Biology (HL and SL)
Chemistry (HL and SL)
Physics (HL and SL)
Environmental Systems and Societies (SL only)
All IB science courses and exams have the same format. Each course contains:
- Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL) syllabi.
- The Subject Specific Core (SSC), which is core theory material common to both HL and SL.
- The Additional Higher Level (AHL), which is extension theory material only.
- Option topics, which may be different for HL and SL courses.
- Practical work, which is assessed by your teacher and takes around 60 hours for HL and 40 hours for SL.
- The Group 4 Project, which is part of the practical work.
Assessment consists of:
- internal assessment of the practical work (i.e. graded by your teacher) worth 24%
- 3 theory exams worth a total of 76%
The exam format for SL is:
- Paper 1: multiple choice questions worth 20%
- Paper 2: free response questions on the SSC worth 32%
- Paper 3: free response questions on the options worth 24%
The exam format for HL is:
- Paper 1: multiple choice questions worth 20%
- Paper 2: free response questions on the SSC and AHL worth 36%
- Paper 3: free response questions on the options worth 20%
The HL courses are designed for students intending to study sciences, in particular that subject, at university or college level while the SL courses are designed for students who will probably not study these subjects again.
Biology
Higher Level and Standard Level
Biology is the study of living organisms. This study is undertaken at a variety of levels, from the molecular to that of the biosphere. By the end of the course the student will have developed an appreciation of the interactions between these levels, and of organisms as functioning entities within the biosphere. Students will also develop an informed perspective in many of the new and ethically controversial areas of biological science such as genetic engineering, cloning and embryo research.
A great deal of the course will involve experimental work. Using observation and hypothesis formulation and testing, students develop a range of practical skills, ranging from light microscopy to more complex procedures such as genetics experiments using the fruit fly Drosophila Melonogaster. The practical programme also allows students to pursue extended investigations, sometimes in a group and occasionally as an individual. The lab work complements the theory and therefore aids understanding of the taught biological concepts.
Higher Level topics covered in the first year include cell ultrastructure and function, the biochemistry of respiration and photosynthesis, and molecular biology. In the second year aspects of plant science, ecology, and human physiology are studied. Through these topics, it is hoped that the student will develop a broad understanding of some general biological principles, in particular :
- - that the living world portrays a fundamental unity with regard to its cellular structure & chemical composition.
- - that the living world represents a great diversity of species and of individuals within those species.
- - that balance exists at many levels within living systems, including the human body and the ecological interactions within the biosphere.
Standard Level biology includes many of the topics covered in the HL course, but these are covered in less detail. SL students are taught in a separate class when possible. This course would be suitable for students not interested in pursuing science further at university, but who have an interest in extending their knowledge and understanding of biology and its role in society.
Biology can be studied successfully at both HL & SL without any other supporting science, though the biochemistry and molecular biology topics are well supported by the IB chemistry course.
Trevor Marriott and Wendy Liu-Hayes
Chemistry
Higher Level and Standard Level
Chemistry is the discipline which studies the structure, properties and reactions of materials.
The Higher Level course is a rigorous, quite challenging programme which deals in depth with chemical principles and their application. Students who have not previously studied chemistry should consult with the staff teaching the programme before choosing this option. Most tertiary institutions will require Higher Level Chemistry for entry into a large number of their science courses, medicine and some types of engineering.
In the first year students cover Quantitative Chemistry, Atomic Structure, Bonding, Equilibrium, Acids and Bases Kinetics and Measurement and data processing completely. In addition parts of Periodicity, Energetics and Redox are taught in the first year and then completed in the second year. The remainder of the second year covers Organic Chemistry and two options. The options are chosen from Modern Analytical Chemistry, Human Biochemistry, Medicines and Drugs, and Further Organic Chemistry.
There is an emphasis on developing practical research skills in the first year and introducing students to the assessment criteria. In the second year the practical programme provides opportunities to improve upon the skills acquired during the first year.
The Standard Level course combines well with either Higher Level biology or Higher Level physics courses. The course is almost always taught in the same class as Higher Level. While there is a moderate reduction in the depth to which core topics are covered, it is still a rather challenging course for those with little background in the sciences.
Pushpa Pandey & Trevor Marriott
Physics
Higher Level and Standard Level
Students gain an understanding of the basic laws of nature through developing both conceptual and experimental skills. The course does not require any understanding of calculus and Mathematics HL is NOT required for students to study Physics HL. Although it would be possible to study Physics with only Mathematics Studies, Mathematics skills are useful tools in Physics and the minimum level studied should be Mathematical Methods.
The physics course (both HL and SL) covers the following ¡§core¡¨ topics during the first one and a half years of the programme: Measurement, Mechanics, Thermal Physics, Wave Behaviour, Electricity + Magnetism, and Atomic + Nuclear physics.
Students will also study a further 2 ¡§option¡¨ topics. At present the option topics at LPC are Electronagnetic waves, Astrophysics and Relativity.
While both HL and SL courses study the same topics, at SL the topics are covered in less depth making this course more suitable for those who have an interest in Physics, but do not expect to continue studying it at university.
Magan Savant
Environmental Systems and Societies
Standard Level
Combining subjects from group 3 (Individuals and Societies) with group 4 (Experimental Sciences) allows us to open this course as a transdisciplinary subject which covers the requirements for groups 3 and 4 of the hexagon. Candidates can be flexible with their subject choice because they have the freedom to choose a subject from a different group or another from group 3 or 4.
No specific pre-requisite knowledge is required and the focus will be on the various interrelationships between environmental systems and societies. Candidates will be expected to form an opinion based on investigations into environmental issues at both a local and a global level. The course is ideally suited to the internationalism of a UWC because it provides an opportunity to open up environmental agendas, protocols and political issues that the lives of people have already been affected by.
Environmental value systems are a central theme of this course and frameworks that stimulate argument invite students to discuss our environment from a nature, a people and a technology centred approach. By incorporating a Systems and Models method of study, candidates will investigate the various topics and understand how human populations interact with their environments. Topics will include:
- The ecosystem (structures and measurements)
- Human population, carrying capacity and resource use.
- Conservation and biodiversity.
- Pollution management
- The issue of global warming.
Assessment:
Exam paper 1 Short answer and data based questions.
Exam paper 2 Section A. Case study
Section B. Two structured essay questions (from a choice of four)
Internal Practical Laboratory and field work.
This course would be of particular interest to those who enjoy a combination of Ecology, Geography, Environmental and Political issues.
David McCraken
This page was last updated on September 17, 2010.
