source of fascination and a considerable challenge.
An interest in life is natural for humans; not only are we living organisms ourselves, but we depend on many species for our survival, are threatened by some and co-exist with many more. From the earliest cave paintings to the modern wildlife documentary, this interest is as obvious as it is ubiquitous, as biology continues to fascinate young and old all over the world.
The word “biology” was coined by German naturalist Gottfried Reinhold in 1802 but our understanding of living organisms only started to grow rapidly with the advent of techniques and technologies developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, not least the invention of the microscope and the realization that natural selection is the process that has driven the evolution of life.
Biologists attempt to understand the living world at all levels using many different approaches and techniques. At one end of the scale is the cell, it's molecular construction and complex metabolic reactions. At the other end of the scale, biologists investigate the interactions that make whole ecosystems function.
Many areas of research in biology are extremely challenging and many discoveries remain to be made. Biology is still a young science and great progress is expected in the 21st century. This progress is sorely needed at a time when the growing human population is placing ever greater pressure on food supplies and on the habitats of other species and is threatening the very planet we occupy.
Assessment
Chemistry (SL/HL)
Course Description
Chemistry is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigational skills. It is often called the central science, as chemical principles underpin both the physical environment in which we live and all biological systems. Apart from being a subject worthy of study in its own right, chemistry is a prerequisite for many other courses in higher education, such as medicine, biological science and environmental science, and serves as useful preparation for employment.
Earth, water, air and fire are often said to be the four classical elements. They have connections with Hinduism and Buddhism. The Greek philosopher Plato was the first to call these entities elements. The study of chemistry has changed dramatically from its origins in the early days of alchemists, who had as their quest the transmutation of common metals into gold. Although today alchemists are not regarded as being true scientists, modern chemistry has the study of alchemy as its roots. Alchemists were among the first to develop strict experimentation processes and laboratory techniques. Robert Boyle, often credited with being the father of modern chemistry, began experimenting as an alchemist.
Despite the exciting and extraordinary development of ideas throughout the history of chemistry, certain things have remained unchanged. Observations remain essential at the very core of chemistry, and this sometimes requires decisions about what to look for. The scientific processes carried out by the most eminent scientists in the past are the same ones followed by working chemists today and, crucially, are also accessible to students in schools. The body of scientific knowledge has grown in size and complexity, and the tools and skills of theoretical and experimental chemistry have become so specialized, that it is difficult (if not impossible) to be highly proficient in both areas. While students should be aware of this, they should also know that the free and rapid interplay of theoretical ideas and experimental results in the public scientific literature maintains the crucial link between these fields.
The Diploma Programme chemistry course includes the essential principles of the subject but also, through the selection of an option, allows teachers some flexibility to tailor the course to meet the needs of their students. The course is available at both standard level (SL) and higher level (HL), and therefore accommodates students who wish to study chemistry as their major subject in higher education and those who do not.
At the school level, both theory and experiments should be undertaken by all students. They should complement one another naturally, as they do in the wider scientific community. The Diploma Programme chemistry course allows students to develop traditional practical skills and techniques and to increase facility in the use of mathematics, which is the language of science. It also allows students to develop interpersonal skills, and digital technology skills, which are essential in a 21st-century scientific endeavour and are important life-enhancing, transferable skills in their own right.
Assessment
Computer Science (SL/HL)
Course Description
Computer science requires an understanding of the fundamental concepts of computational thinking as well as knowledge of how computers and other digital devices operate.
The Diploma Programme computer science course is engaging, accessible, inspiring and rigorous. It has the following characteristics:
- draws on a wide spectrum of knowledge
- enables and empowers innovation, exploration and the acquisition of further knowledge
- interacts with and influences cultures, society and how individuals and societies behave
- raises ethical issues
- is underpinned by computational thinking.
Computational thinking involves the ability to:
- think procedurally, logically, concurrently, abstractly, recursively and think ahead
- utilize an experimental and inquiry-based approach to problem-solving
- develop algorithms and express them clearly
- appreciate how theoretical and practical limitations affect the extent to which problems can be solved computationally.
During the course, the student will develop computational solutions. This will involve the ability to:
- identify a problem or unanswered question
- design, prototype and test a proposed solution
- liaise with clients to evaluate the success of the proposed solution and make recommendations for future developments.
Assessment
Environmental Systems and Societies (SL)
Course Description
As a transdisciplinary subject, environmental systems and societies is designed to combine the techniques and knowledge associated with group 4 (the experimental sciences) with those associated with group 3 (individuals and societies). By choosing to study a transdisciplinary course such as this as part of their diploma, students are able to satisfy the requirements for both groups 3 and 4 of the hexagon, thus allowing them to choose another subject from any hexagon group (including another group 3 or 4 subject). Transdisciplinary subjects, therefore, introduce more flexibility into the IB Diploma Programme. The environmental systems and societies course is offered at SL only.
The prime intent of this course is to provide students with a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies; one that enables them to adopt an informed personal response to the wide range of pressing environmental issues that they will inevitably come to face. Students’ attention will be constantly drawn to their own relationship with their environment and the significance of choices and decisions that they make in their own lives. It is intended that students develop a sound understanding of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies, rather than a purely journalistic appreciation of environmental issues.
Assessment
Physics (SL/HL)
Course Description
Physics is the most fundamental of the experimental sciences, as it seeks to explain the universe itself from the very smallest particles—currently accepted as quarks, which may be truly fundamental—to the vast distances between galaxies.
The scientific processes carried out by the most eminent scientists in the past are the same ones followed by working physicists today and, crucially, are also accessible to students in schools. Early in the development of science, physicists were both theoreticians and experimenters (natural philosophers). The body of scientific knowledge has grown in size and complexity, and the tools and skills of theoretical and experimental physicists have become so specialized that it is difficult (if not impossible) to be highly proficient in both areas. While students should be aware of this, they should also know that the free and rapid interplay of theoretical ideas and experimental results in the public scientific literature maintains the crucial links between these fields.
At the school level both theory and experiments should be undertaken by all students. They should complement one another naturally, as they do in the wider scientific community. The Diploma Programme physics course allows students to develop traditional practical skills and techniques and increase their abilities in the use of mathematics, which is the language of physics. It also allows students to develop interpersonal and digital communication skills which are essential in a modern scientific endeavour and are important life-enhancing, transferable skills in their own right.
Alongside the growth in our understanding of the natural world, perhaps the more obvious and relevant result of physics to most of our students is our ability to change the world. This is the technological side of physics, in which physical principles have been applied to construct and alter the material world to suit our needs, and have had a profound influence on the daily lives of all human beings. This raises the issue of the impact of physics on society, the moral and ethical dilemmas, and the social, economic and environmental implications of the work of physicists. These concerns have become more prominent as our power over the environment has grown, particularly among young people, for whom the importance of the responsibility of physicists for their own actions is self-evident.
Lab Work
Students are required to complete 60 hours (HL)/40 hours (SL) of experimental activity and lab work. Laboratory work includes performing prescribed experiments as well as designing and performing experiments to test hypotheses. Lab work is most often performed in allocated class time, although students are expected to complete some lab work outside of usual class time, including the possibility of an occasional extended laboratory session on a weekend.
Twenty per cent of the final exam is put aside for internally assessed work. The internal assessment is in the form of a personal project: a single extended practical investigation into a topic of the students own choice that accounts for 10 hours of laboratory time.
Assessment
Sports, Health and Exercise Science (SL/HL)
Course Description
Sports, exercise and health science (SEHS) is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigative skills. It is an applied science course within group 4, with aspects of biological and physical science being studied in the specific context of sports, exercise and health. SEHS is good preparation for courses in higher or further education related to sports fitness and health and serves as useful preparation for employment in the sports and leisure industries.
The course incorporates the traditional disciplines of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, psychology and nutrition, which are studied in the context of sports, exercise and health. Students will cover a range of core and option topics, and carry out practical (experimental) investigations in both laboratory and field settings. This will provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and understanding necessary to apply scientific principles and critically analyse human performance. Where relevant, the course will address issues of international dimension and ethics by considering sports, exercise and health relative to the individual and in a global context.
At the school level, both theory and practical work should be undertaken by all students. They should complement one another naturally, as they do in wider scientific study. The Diploma Programme SEHS course allows students to develop practical skills and techniques, and to increase facility in the use of mathematics, which is the language of science. It also allows students to develop interpersonal skills and digital technology skills, which are essential in a 21st-century scientific endeavour and are important life-enhancing, transferable skills in their own right. The course is available at both standard level (SL) and higher level (HL), and therefore accommodates students who wish to study SEHS as their major subject in higher education and those who do not. The distinction between SL and HL is one of breadth and depth.
Assessment
