IB Group 4 subjects

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International Baccalaureate

The Group 4 (or Experimental Sciences) subjects of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme comprise the main scientific emphasis of this internationally recognized high school programme. They consist of five courses, four of which are offered at both the Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL): Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Design Technology.[1] There is also Astronomy and a transdisciplinary course, Environmental Systems and Societies (SL only), that satisfies Diploma requirements for Groups 3 and 4,[2] and a pilot course, Sports, Exercise, and Health Science, that is offered at schools participating in the pilot program.[3] Astronomy also exists as a school based syllabus, particularly exciting if taken alongside Physics. Students taking two or more Group 4 subjects may combine any of the aforementioned, except for Environmental Systems and Biology.[4]

Contents

[edit] Structure and assessment

Group 4 subjects follow roughly the same format. Each subject has its Subject Specific Core (SSC), i.e., material taught at both the standard and higher levels. Students sitting the Higher Level examination study the Additional Higher Level (AHL) material. Lastly, there is a list of options for each subject from which two are chosen. Higher Level students are sometimes unable to choose certain options that are available to Standard Level students because the AHL already covers it. Ideally, students choose the options based on their own abilities and preferences, but in practice the options are usually chosen by the school (based on the school's scientific facilities as well as the discretion of the instructor). Students spend one-quarter of the 150 hours of SL instruction (240 hours for HL; however, both numbers are merely recommendations and are not enforced) doing practical work in the laboratory. Group 4 subjects at the Standard Level are tailored for students who do not see themselves in further science instruction after leaving the programme.[5]

Assessment of a Group 4 subject comprises the following:

  • Internal assessment of the practical work (24%)
  • Paper 1 – multiple choice questions on the SSC (20%)
  • Paper 2 – free response questions on the SSC (32% at SL, 36% at HL)
  • Paper 3 – free response questions on the options (24% at SL, 20% at HL)

At the Standard Level, the examinations are respectively 45 minutes, 1 hour and 15 minutes, and 1 hour long. At the Higher Level, they are 1 hour, 2 hours and 15 minutes, and 1 hour and 15 minutes long. Calculators are not permitted for Paper 1, but they (as well as a provided formula booklet and periodic table) are permitted for papers 2 and 3.

[edit] Physics

Physics is the most fundamental of the experimental sciences, as it seeks to explain the universe itself, from the very smallest particles — quarks — to the vast distances between galaxies.

[edit] Physics Standard Level

80 hours of instruction on 8 topics

with 30 hours of instruction on two optional subjects:

and 40 hours of practical work.[6]

[edit] Physics Higher Level

80 hours on Physics SL core subjects, with 55 hours on 6 additional topics:

and 45 hours of instruction on two optional subjects:

and 60 hours of practical work.[7]

[edit] Chemistry

[edit] Chemistry Standard Level

80 hours of instruction on the topics:

and 30 hours on two options from the topics:

  • Modern analytical chemistry
  • Human Biochemistry
  • Chemistry in industry and technology
  • Medicines and drugs
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Food chemistry
  • Further Organic Chemistry

together with 40 hours of practical work.[8]

[edit] Chemistry Higher Level

80 hours on the core subjects of the Standard level course with 55 hours of instruction on five of the topics:

and 45 hours on two of the additional topics in the standard course, and 60 hours of practical work.[9]

[edit] Biology

Biology is the science of life and living organisms. Aside from instruction relevant to this, students are given the chance to learn complex laboratory techniques (e.g., DNA extraction) as well as develop mindful opinions about controversial topics in biology (e.g., stem-cell research and genetic modification). The syllabus lists thirteen topics, to be covered in an order varying from school to school:

80 hours of instruction on 6 topics

with 30 hours of instruction on two options from:

[edit] Biology higher level

80 hours of instruction on 6 topics in the standard course and 55 hours on a further 5 topics:

with 45 hours of instruction on addition topics in the SL course plus:

The theory is covered in detail on a number of websites [1][2]

The Internal Assessment for Biology includes the submission of a number of lab reports covering certain skills like ability to plan an experiment, ability to present data and ability to process data. Overall these count for 24 percent of a student's final grade.

[edit] Design Technology

Topics addressed in this section include:

  • Design process
  • Product innovation
  • Green design
  • Materials
  • Product development
  • Product design

with additional topics in the higher level:

  • Energy
  • Structures
  • Mechanical design
  • Advanced manufacturing techniques
  • Sustainable development.[12]

[edit] Environmental systems and societies

120 teaching hours on the following topics:

  • Systems and models
  • The ecosystem
  • Human population, carrying capacity and resource use
  • Conservation and biodiversity
  • Pollution management
  • The issue of global warming
  • Environmental value systems[13]

[edit] Group 4 project

All students of the Diploma Programme in any of these subjects will compulsorily complete a Group 4 project. The students collaborate on the Group 4 project report which is approached in an inter-disciplinary way. The Group 4 project assessment is included in the internal assessment marks.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ "Diploma Programme curriculum: Group 4, Experimental Sciences". ibo.com. http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/group4/. Retrieved 3 Jul 2009. 
  2. ^ "Diploma Programme curriculum". ibo.com. http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/additional/. Retrieved 2009-06-26. 
  3. ^ Sports, Exercise, & Health subject guide 2007, p. 4.
  4. ^ Schools' Guide to IBDP, p. 11.
  5. ^ Diploma programme assessment, IB, http://www.ibo.org/diploma/assessment/methods/, retrieved June 5,2011 
  6. ^ IB physics standard level subject brief, IB, http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/SLPhysicsBrief2.1.pdf, retrieved June 5,2011 
  7. ^ IB physics higher level subject brief, IB, http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/HLPhysicsBrief1.9.pdf, retrieved June 5,2011 
  8. ^ IB chemistry standard level subject brief, IB, http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/SLChemistryBrief1.9.pdf, retrieved June 5,2011 
  9. ^ IB chemistry higher level subject brief, IB, http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/HLChemistryBrief2.0.pdf, retrieved June 5,2011 
  10. ^ IB biology standard level subject brief, IB, http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/SLBiologyBrief1.8.pdf, retrieved June 5,2011 
  11. ^ IB biology higher level subject brief, IB, http://www.ibo.org/recognition/resources/documents/HLBiologyBrief2.0.pdf, retrieved June 5,2011 
  12. ^ Syllabus, SL/HL core content, DesTech Wiki, http://www.ruthtrumpold.id.au/designtech/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Syllabus, retrieved June 6, 2011 
  13. ^ Environmental systems and societies subject outline, IB, http://www.ibo.org/diploma/assessment/subjectoutlines/documents/d_4_ecoso_gui-out_0801_1_e.pdf, retrieved June 6,2011 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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