IB Studies

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM

International Baccalaureate: What is an IB Education?

Aynor High School hosts one of the district’s two International Baccalaureate, or IB, Schools. Courses within the International Baccalaureate program help students develop the intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills necessary to live, learn, and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

ENTERING AHS PRE-IB and/or IB COURSES

Students at Aynor High School will be given the opportunity to enter the AHS Pre-IB courses in Grade 9 in preparation for the actual IB courses during grades 11 and 12. The primary intentions of the IB Program are to offer a rigorous university preparation program and to provide students with the intellectual, social, and critical perspectives necessary for the adult world.

The philosophy of Aynor High School is to make the International Baccalaureate Program available to all students who wish to challenge themselves and to better prepare themselves for college. We do recommend that entering students and their parents be aware of the “recommendations for success” listed below.

Self-motivation: The student must recognize that entering into and sticking with the IB process requires his or her conscious willingness to meet the challenge of these courses.
Making Intelligent Choices: The student and parents should be prepared to carefully decide which activities, both in and out of school, will best supplement the AHS Pre-IB and IB Program. This may mean having to make some thoughtful decisions even as early as the middle years about what course(s) to take and what the student can and cannot realistically accomplish in relation to his or her academic and extracurricular activity schedules.
Teacher Recommendations: The student should have a positive recommendation from the teacher of the course previous to the AHS Pre-IB or IB course they wish to enter. If a student does not get a positive recommendation, but still wishes to enter an AHS Pre-IB or IB course, both the student and parent must sign a form acknowledging the student’s non-recommended status.
Grades: While there is not “set” GPA requirement for entrance, the student should be performing at no less than a “B” in the course prior to entering the next AHS Pre-IB course, no less than a “C” in a course prior to entering the next IB course, and failure to maintain academic requirements may result in probation and/or removal from the AHS IB Program.

IB Diploma Requirements

Diploma candidates must complete a minimum of three (and no more than four) of the six courses at the Higher Level (HL) and three (no fewer than two) at the Standard Level (SL).

In addition to successful completion of the six subjects and their respective external exams, a Diploma candidate must also take a unique course entitled “Theory of Knowledge”. The focus of the “TOK” course is to stimulate critical reflection upon the knowledge and experiences acquired both inside and outside the classroom, to evaluate the basis of knowledge and experience and to develop a personal mode of thought based on critical examination of evidence and argument. Unlike the other subjects, TOK is not assessed by an external examination, but rather by the course teacher whose grades are subject to external moderation.

Diploma candidates must meet two additional requirements during their junior and senior years; they must research and write an Extended Essay in any subject within the IB curriculum, and they must participate in the CAS program. The Extended Essay is an original and independent piece of research written by the student, under direct supervision of a qualified teacher. The CAS (Creativity Activity Service) requirement takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a refreshing counterbalance to the academic absorption some may feel within a demanding school program. The goal of educating the whole person and fostering a more compassionate citizenry comes alive in an immediate way when students reach beyond themselves and their books. The CAS requirement is met by participating in planned and supervised extracurricular activities related to the school and the local community.

IB Diploma Programme Grading Scale

7 (Excellent), 6 (Very Good), 5 (Good), 4 (Satisfactory), 3 (Mediocre), 2 (Poor), 1 (Very Poor).

Students must earn a minimum of 24 points in order to be awarded the IB Diploma, including successful completion of the Diploma Core (CAS, EE, TOK) and minimal levels of HL and SL course performance. The minimum number of points needed to get the Diploma is 24.

There are some additional rules to be aware of as well. If you receive 24 or more points (up to 45), you will receive the IB Diploma provided all the following requirements have been met:

*Numeric grades (as opposed to an “N”) have been awarded in all six subjects registered for the IB diploma.

*All CAS requirements have been met.

*Grades A to E have been awarded for both Theory of Knowledge and an Extended Essay, with a grade of at least D for both of them.

*There is no grade 1 in any subject.

*There are no more than two grade 2s awarded.

*There are no more than three grade 3s or below awarded.

*At least 12 points have been gained on Higher Level subjects.

*At least 9 points have been gained on Standard Level subjects

IB Course Descriptions

IB STUDIES IN LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

Language A: Literature

IB English I HL

IB Language A focuses on world literature and develops the student’s understanding and appreciation of a variety of cultures, including his/her own. Summer reading are required.

IB English II HL

The program promotes fluent expression of ideas in both written and oral communication in order to prepare the student for the Higher Level IB examination. Summer readings are required.

IB LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

IB Spanish ab Initio

Spanish ab initio (“from the beginning” in Latin) This fast-paced class is designed for students who have had no academic preparation in Spanish and provides them with a foundation for further stud while developing their ability to communicate in writing so that they may deal effectively with familiar and practical needs. It also explores the cultures of the countries where Spanish is spoken. The course and its assessments stress development of the candidate’s listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills equally.

IB INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES

IB History of the Americas I & II

IB History of the Americas

History of the Americas is designed to study the political, social, economic, and cultural history of the Western Hemisphere. Emphasis will be placed on history of the United States, but comparisons will be made with other countries in the hemisphere. Students will learn historical content, interpret primary sources, and express themselves clearly, effectively, and analytically in written essays.

IB Psychology

The IB Diploma Program psychology course is the systematic study of behavior and mental processes. Students undertaking the course can expect to develop an understanding of how psychological knowledge is generated, developed and applied. This will allow them to have a greater understanding of themselves and appreciate the diversity of human behavior.

IB SCIENCES

Biology

IB Biology Seminar

Credit: 1 Lab Science

Prerequisite for IB Biology HL I and II. This course reviews the fundamental components of IB Biology HL I and II.

Biology HL, Level 1-IB

The IB Biology Higher Level (HL) I course is first of 2 courses that meets the objectives of general biology courses on the university level. The objectives include studying the characteristics, unity, and diversity of living things; the concept of evolution as an explanation of unity and diversity; the nature of science as a human enterprise; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the application of biological concepts to new situations including those involving human society and populations. The aim of the course is to develop an understanding and appreciation of the vast array of biological knowledge.

Biology HL, Level 2-IB

This IB class is the second course of study of the two-course program that will include concepts of Energetics; Transport and Exchange Mechanisms; Coordination, Response, and Control; Health, Disease, and Immunology. The course will further develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as develop appreciation for scientific expository writing. Students will be prepared to sit for the HL examination after the second year and the AP Biology Exam as well.

IB Sports Exercise and Health Science SL 1 & 2

This course explores the science underpinning physical performance and provides the opportunity to apply these principles. The course incorporates the disciplines of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, psychology and nutrition. Students cover a range of core and option topics, and carry out practical (experimental) investigations in both laboratory and field settings. The course offers a deeper understanding of the issues related to sports, exercise and health in the 21st century and addresses the international dimension and ethics related to both the individual and global context.

IB MATHEMATICS

Mathematics Applications and Interpretations

IB Mathematics (SL) Applications and Interpretation

Pre-requisite Pre-Calculus

IB Mathematics concentrates on Mathematics which can be applied to contest related as far as possible to other curriculum subjects, to general world occurrences, and to topics that relate to home, work, and leisure situations. Included in the course is an independent project which requires students to utilize mathematical concepts in real world applications. Topics include sets and logic, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, functions, financial mathematics, series and sequences, and introductory differential calculus.

IB ARTS

IB Music SL 1 & 2

This course is grounded in the knowledge, skills and processes associated with the study of music and offers a strengthened approach to student creativity through practical, informed and purposeful explorations of diverse musical forms, practices and contexts. The course also ensures a holistic approach to learning, with the roles of performer, creator and researcher afforded equal importance in all course components.

IB Visual Arts SL 1 7 2

This course encourages students to actively explore the visual arts within and across a variety of local, regional, national, international, and intercultural contexts. Through inquiry, investigation, reflection, and creative application, visual arts students develop an appreciation for the expressive and aesthetic diversity in the world around them, becoming critically informed makers and consumers of visual culture.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE HONORS

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

The Theory of Knowledge course is a required IB course (although the class is open to non-IB students) that challenges a student to apply critical thought to his/her personal base of knowledge from traditional academic courses and from life. Students will question their knowledge not only across disciplines, but also across societal and global perspectives. Based on the question of “what the student knows and how that knowledge was acquired” the student will encounter the topic of decision-making in moral, political, and aesthetic arenas. The goal of this course is to create an independent learner who will critically analyze his/her own thought processes, refine his/her thinking, and establish a knowledge base that is objectively coherent.

SUGGESTED IB PROGRAM OF STUDY

All students are encouraged to engage in the full diploma program. Students may opt to take individual IB courses separately. Those students seeking the challenge of a more complete university preparation “package” should plan their junior and senior schedules to pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma. All students who enroll in IB courses will be required to take the respective IB examinations. The IB Certificate is available to students who complete all IB coursework minus the Extended Essay (EE), Theory Of Knowledge (TOK), and (CAS) requirements necessary for Diploma status.

Additional IB Information

AHS will offer the following options among the six groups of IB’s core curriculum:

Group 1 - Studies in Language and Literature: IB English

Group 2 - Language Acquisition: IB Spanish ab initio

Group 3 - Individuals and Societies: IB History of the Americas, IB Psychology

Group 4 - Experimental Sciences: IB Biology, IB Sports Exercise & Health Science

Group 5 - Mathematics: IB Mathematics Application and Interpretation

Group 6 - The Arts: IB Music, IB Visual Arts

Diploma candidates must select three of the above subjects to be studied at the Higher Level. Three subjects and not more than four are taken at higher level (HL), the others at standard level (SL). HL courses represent 240 teaching hours; SL courses cover 150 hours. By arranging work in this fashion, students are able to explore some subjects in depth and some more broadly over the two-year period. This is a deliberate compromise between the specialization preferred in some national systems and the breadth found in others.

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