Group 4: Experimental Sciences 

Group 4 : Experimental Sciences 

BIOLOGY 1 IB (HL first year)

Credit: 1.0 Full year; Grades: 11, 12

Note: This is the first year of a two-year IB Biology sequence. Students are welcome to take this course without continuing to the second year if they are interested in an advanced biology class and are not seeking an IB certificate.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of two years of laboratory science including earning a “C” or higher in Biology. It is recommended, but not required, to have successfully completed Chemistry. 

Course Objective: This course is open to any student meeting the prerequisites and specifically meets the IB full diploma science requirement. The IB biology curriculum is designed to provide students with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing and expanding science of biology in the modern world. The successful student will develop his or her experimental and investigative skills. This is a rigorous, in depth, two -year biology sequence; designed to be taken the junior and senior years. Biology 1 IB will cover Biochemistry, Cells, Genetics, Cellular Respiration and Statistics.

BIOLOGY 2 IB (HL second year)

Credit 1.0; Full year; Grade: 12

Prerequisite: Biology 1 IB (HL)

Course Objective: This course is open to any student meeting the prerequisites and specifically meets the IB full diploma science requirement. The Biology IB curriculum is designed to provide students with a conceptual framework, factual knowledge and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing and expanding science of biology in the modern world. The successful student will develop his or her experimental and investigative skills. This rigorous, in depth, two year biology sequence is designed to be taken the junior and senior years. Biology 2 IB will cover Body Systems, Plant Systems and Biodiversity. To earn the IB designation on higher level courses, students must take the IB external assessments. See fee schedule and the details included in the IB portion of this handbook.

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS and SOCIETIES 1 IB (HL First Year)

This course is the PREREQUISITE for the ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS and SOCIETIES 2 IB (HL)

Credit 1.0; Full year; Grades: 11, 12

Note: This is year one of the two year IB Environmental Systems and Societies sequence designed for IB diploma and IB certificate candidates. However, students are welcome to take this course without going on to the second year if they are interested in only one year of an environmental science course.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of two years of lab science including earning a C or higher in Biology

Course Objective: The intent of this course is to provide students with a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies; one that is scientific and enables the adoption of an informed personal response to the wide range of environmental issues societies around the world face. This course emphasizes the scientific method, field studies, analysis of quantitative data, and strong lab design skills. Topics to be covered are systems and models, ecosystems and ecology, biodiversity and conservation, atmospheric and climate change and pollution. Students will be participating in field trips to Glacier National Park , the Flathead River, and either Newport Oregon, or Moab, Utah. 

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS and SOCIETIES 2 IB (HL Second Year)

Credit 1.0; Full year; Grades: 11, 12

Note: This is the second year of the two year Environmental Systems and Societies IB sequence designed for IB diploma and IB certificate candidates

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Environmental Systems and Societies 1IB.

Course Objective: The intent of this course is to provide students with a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies; one that is scientific and enables the adoption of an informed personal response to the wide range of environmental issues societies around the world face. This course emphasizes the value of empirical, quantitative, and objective data in describing and analyzing environmental systems. This course also provides students with the experiences and skills necessary to quantitatively examine the environment. Field research is a REQUIRED portion of the curriculum. Topics to be covered are soil systems, aquatic and terrestrial food production, human populations and resource water and aquatic food production systems, soil systems, food production/ agriculture, human systems and resource use, energy resources, and the dynamic nature of natural resources. In Addition, students explore environmental law, economics, and ethics. Ecological field studies take place in Glacier National Park and either Newport, Oregon or Moab, UT. Students have the option of testing at the HL or SL level for IB and university dependent class credit in May.

PHYSICS 1 IB (SL First Year)

Credit: 1.0; Full Year; Grades 11, 12

NOTE: This is year one of the two year IB Physics sequence designed for IB diploma and IB certificate candidates. However, students are welcome to take this course without going on to the second year if they are interested in only one year of a challenging physics class.)

Prerequisites: Successful completion of two years of lab science and completion of Algebra 2 with a “C” or better or currently enrolled in Algebra 2

Course Objectives: This course is designed to meet the needs of college bound students and will fulfill the IB full diploma science requirement. It is a course designed to provide students with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and 

analytical skills necessary to deal with diverse physics topics and their applications in the dynamic, modern world. Topics studied include measurements and uncertainties, mechanics, thermal physics, waves, circular motion and gravitation, and energy production. Laboratory work is emphasized and requires structured labs, research papers and experimental projects. Instruction is student-centered with cooperative learning as well as teacher direction, thus offering the student a college-level physics experience. Only those students choosing to enroll in both years of IB Physics, will sit for the standard level exam, offered in the spring of the second year. An interdisciplinary group project helps students realize that all scientific disciplines share the common goal of understanding how the world works, and that scientists can work together on problems to discover solutions to a common goal. Students entering the program may be given a summer assignment, which will review basic mathematical skills and introduce concepts of analytical reasoning.

PHYSICS 2 IB (SL Second Year)

Credit: 1.0; Full Year; Grade: 11, 12

NOTE: This is year two of the two year Physics IB sequence designed for IB diploma and IB certificate candidates.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Physics 1 IB.

Course Objectives: This course is designed to meet the needs of college bound students and will fulfill the IB full diploma science requirement. It is a course designed to provide students with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and 

analytical skills necessary to deal with diverse physics topics and their modern world. Topics studied include atomic and nuclear physics, energy and power, and astrophysics. Laboratory work is emphasized and requires structured labs, research papers, and experimental projects. Instruction is student-centered with cooperative learning as well as teacher direction, thus offering the student a college-level physics experience. Only those students choosing to enroll in both years of IB Physics, will sit for the standard level exam, offered in the spring of the second year. An interdisciplinary group project helps students realize that all scientific disciplines share the common goal of understanding how the world works, and that scientists can work together on problems to discover solutions to a common goal. Students entering the program may be given a summer assignment, which will review basic mathematical skills and introduce concepts of analytical reasoning.

To earn the IB designation on higher level courses, students must register and take the IB external assessment during their senior year.

SPORTS, EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE IB SL (formerly Sports Medicine)

Credit: 1.0; Full year; Grades: 11, 12

Prerequisite : Successful completion of two credits of core discipline science courses including Biology. This course cannot be used to meet the two credits of core discipline science courses. 

Course Objectives : This year-long course in applied Anatomy and Physiology is directed towards students interested in careers in Health Science. Students interested in careers such as nursing, athletic training, physical therapy, orthopedic medicine, emergency care, and general health care will be benefited by this course.. This class covers functional anatomy and physiology, emergency procedures, skeletal-muscular injury evaluation, assessment and treatment, internal medicine, preventative taping and bracing techniques, special medical testing and treatment, athletic sport conditioning, nutrition, drugs and supplements, and much more. The students will be exposed to skeletal-muscular injury management, sport event emergency coverage and medical professional guest speakers. Students will also participate in anatomy dissections. This college prep course is challenging, but rewarding for its students. This college prep course is challenging, but rewarding for students.