Individuals and Societies

Ms Carolin Brodengeier - Head of Individuals and Societies,  teaches geography - cbrodengeier@dresden-is.de

Ms Wendy Bassam-Coles - IBDP Coordinator, teaches history - wbassam-coles@dresden-is.de

Ms Rukmini Karande - teaches business management and economics - rkarande@dresden-is.de 

Mr Stuart Kemp- teaches history - skemp@dresden-is.de 

General questions:

Can my son/daughter take history and geography?

Both subjects are in block 3 and cannot be taken together. 

DP Business Management questions/ DP Economics questions:

What is / are the difference /s between Economics and Business? (See the slide show for further details).

DP Business investigates the internal operations within a business. eg finance, recruitment, marketing

DP Economics looks at the broader external economy a business operates within. Eg Germany currently average prices are rising by 2% and unemployment is around 6% of the workforce.

What level of Maths is required for Economics?

Basic addition, subtraction, percentages and logic are required for Economics.  Use of graphs will involve a conceptual understanding which is important.  Higher level Mathematics is not necessary unless aspiring for very academic courses.

DP Geography questions:

Do I get a choice of topics in geography?

The topics are set by the IB and the school select the optional unit in Paper 1 to allow for a balance between physical and human geography. Within the exams you can choose between a number of essay questions in all papers. 

Is geography an easier option?

There is a perception that geography is an easier option which is not entirely true. Geography requires a broad range of case studies, hence an interest in current events and world affairs is essential. The subject also requires a range of mathematical and scientific skills, especially in the internal assessment on rivers. With good common sense and a general interest in world affairs it is not too difficult to get a good grade but achieving a 7 is relatively difficult (like in most other subjects). 

There is no essay writing in geography.

This is a misconception. Whilst there are a lot of short, structured questions in paper 2 and some in paper 1 there are still 10 mark case study questions in both papers. Paper 3 (HL extension) contains 2 essay questions.

What can I do to prepare for geography ? 

Use the time before grade 11 to get familiar with the syllabus and get into the habit of following the news which will provide you with current case study examples. 

DP History questions: 

Do I need to do a lot of essay writing in history?

Yes, assessment in history is predominantly made up of essays. It is therefore beneficial to be comfortable writing in longer formats. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that both geography and economics will also require you to write essays, so this should not be the sole factor in deciding your choices. 

Is there a lot of reading required in history?

Background reading is important, without a doubt. When conducting research essays, it is necessary to expand on what is taught in the class. However, you are not expected to spend more time than in other literary subjects on this kind of additional research. There is also considerable overlap between the units, which limits the amount of additional reading required. 

Is history hard?

There is the common misconception that history is a very difficult subject. Statistically speaking, it is difficult to gain a level 7 in history (as it is in most subjects), but students at our school have shown themselves to be capable of gaining the top grades on multiple occasions. History is often a compulsory component in some counties, such as the USA, which tends to lower the grades on a global level. Gaining a four and above in history is very achievable and with the right application of effort there is no reason not to succeed in the subject.

Do I get to choose any of the topics in history?

The units studied in class are pre-chosen by the teacher. Having so said, students have complete freedom of choice in their internal assessment (and if they choose, the extended essay) which allows them to study in depth a topic of their choice. 

Should I do HL history?

I would absolutely encourage anyone thinking of taking history to also take the higher level option. The reasoning is twofold. Firstly, the skills needed in the Paper 2 examinations (standard level) are almost identical to higher level (Paper 3 examinations). Therefore, you will gain additional practice at this type of essay writing under timed conditions. Furthermore, there is significant overlap between the standard and higher level units, which ultimately lowers the amount of content needed between SL and HL. So rather than needing to spend additional time on new content in the higher level, it is more a case of developing and consolidating what is covered in standard level, which can be a considerable advantage come the exams.