CHEMISTRY HL/SL 

The Diploma Programme

The Diploma Programme (DP) is a rigorous pre-university course of study designed for students in  the 16 to 19 age range. It is a broad-based two-year course that aims to encourage students to be knowledgeable and inquiring, but also caring and compassionate. There is a strong emphasis on encouraging students to develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and the attitude necessary for them to respect and evaluate a range of points of view.

The Diploma Programme model

The course is presented as six academic areas enclosing a central core (see gure 1). It encourages the concurrent study of a broad range of academic areas. Students study two modern languages (or a modern language and a classical language), a humanities or social science subject, an experimental science, mathematics and one of the creative arts. It is this comprehensive range of subjects that makes the DP a demanding course of study designed to prepare students effectively for university entrance. In each of the academic areas students have exibility in making their choices, which means they can choose subjects that particularly interest them and that they may wish to study further at university.

Choosing the right combination

Students are required to choose one subject from each of the six academic areas, although they can, instead of an arts subject, choose two subjects from another area.

Normally, three subjects (and not more than four) are taken at higher level (HL), and the others are taken at standard level

(SL). The IB recommends 240 teaching hours for HL subjects and 150 hours for SL. Subjects at HL are

studied in greater depth and breadth than at SL.

At both levels, many skills are developed, especially those of critical thinking and analysis. 

The course enables students, through the overarching theme of the NOS, to:

1. develop conceptual understanding that allows connections to be made between different areas of

the subject, and to other DP 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 scientic 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 scientic context

6. develop an appreciation of the possibilities and limitations of science

7. develop technology skills in a scientic context

8. develop the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively

9. develop awareness of the ethical, environmental, economic, cultural and social impact of science.

The assessment objectives for chemistry reect those parts of the aims that will be formally assessed

either internally or externally. It is the intention of this course that students are able to full the

following assessment objectives.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of:

1. terminology, facts and concepts

2. skills, techniques and methodologies.

2. Understand and apply knowledge of:

1. terminology and concepts

2. skills, techniques and methodologies.

3. Analyse, evaluate, and synthesize:

1. experimental procedures

2. primary and secondary data

3. trends, patterns and predictions.

4. Demonstrate the application of skills necessary to carry out insightful and ethical investigations.

                                                     Assessment outline-SL 

Assessment objective 1

Command term

Definition

Draw

Represent by means of a labelled, accurate

diagram or graph, using a pencil. A ruler

(straight edge) should be used for straight

lines. Diagrams should be drawn to scale.

Graphs should have points correctly plotted

(if appropriate) and joined in a straight line or

smooth curve.

State

Give a specic name, value or other brief answer

without explanation or calculation.