Myers Park DP Student Handbook and Information 

The IB Diploma Program is a college-preparatory course of study which is designed to provide students with a broad knowledge base. It is a two-year endeavor, over grades 11 and 12. To earn an IB Diploma, students must take examinations in six subjects: English, a second language, Individuals and Societies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics, and a sixth subject, which may be an arts class or may be a second course from one of the other five subject areas. Of these six subjects, at least three (but no more than four) courses must be at Higher Level (HL), while the remaining two or three courses are at Standard Level (SL). Examinations are graded on a scale from 1 to 7 (with 7 being the highest), and students must score a total of at least 24 points in order to earn the Diploma, with at least 12 points earned from HL courses.

In addition to examinations, students must also successfully complete the Theory of Knowledge course, a maximum 4000-word Extended Essay, and at least 150 hours of Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). Students’ performance in ToK and on the Extended Essay can earn them up to three bonus points towards the Diploma total.

IB examinations are administered in May, and students learn results in July. Thus students do not know if they have earned the IB Diploma until after they have graduated from high school. Students who do not earn the Diploma will receive the IB Certificate (of Results).

The Extended Essay is a maximum 4000-word research paper on student-chosen topic. The paper is completed under the supervision of a faculty supervisor who is knowledgeable in the subject area in which the paper is written. The paper is an IB requirement which is separate from the IB curriculum being studied, although the paper’s subject often relates to an IB course a student is taking. The paper-writing process typically begins in the spring of junior year, and the papers are scored by external IB examiners. 

Theory of Knowledge is an interdisciplinary seminar course over two years which challenges students and teachers to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of knowledge. Examples of questions considered in Theory of Knowledge are: “How much of one’s knowledge depends on interaction with other knowers?” and “What is history? Is it the study of the past, or the study of records of the past?” Successful completion of the course is a requirement for earning the IB Diploma. The course is assessed by the ToK teacher via a class presentation and assessed by an external IB examiner via a 1200 to 1600 word essay on a prescribed topic. ToK is taught during the student’s junior and senior years. 

IB examinations are taken at the end of an IB course, during the April/ May examination session. For example, a student taking a one-year IB course (such as Business & Management, or Philosophy) during his or her junior year would take that IB examination in May of junior year. Most examinations for two-year courses are taken during April/May of senior year. The examination schedule is released each fall to IB students, with more details of times and locations provided after exam registration occurs. 

CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, Service and is a requirement of the IB Diploma Program. In order to earn an IB Diploma, students are required to complete 3 service activities their junior year and 3 service activities and the CAS project their senior year, evenly split between Creativity, Activity, and Service. Students are encouraged to identify a need in the community, plan a solution, and involve others in implementing the solution. Students are required to fill out reflections via the online ManageBac program, including the verification of the adult supervisor of the activity. For more information about CAS, click the CAS- Service as Action page. 

All IB Diploma courses are taught from prescribed curricula; rough course descriptions are provided below. Please note that all courses are assessed by IB using both internal assessments (graded by the teacher and reviewed by IB) and external assessments (IB-written examinations, in most cases).

Group 1: Language A (English HL)

• • Pre-university course in literature

  • Internal assessment: recorded oral commentary in December/January

  • External assessment: 1 Written Assignment paper, written examination in May

  • Also prepares students for AP English Literature exam

Group 2: Language B (French SL or HL, German SL or HL, Latin SL or HL, Mandarin Chinese SL or HL, and Spanish SL or HL)

• • Development of listening, speaking, reading and writing in second language

  • Students should achieve level 5 of language in order to be successful on exams

  • Internal assessment (all languages except Latin): recorded oral examination (commentary on previously unseen photographs) in March

  • Internal assessment (Latin): may be research paper in English on classical topic, oral presentation, or composition in Latin

  • External assessment: Written Assignment completed in December, plus written examination in May

Group 3: Individuals and Societies

• History HL

  • International history with an emphasis on the Americas (North, South, and Central)

  • Focus on historical analysis and interpretation

  • Internal assessment: Historical investigation paper

  • External assessment: Examination in May

  • 11th grade course (History of the Americas) fulfills state US History requirement.

  • 12th grade course (IB History) fulfills state World History requirement (with the class of 2024 and on).

• Business and Management SL

  • Focuses on the ways “individuals and groups interact in a dynamic business environment”, how business decisions are made and their impact

  • Goal is to teach students business principles, practices and skills

  • Internal assessment: Research project

  • External assessment: Examination in May

• Global Politics (SL or HL)

  • "It allows students to develop an understanding of the local, national, international and global dimensions of political activity, as well as allowing them the opportunity to explore political issues affecting their own lives. Global politics draws on a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. It helps students to understand abstract political concepts by grounding them in real world examples and case studies, and also invites comparison between such examples and case studies to ensure a transnational perspective." (IBO Course Description)

  • Internal assessment:  Engagement activity

  • External assessment:  Examination in May

• Philosophy SL

  • "The emphasis of the philosophy course is very much on “doing” philosophy. Doing philosophy requires a willingness to attempt an understanding of alternative views by applying intellectual rigor and cultivating an open and critical mind." (IBO Philosophy Guide)

  • Focus on developing sound arguments, independent thinking, appreciation of different perspectives

  • Internal assessment:  Philosophical analysis of non-philosophical material

  • External assessment:  Examination in May

Group 4: Sciences

• Biology HL

  •  Prerequisite: Biology 1

  • Requires “Group 4 Project,” involving an experiment designed and carried out as a small group, completion of experiment write-up, and presentation of experiment and results

  • Internal assessment:  Experimentation/research write-up (practical work), Group 4 Project

  • External assessment:  Examination in May

• Chemistry SL or HL

  • Prerequisite: Chemistry 1

  • Requires “Group 4 Project,” involving an experiment designed and carried out as a small group, completion of experiment write-up, and presentation of experiment and results

  •  Internal assessment:  Experimentation/research write-up (practical work), Group 4 Project

  • External assessment:  Examination in May

• Physics SL or HL

  • Prerequisite: Physics 1

  • Requires “Group 4 Project,” involving an experiment designed and carried out as a small group, completion of experiment write-up, and presentation of experiment and results

  •  Internal assessment:  Experimentation/research write-up (practical work), Group 4 Project

  • External assessment:  Examination in May

• Environmental Systems and Societies SL

  • Combines traditional concepts of environmental system with socio-political aspects, including human effects on the environment.

  • Requires “Group 4 Project,” involving an experiment designed and carried out as a small group, completion of experiment write-up, and presentation of experiment and results

  • Internal assessment:  Experimentation/research write-up (practical work), Group 4 Project

  •  External assessment:  Examination in May

  •  Meets graduation requirement for Earth/Environmental

Group 5: Mathematics

• Mathematical Applications SL

  • The IB Mathematics: applications and interpretation course recognizes the increasing role that mathematics and technology play in a diverse range of fields in a data-rich world. As such, it emphasizes the meaning of mathematics in context by focusing on topics that are often used as applications or in mathematical modelling. (from IB Subject Brief)

  • Focuses on further algebra and geometry, statistics, and financial math, with some limited exposure to calculus

  • Internal assessment: Research Project

  • External assessment: Examination in May

• Mathematics Analysis SL

  • The IB DP Mathematics: analysis and approaches course recognizes the need for analytical expertise in a world where innovation is increasingly dependent on a deep understanding of mathematics. The focus is on developing important mathematical concepts in a comprehensible, coherent and rigorous way, achieved by a carefully balanced approach.  (from IB Subject Brief)

  • Focuses on further algebra, vectors, probability and statistics, and extensive calculus.

  • Internal assessment: Research Project

  • External assessment: Examination in May

Group 6: The Arts

• Theatre Arts HL

  • Aim is “to help students understand the nature of the theatre…by making it as well as studying it” (IBO Theatre Arts Guide)

  • Internal assessments: Performance skills and theater production; Portfolio and Individual Project

  • External assessments: audiotaped Practical Play Analysis (on a prescribed play) and Research Commission (researching play for production)

• Visual Arts HL

  • Creation of art along with understanding of its socio-cultural context

  • Internal assessment: Research workbooks

  • External assessment: Studio work portfolio submitted electronically

• Dance SL