IB Course Descriptions 2016 2017 HL Higher Level Courses, 240 hours over 2 years SL Standard Level Courses, 150 hours over 1 or 2 years Group 1: Language and Literature Literature HL (two year long, junior/senior) The IB Literature HL course develops understanding of the techniques involved in literary criticism and promotes the ability to form independent literary judgments. In IB Literature HL, the formal analysis of texts and wide coverage of a variety of literature both in the language of the subject and in translated texts from other cultural domains is combined with a study of the way literary conventions shape responses to texts. Students completing this course will have a thorough knowledge of a range of texts and an understanding of other cultural perspectives. They will also have developed skills of analysis and the ability to support an argument in clearly expressed writing, sometimes at significant length. This course will enable them to succeed in a wide range of university courses, particularly in literature but also in subjects such as philosophy, law and language. Representative Texts : Declaration of Independence Jefferson, Declaration of Sentiments Stanton; Neo classical documents Franklin, Henry, Paine; Excerpts from Nature and Self Reliance Emerson; Excerpts from Walden and Civil Disobedience Thoreau; I Sing the Body Electric Whitman; Harlem Renaissance Hughes, Cullen; Their Eyes Were Watching God Hurston; The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald; Death of a Salesman Miller; Persepolis Satrapi; short stories Chekhov; poetry Neruda Group 2: Language Acquisition Latin SL (two year long, junior/senior) Students will spend considerable time learning to translate Ovid s Metamorphoses, produce a research dossier explicating 7 to 9 ancient sources in order to answer a research question, and investigate both Latin love poetry (Catullus and Propertius) and Latin authors who write about the Good Life (Horace, Seneca, and Lucretius.) Successful performance on the IB examination may result in student receiving college credit. Prerequisite: Completion of Honors Latin III with a B+ or better. French SL (two year long, junior/senior) Year 1 : Intermediate course in which students establish a strong communicative foundation in the four skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Via authentic and varied texts, audio, and video, students explore themes such as health, media, relationships, and global issues relevant to the French speaking world and beyond. Students develop proficiency in increasingly complex functions such as narrating past events, describing future plans, expressing opinions, hypothesizing, and giving advice. The course emphasizes application of more
Year 2: Upper intermediate course in which students build upon a strong communicative foundation current events relevant to the French speaking world and beyond. Students develop proficiency in Prerequisite: successful completion of French 2 and instructor approval. French HL (two year long, junior/senior) Year 1 : Upper intermediate course in which students build upon a strong communicative foundation current events relevant to the French speaking world and beyond. Students develop proficiency in Year 2 : Building on the skills practiced in previous levels, this course aims to develop fluency in written and spoken communication. Students express themselves in writing via a variety of text types such as formal persuasive essays, emails, blogs, and articles. They describe and analyze images, and read for comprehension and literary analysis. Course content is comprised of authentic texts and media with a global emphasis, and organized around themes such as science, health, identity, customs, and community. This course is conducted entirely in French, and students fine tune their use of register, diction, and intonation. Prerequisite : successful completion of French 3 Spanish SL (two year long, junior/senior) Year 1 : Intermediate course in which students establish a strong communicative foundation in the four skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Via authentic and varied texts, audio, and video, students explore themes such as health, media, relationships, and global issues relevant to the Spanish speaking world and beyond. Students develop proficiency in increasingly complex functions such as narrating past events, describing future plans, expressing opinions, hypothesizing, and giving advice. The course emphasizes application of more Year 2 : Upper intermediate course in which students build upon a strong communicative foundation current events relevant to the Spanish speaking world and beyond. Students develop proficiency in Prerequisite: successful completion of Spanish 2 and instructor approval.
Spanish HL ( two year long, junior/senior) Year 1 : Upper intermediate course in which students build upon a strong communicative foundation current events relevant to the Spanish speaking world and beyond. Students develop proficiency in Year 2 : Building on the skills practiced in previous levels, this course aims to develop fluency in written and spoken communication. Students express themselves in writing via a variety of text types such as formal persuasive essays, emails, blogs, and articles. They describe and analyze images, and read for comprehension and literary analysis. Course content is comprised of authentic texts and media with a global emphasis, and organized around themes such as science, health, identity, customs, and community. This course is conducted entirely in Spanish, and students fine tune their use of register, diction, and intonation. Prerequisite: successful completion of Spanish 3 Honors and instructor approval. Group 3: Individuals and Societies History of the Americas HL (two year long, junior/senior) History of the Americas aims to promote an understanding of history as a discipline, including the nature and diversity of sources, methods and interpretations. Students are encouraged to comprehend the present by reflecting critically on the past. They are further expected to understand historical developments at national, regional and international levels and learn about their own historical identity through the study of the historical experiences of different cultures. This course focuses on the study of the Americas including the histories of North, Central, and South America from the colonial period to modern. Prerequisite: none Group 4: Experimental Sciences Physics SL (two year long, junior/senior) Physics is the most fundamental of the experimental sciences as it seeks to explain the universe itself, from the very smallest particles to the vast distances between galaxies. Despite the exciting and extraordinary development of ideas throughout the history of physics, observations remain essential to the very core of the subject. Models are developed to try to understand observations, and these themselves can become theories that attempt to explain the observations. By studying physics students should become aware of how scientists work and communicate with each other. While the scientific method may take on a wide variety of forms, it is the emphasis on a practical approach through experimental work that characterizes the subject. Teachers provide students with opportunities to develop manipulative skills, design investigations, collect data, analyze results and evaluate and communicate their findings. Core topics include: measurements and
uncertainties, mechanics, thermal physics, waves, electricity and magnetism, circular motion and gravitation, atomic, nuclear and particle physics and energy production. Prerequisite: none Chemistry HL (two year long, junior/senior) Chemistry is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigational skills. This course allows students to develop a wide range of practical skills and to increase facility in the use of mathematics. It also allows students to develop interpersonal and information technology skills, which are essential to life in the 21st century. By studying chemistry students become aware of how scientists work and communicate with each other. While the scientific method may take on a wide variety of forms, it is the emphasis on a practical approach through experimental work that characterizes the subject. Teachers provide students with opportunities to develop manipulative skills, design investigations, collect data, analyze results and evaluate and communicate their findings. Core topics include: stoichiometric relationships, atomic structure, periodicity, chemical bonding and structure, energetics/thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, redox processes, organic chemistry, and measurement and data processing. Prerequisite: completion of 1 year of Chemistry with a B+ or higher. Biology HL (two year long, junior/senior) Biology is the study of life. The vast diversity of species makes biology both an endless source of fascination and a considerable challenge. Biologists attempt to understand the living world at all levels from the micro to the macro using many different approaches and techniques. Biology is still a young science and great progress is expected in the 21st century. This progress is important at a time of growing pressure on the human population and the environment. In this course, students become aware of how scientists work and communicate with each other. While the scientific method may take on a wide variety of forms, it is the emphasis on a practical approach through experimental work that characterizes the sciences. Teachers provide students with opportunities to design investigations, collect data, develop manipulative skills, analyse results, collaborate with peers and evaluate and communicate their findings. Core topics of study include: cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, ecology, evolution and biodiversity, human physiology, nucleic acids, metabolism, cell respiration and photosynthesis, plant biology, genetics and evolution, and animal physiology and human biology. Prerequisite: completion of 1 year of Biology with a B+ or higher. Group 5: Mathematics Mathematical Studies SL (two year long, junior/senior) Mathematical studies focuses on important interconnected mathematical topics. The course focuses on: placing more emphasis on student understanding of fundamental concepts than on symbolic manipulation and complex manipulative skills; giving greater emphasis to developing students mathematical reasoning rather than performing routine operations; solving mathematical problems
embedded in a wide range of contexts; using the calculator effectively. There is an emphasis on applications of mathematics and statistical techniques. It is designed to offer students with varied math backgrounds and abilities the opportunity to learn important concepts and techniques and to gain an understanding of a wide variety of mathematical topics, preparing them to solve problems in a variety of settings, develop more sophisticated mathematical reasoning and enhance their critical thinking. Core topics include: numbers and algebra, descriptive statistics, logic sets and probability, statistical application, geometry and trigonometry, mathematical models, and introduction to different calculus. Prerequisite: teacher approval Math SL (two year long, junior/senior) The mathematics standard level course focuses on introducing important mathematical concepts through the development of mathematical techniques. The intention is to introduce students to these concepts in a comprehensible and coherent way. Students should, wherever possible, apply the mathematical knowledge they have acquired to solve realistic problems set in an appropriate context. Students are encouraged to take a considered approach to various mathematical activities and to explore different mathematical ideas. The exploration also allows students to work without the time constraints of a written examination and to develop the skills they need for communicating mathematical ideas. Core topics include: Algebra, functions and equations, circular functions and trigonometry, vectors, statistics and probability, and calculus. Prerequisite: teacher approval Math HL (two year long, junior/senior) The IB DP further mathematics higher level (HL) course caters to students with a very strong background in mathematics who have attained a high degree of competence in a range of analytical and technical skills, and who display considerable interest in the subject. The course is designed specifically to allow students to learn about a variety of branches of mathematics in depth and also to appreciate practical applications. The nature of the subject is such that it focuses on different branches of mathematics to encourage students to appreciate the diversity of the subject. Students should be equipped at this stage in their mathematical progress to begin to form an overview of the characteristics that are common to all mathematical thinking, independent of topic or branch. Core topics include: linear algebra, geometry, statistics and probability, sets, relations and groups, calculus, and discrete mathematics. Prerequisite: teacher approval Group 6: The Arts Visual Art SL/HL (two year, junior/senior) The IB Diploma Programme visual arts course encourages students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries. It is a thought provoking course in which students develop analytical skills in problem solving and divergent thinking, while working towards technical proficiency and confidence as art makers. In addition to exploring and comparing visual arts from
different perspectives and in different contexts, students are expected to engage in, experiment with and critically reflect upon a wide range of contemporary practices and media. Prerequisite: none IB CORE Extended Essay (two year, junior/senior) The Extended Essay is a 4000 word research paper that requires students to choose a subject area and design a research question in conjunction with a faculty mentor (identified with IB Coordinator and Extended Essay Library Research Consultants). A rough draft is submitted by the first day of Senior Year, further developed throughout the fall, with the assistance of a faculty mentor who ultimately assesses the final draft. Successful completion of the EE and the TOK both of which are assigned letter grades externally can result in 0 3 points. Theory of Knowledge (ToK) (two year, junior/senior) Theory of knowledge (TOK) is a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than about learning a specific body of knowledge. It plays a special role in the Diploma Programme by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, to make connections between areas of knowledge and to become aware of their own perspectives and those of the various groups whose knowledge they share. It is a core element undertaken by all IB students and will be taken by all Convent & Stuart Hall students (IB and otherwise) during the Spring of their Junior year and Fall of their Sophomore year in their Theology courses. The overall aim of TOK is to encourage students to formulate answers to the question how do you know? in a variety of contexts, and to see the value of that question. This allows students to develop an enduring fascination with the richness of knowledge. Creativity Activity Service (CAS) (two year, junior/senior) Successful completion of CAS Creativity Activity Service is a requirement for the award of the IB diploma. CAS is not formally assessed and is conducted through one on one meetings between student and CAS Coordinator throughout their Junior and Senior years. Students must document their activities and provide evidence that they have achieved all eight key learning outcomes. As a result of their CAS experience as a whole, including reflections, there should be evidence that students have: increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth undertaken new challenges and developed new skills planned and initiated activities worked collaboratively with others shown perseverance and commitment in their activities engaged with issues of global importance considered the ethical implications of their actions