Arts & Electives
Group 6: The Arts and Electives
Students choose courses from the following subject groups: studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and societies; sciences; mathematics; and the arts.
Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.
The subjects in the arts allow a high degree of adaptability to different cultural contexts. The emphasis is on creativity in the context of disciplined, practical research into the relevant genres.
In addition, each subject is designed to foster critical, reflective and informed practice, help students understand the dynamic and changing nature of the arts, explore the diversity of arts across time, place and cultures, and express themselves with confidence and competence.
IB Dance SL
The course focuses on the composition, performance and analysis of dance, or “expressive movement,” which is practiced amongst peoples of various backgrounds, and for a variety of purposes, throughout the world.
Students create, participate in, and reflect upon dance forms and styles from a range of cultures and traditions, both familiar and unfamiliar.
The recommended teaching times—150 hours (SL)—indicate a clear distinction between the time allowed for the completion of course assignments at SL.
Through a variety of teaching approaches, all students will be encouraged to develop their creative and critical abilities and to enhance their appreciation and enjoyment of dance.
Key features of the curriculum and assessment models
The minimum prescribed number of hours is 150 for SL
Students are assessed both externally and internally
External assessment consists of a) the submission (on DVD) of dance works composed by the student, and b) a formal written report which analyses the similarities and differences between two dance styles drawn from different dance cultures and/or traditions
Internal assessment consists of the submission (on DVD) of the student’s performance of various styles of dances, presented at an open showing.
IB Music SL
Through the music course students develop their knowledge and potential as musicians, both personally and collaboratively.
Involving aspects of the composition, performance and critical analysis of music, the course exposes students to forms, styles and functions of music from a wide range of historical and socio-cultural contexts. Students create, participate in, and reflect upon music from their own background and those of others. They develop practical and communicative skills which provide them with the opportunity to engage in music for further study, as well as for lifetime enjoyment.
Standard level (SL) music students are required to study musical perception.
SL students in music are then required to choose one of three options:
creating (SLC)
solo performing (SLS)
group performing (SLG).
Through a variety of teaching approaches, all students will be encouraged to develop their creative and critical abilities and to enhance their appreciation and enjoyment of music.
Key features of the curriculum and assessment models
Available at standard (SL) and higher levels (HL)
The minimum prescribed number of hours is 150 for SL and 240 for HL
Students are assessed both externally and internally
External assessment consists of a) the Listening paper (musical perception questions), and b) the Musical links investigation (a written media script investigating the significant musical links between two or more pieces from distinct musical cultures)
Internal assessment consists, at HL, of a) Creating, and b) Solo performing. At SL students choose one option from among the following: a) Creating, b) Solo performing, c) Group performing.
IB Theatre SL and HL
Theatre is a practical subject that encourages discovery through experimentation, the taking of risks and the presentation of ideas to others. It results in the development of both theatre and life skills; the building of confidence, creativity and working collaboratively.
The IB Diploma Programme theatre course is a multifaceted theatre-making course of study. It gives students the opportunity to make theatre as creators, designers, directors and performers. It emphasizes the importance of working both individually and collaboratively as part of an ensemble. It offers the opportunity to engage actively in the creative process, transforming ideas into action as inquisitive and productive artists.
Students experience the course from contrasting artistic perspectives. They learn to apply research and theory to inform and to contextualize their work. The theatre course encourages students to appreciate that through the processes of researching, creating, preparing, presenting and critically reflecting on theatre— as participants and audience members—they gain a richer understanding of themselves, their community and the world.
Through the study of theatre, students become aware of their own personal and cultural perspectives, developing an appreciation of the diversity of theatre practices, their processes and their modes of presentation. It enables students to discover and engage with different forms of theatre across time, place and culture and promotes international-mindedness.
Key features of the curriculum model
To fully prepare students for the demands of the assessment tasks, teachers should ensure that their planning addresses each of the syllabus activities outlined below, the content and focus of which is not prescribed.
Students are required to investigate the core syllabus areas from the perspectives of creator, designer, director, performer and spectator.
The minimum prescribed number of hours is 150 for SL and 240 for HL
Students are assessed both externally and internally
IB Art SL and HL
The visual arts are an integral part of everyday life, permeating all levels of human creativity, expression, communication and understanding.
They range from traditional forms embedded in local and wider communities, societies and cultures, to the varied and divergent practices associated with new, emerging and contemporary forms of visual language. They may have socio-political impact as well as ritual, spiritual, decorative and functional value; they can be persuasive and subversive in some instances, enlightening and uplifting in others. We celebrate the visual arts not only in the way we create images and objects, but also in the way we appreciate, enjoy, respect and respond to the practices of art-making by others from around the world. Theories and practices in visual arts are dynamic and ever-changing, and connect many areas of knowledge and human experience through individual and collaborative exploration, creative production and critical interpretation.
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. The course is designed for students who want to go on to study visual arts in higher education as well as for those who are seeking lifelong enrichment through visual arts.
Supporting the International Baccalaureate mission statement and learner profile, the 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.
Key features of the curriculum model
To fully prepare students for the demands of the assessment tasks, teachers should ensure that their planning addresses each of the syllabus activities outlined below, the content and focus of which is not prescribed.
The minimum prescribed number of hours is 150 for SL and 240 for HL
Students are assessed both externally and internally
IB Computer Science SL and HL
Computer science previously formed a subject in group 5 of the Diploma Programme curriculum but now lies within group 4. As such, it is regarded as a science, alongside biology, chemistry, design technology, physics, environmental systems and societies and sports, exercise and health science.
This group change is significant as it means DP students can now select computer science as their group 4 subject rather than having to select it in addition to mathematics as was previously the case.
The IB computer science course is a rigorous and practical problem-solving discipline.
Key features of the curriculum and assessment models
Two course levels are offered: standard level (SL) and higher level (HL).
Computational thinking lies at the heart of the course and is integrated with other topics. This will be supported by practical activities including programming.
Algorithmic thinking will be both externally and internally assessed at the level of pseudo-code.
Practical programming experience will be an essential element of developing higher-level thinking skills; this may be assessed as a part of the internal assessment. There is no designated language.
Syllabus content will be reviewed as part of the curriculum review cycle.
A new component has been introduced (HL only) that is linked to the annually issued case study, to expand students’ knowledge of a new subject-related topic through investigative study.
The internal assessment has changed from a being based on a Java-related task to a more open problem-solving exercise.
All computer science students will work with other students of group 4 subjects (physics, chemistry, biology, design technology, environmental systems and societies and sports, exercise and health science).