International Baccalaureate Program

Career opportunities are available in all IB subjects where intellectual rigor is emphasized. The ability to be a self-motivated learner, thinker, and communicator is necessary. People who pursue the IB diploma are often doctors, teachers/professors, lawyers, diplomats, researchers, and leaders in business.

Students may choose to take an IB course in any area of study that they have an interest in as long as they have met the prerequisites required for that course.

If the student completes the IB course of study for that subject area, they may qualify to take the IB exam to potentially earn college credits.

If you would like to see what credit you could earn for IB exams at any school in the UW system, check out the following website:

https://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/prep-for-college/credits/testing-ap-ib/

To pursue the IB diploma, the student must complete the coursework and take exams in six classes. There needs to be at least one course in Groups 1-5. Students may choose to take an additional class in the Sciences or Individuals and Societies instead of a course in The Arts. The student needs to take at least three, but not more than four, subjects at the higher level (HL).

Diploma candidates also must complete The Core:

·   Theory of Knowledge (ToK), in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.

·   The extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000 word paper.

·   Creativity, activity, service (CAS), in which students complete a project related to those three concepts.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE CORE I

Course: 215571 Credit: .50 Length: Semester 2 Year Taken: 11

Prerequisite: Students must be enrolled as Full Diploma candidates and meet with the IB Coordinator to approve their schedule.

Fee: None

ToK begins with the Core theme: Knowledge and the Knower. It addresses questions such as the following: What shapes my perspective? Where do our values come from? How can we navigate the world? How can we tell when we are being manipulated? We then explore themes such as the following: Knowledge and Technology, Knowledge and Language, Knowledge and Indigenous Societies, Knowledge and Politics, or Knowledge and Religion.

Students who enroll in this class will be assigned to a special homeroom or Lumberjack Time in first semester to begin work on their CAS projects and their extended essays.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE CORE II

Course: 115581 Credit: .50 Length: Semester 1 Year Taken: 12

Prerequisite: Theory of Knowledge and Core I. Fee: None

This course will look at the following Areas of Knowledge: History, The Human Sciences, The Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and the Arts. An exhibition and written essay are completed to demonstrate mastery of ToK concepts.  This class also supports the extended essay process. Student who enroll in this class could be assigned to a special homeroom or Lumberjack Time in second semester to complete work on their CAS portfolio.