Students will explore science topics using a variety of scientific methods. They will explore science through experiments and modeling of ideas. They will learn how to calculate information, analyze data and graphs, and develop an educated justification for their conclusion about what they are learning in science. They will learn how to apply science to the world they live in so they can make educated decisions as citizens.
Return to the Choose Classes page to find the Science requirement(s) for your graduation year.
During Earth and Space Science, students will apply the scientific practices while learning about astronomy and earth systems. Students will learn about stars, atmosphere and ocean circulations, weather and climate, soil, and landforms. All topics of this course will be connected to real world phenomena and will analyze human intersections with the natural world. Students will explore these concepts through science and engineering practices such as formulating testable questions, constructing and using models, analyzing data, planning and carrying out investigations, employing mathematical thinking, obtaining and evaluating information, and engaging in argument based on evidence.
Biology is a foundational course designed to immerse students in the intricate systems that constitute our living world. The curriculum covers essential topics such as cells, macromolecules, homeostasis, DNA, genetics, evolution, ecology, diversity, and the biological systems of humans.
Throughout the course, students will actively engage with these concepts by employing a variety of scientific and engineering practices. They will develop testable questions, construct and utilize models, analyze data, and plan, as well as execute, their investigations. This hands-on approach integrates mathematical thinking, allowing students to effectively obtain, evaluate, and interpret information. Ultimately, this process will empower them to construct well-supported arguments based on evidence gathered during their studies.
The Chemistry course is a hands-on, laboratory-based program aimed at enhancing students' scientific literacy. In this course, students will delve into the captivating realm of atoms and molecules. They will gain a comprehensive understanding of atomic structure, isotopes, ions, and the periodic table. The curriculum covers essential topics such as chemical bonding, chemical reactions, thermochemistry, solutions, acids and bases, and nuclear chemistry.
Students will engage with these concepts through a variety of science and engineering practices. They will formulate testable questions, construct and utilize models, analyze data, and plan and execute investigations. This approach will incorporate mathematical thinking and enable students to obtain, evaluate, and interpret information, culminating in the ability to construct arguments based on evidence.
Additionally, this course will specifically enhance students' skills in mathematical and computational thinking, preparing them for further studies and applications in the field of chemistry and beyond.
The Physics course is a hands-on, laboratory-based program aimed at enhancing students' scientific literacy. It focuses on the relationship between matter and energy, examining how these elements interact over time and across space. Throughout the course, students will delve into key concepts such as forces and motion, various types of interactions, energy, waves, and the principles of electricity and magnetism.
Students will engage with these concepts through a variety of science and engineering practices. They will formulate testable questions, construct and utilize models, analyze data, and plan and execute investigations. This approach will incorporate mathematical thinking and enable students to obtain, evaluate, and interpret information, culminating in the ability to construct arguments based on evidence.
Additionally, this course will specifically enhance students' skills in mathematical and computational thinking, preparing them for further studies and applications in the field of physics and beyond.
Biology is a course that introduces students to the various systems that make up our living world. IB Biology is a rigorous, 2- year, college level-course. It explores the topics of cells, genetics, evolution, ecology, diversity, and human biologic systems. Year one students will focus on both the themes of “Unity and Diversity” and “Form and Function” among molecules, cells, organisms and ecosystems. These areas of focus will include topics such as water, macromolecules, origins of cells, cell and virus structure and functions, diversity of organisms, adaptations, evolution and speciation as well as applications to the respiratory and musculoskeletal systems. Students will explore these concepts through science and engineering practices including formulating testable questions, constructing and using models, analyzing data, planning and carrying out investigations, employing mathematical thinking, obtaining and evaluating information, and engaging in argument based on evidence.
Biology is a foundational course that introduces students to the intricate systems that constitute our living world. The IB Biology program is a challenging, two-year college-level course that delves into essential topics such as cells, genetics, evolution, ecology, biodiversity, and human biological systems.
In the second year, students will concentrate on the themes of “Interactions and Interdependence” and “Continuity and Change” as they relate to molecules, cells, organisms, and ecosystems. This focus will encompass areas such as metabolism, signaling within organisms (including applications to the endocrine and nervous systems), the complex interactions among the components of the immune system, protein synthesis from the DNA code, gene expression, reproduction, and the causes and effects of climate change.
Students will engage with these concepts through scientific and engineering practices, which include formulating testable questions, constructing and utilizing models, analyzing data, planning and conducting investigations, applying mathematical reasoning, acquiring and assessing information, and participating in evidence-based arguments.
IB Physics is a 2-year course concerned with an attempt to understand the natural world; from determining the nature of the atom to finding patterns in the structure of the universe. It is the search for answers from how the universe exploded into life to the nature of time itself. Observations are essential to the very core of the subject. By exploring the subject, students develop understandings, skills and techniques which can be applied across their studies and beyond. Integral to the student experience of the DP physics course is the learning that takes place through scientific inquiry both in the classroom and the laboratory. Students begin their IB HL Physics journey during their Junior Year, and complete the course their senior year.
Through the overarching theme of the nature of science, the course aims to enable students to:
1. develop conceptual understanding that allows connections to be made between different areas of the subject, and to other IB sciences subjects
2. acquire and apply a body of knowledge, methods, tools and techniques that characterize science
3. develop the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize scientific information and claims
4. develop the ability to approach unfamiliar situations with creativity and resilience
5. design and model solutions to local and global problems in a scientific context
6. develop an appreciation of the possibilities and limitations of science
7. develop technology skills in a scientific context
8. develop the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively
9. develop awareness of the ethical, environmental, economic, cultural and social impact of science.
IB HL Physics Year 1 aims to cover the concepts: Motion, Particle Nature of Matter, and Wave Behavior.
IB Physics Year 2 is a continuation of IB Physics Year 1, which students typically begin their Junior year of high school. It is a 2-year course concerned with an attempt to understand the natural world; from determining the nature of the atom to finding patterns in the structure of the universe. It is the search for answers from how the universe exploded into life to the nature of time itself. Observations are essential to the very core of the subject. By exploring the subject, students develop understandings, skills and techniques which can be applied across their studies and beyond. Integral to the student experience of the DP physics course is the learning that takes place through scientific inquiry both in the classroom and the laboratory. Students begin their IB HL Physics journey during their Junior Year, and complete the course their senior year.
Through the overarching theme of the nature of science, the course aims to enable students to:
1. develop conceptual understanding that allows connections to be made between different areas of the subject, and to other IB sciences subjects
2. acquire and apply a body of knowledge, methods, tools and techniques that characterize science
3. develop the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize scientific information and claims
4. develop the ability to approach unfamiliar situations with creativity and resilience
5. design and model solutions to local and global problems in a scientific context
6. develop an appreciation of the possibilities and limitations of science
7. develop technology skills in a scientific context
8. develop the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively
9. develop awareness of the ethical, environmental, economic, cultural and social impact of science.
IB HL Physics Year 2 aims to cover the concepts: Wave Behavior (continued from year 1), Fields, and Nuclear and Quantum Physics.