Senior School Individuals & Societies

Grade 9 Geography - Global Issues

(GEO092) 1.0 credit

Geography has typically been concerned with location, the forces that act upon and which have and will continue to shape that location; as well as humanity as a force for change on the Earth. However, the global economy, technological advances, and the ease of mobility and networking have all led to an ever-increasingly interdependent world. It is a world that now finds itself poised precipitously on the verge of collapse. It is self-evident that the consequences of humanity's consumption-based economy cannot continue unrestrained. We now face a world that must deal with pollution, depletion of vital resources, global pandemics, and a sharp divide between the rich and the poor. The course takes a critical look at the most pressing issues facing the world today and seeks to examine possible solutions. Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students are tasked with the quest to come up with tangible solutions for a more sustainable future. As a class, time will be spent on the development of appropriate research, analytical, evaluative and mapping skills through an exploration of these pressing global issues.

Grade 10 World History

(WOR102) 1.0 credit

This is a unique course that takes a decidedly different approach to the study of history. Rather than engage in the traditional survey, this course focuses more on the skills of the historian by careful consideration of evidence, multiple perspectives, and justification for historical claims. Units are covered in depth so that students can develop a better appreciation, not only for the issues under investigation, but to utilize the pertinent tools necessary for understanding. Studying key events from a variety of perspectives will help to hone student ability to critically analyze the past and to better assess the present. The ultimate goal will be for students to develop a greater appreciation for the complexity of the modern world, a solid foundation in historiography and enhanced critical thinking skills. Key topics to be investigated include: The Role of Evidence, The Atomic Bomb, The Cold War, and Totalitarianism in the 20th Century.

The class will engage in various projects, presentations, role play, debates and discussions, and work on essay writing skills and critical evaluations of texts. The course aims to promote an enquiring approach to history and to learn how to critically evaluate material. It also will engage students in relating past events to the world we live in today.

Grade 10 History - Canada and the 20th Century

(CAN102) 1.0 credit

This course explores Canadian participation in global events while tracing our development as a country through changes in population, economy, and technology. Students will analyze the elements that constitute our Canadian identity, learn the stories of both individuals and communities, and study the evolution of political and social structures. Students will learn about differing interpretations of the past and the importance in historical studies of chronology and cause-and-effect relationships. To better understand the historical forces that played a major role in shaping the 20th century, this course includes a number of in-depth case studeies, including the Holocaust. Students will learn to develop and support a thesis, conduct research and analysis, and effectively communicate the results of their inquiries in the form of a Historical Investigation and analytical essay.

Grade 11 IB Economics SL

(ECO122) 1.0 credit

This one-year course aims to provide students with a core knowledge of economics, an ability to think critically about economics, an awareness and understanding of internationalism in economics, and an opportunity to develop as an independent learner. In addition, Economics SL is designed to encourage the systematic and critical study of human experience and behaviour; physical, economic and social environments, and the economics and development of social and cultural institutions. Students will develop the capacity to identify, analyse critically, and evaluate theories, concepts, and arguments about the nature and activities of the individual and society. The course is divided into four major sections: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, International Economics, and Development Economics. Assessment for this course will be a portfolio of three commentaries which demonstrate the ability to link economic theory to real-world economic situations and the Paper 1 and Paper 2 in the spring.

Grade 11 IB Geography SL/HL

(GEO111) 1.0 credit

Geography is a dynamic subject that is firmly grounded in the real world and focuses on the interactions between individuals, societies, and the physical environment in both time and space. It seeks to identify trends and patterns in these interactions and examines the processes behind them. It also investigates the way that people adapt and respond to change and evaluates management strategies associated with such change. Geography describes and helps to explain the similarities and differences between spaces and places. These may be defined on a variety of scales and from a range of perspectives.

The course embodies global and international awareness in several distinct ways. It examines key global issues, such as poverty, sustainability, and climate change. It considers examples and detailed case studies at a variety of scales, from local to regional, national, and international. Examining three optional themes, students explore in detail the physical and human geographies of Water, Urban Environments, and Food and Health. At the end of this first year of instruction, students can then pursue either the SL or HL course in Grade 12.

Grade 11 IB History SL/HL

(HIS111) 1.0 credit

This course is taught over a two-year period and will encompass both the regional option of the Americas and the prescribed and optional topics. The course is designed to develop and expand the students' understanding of the history of the United States, Latin America, and Canada starting with the Mexican Revolution and progressing to the present. Students will analyze historical events and their political, social, and cultural effects on society. Through this course of study, students will examine a variety of perspectives for each historical event, resulting in a greater understanding of the present through the past. In this first year of the program, students will complete the bulk of the requirements necessary for the Paper 3 options associated with History HL. At the end of this first year of instruction, students can then pursue either the SL or HL course in Grade 12.

Grade 11 IB Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) SL/HL

(INF112/INF111) 1.0 credit

Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) is the study and evaluation of the impact of information technology on individuals and society. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the use of digitized information at the local, national, and global levels. ITGS provides a framework for students to make informed judgments and decisions about the use of information technology within social contexts. The main focus of this course is the way in which two aspects, the social significance of IT and the ethical considerations arising from IT, influence individuals, communities (including nations), institutions, and organizations. Towards the latter half of the course, students will begin to work on their IT Project which is externally moderated and is worth 20-30% of their IB grade. Upon completion of this course, students will enter Grade 12 IB ITGS SL or HL.

Grade 11 IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL

(ENV112) 1.0 credit

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) SL is a two-year course of study which begins in Grade 11. ESS is organized into eight main modules which include: foundations of environmental systems and societies, ecosystems and ecology, biodiversity and conservation, water and aquatic food production systems and societies, soil systems and terrestrial food production systems and societies, atmospheric systems and societies, climate change and energy production and human systems and resource use. The course of study includes structured laboratory experiments and reports, experimental design projects, and an interdisciplinary group project conducted with students in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. In addition, students will complete a larger individual investigation that is assessed based on IBO criteria. Students require a credit in Grade 10 Science (or equivalent) to register.

Grade 12 IB Geography SL/HL

(GEO122 / GEO121) 1.0 credit

This course will focus on exploring the core theme of patterns and change which Includes populations, disparities in development, environmental sustainability, and resource consumption. In addition to the core theme, students challenging the HL must complete a higher level extension, entitled Global Interactions, which examines in greater detail the disparities between regions and the flow and exchange of culture and resources.

It is important that the common features between themes are noted and any interrelationships are emphasized. Students are expected to show an appreciation of the complexity of the geographical issues covered in this and the other themes. There is a large amount of data available for some of the topics in this core area, and students must be able to synthesize such data by establishing broad trends and identifying anomalies. To achieve this, the use of both graphical and statistical techniques is essential. Students will also complete the Internal Assessment process, which includes the writing of a report requiring field work and the Paper 1 and Paper 2 examination in the spring. Students in HL will also complete a Paper 3. Students require a grade of 75% in Grade 11 IB Geography SL/HL and permission from the Head of Individuals & Societies to register for Geography HL.

Grade 12 IB History SL/HL

(HIS122 / HIS121) 1.0 credit

Students will pursue an in-depth study of the key events of the 20th century: the causes, practices, and effects of war (specifically World War I and World War II); totalitarian regimes and the single party state, and the impact of the Cold War. The role of Communism in the 20th Century from the Russian Revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Block in 1991 will be explored in depth.

Students will study the prescribed materials from an Americas perspective, focusing on key political, social, and economic themes that have affected this hemisphere in particular and the world in general. All history students must complete an internally assessed and externally moderated Historical Investigation which represents 25% of the IB grade for History SL or 20% for History HL. Examination requirements are similar for both levels of History with all students writing Paper 1 and Paper 2; however, HL requires the completion of Paper 3 which deals specifically with the hemispheric regional option. Students require a grade of 75% in Grade 11 IB History SL/HL and permission from the Head of Individuals & Societies to register for History HL.

Grade 12 IB Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) SL/HL

(INF122/INF121) 1.0 credit

This is the second year of the two-year ITGS program. It is the study and evaluation of the impact of information technology on individuals and society. It explores the advantages and disadvantages of the use of digitized information at the local, national, and global level. ITGS provides a framework for students to make informed judgments and decisions about the use of information technology within social contexts. ITGS shares methods of critical investigation and analysis with other social sciences; it also considers ethical questions found in the study of philosophy. Students come into contact with IT daily because it is so pervasive in the world in which we live. This widespread use of IT inevitably raises important questions about social and ethical issues that shape our society today. ITGS offers an opportunity for a systematic study of the issues, whose range is such that they fall outside the scope of any other single discipline. The main focus of ITGS is to consider how two aspects, the social significance of IT and the ethical considerations arising from IT, influence individuals, communities (including nations), institutions, and organizations.

In the second year of this course students will continue with their exploration of computer fundamentals while covering topics such as databases and spreadsheets, computer aided learning, virtual reality, modeling, simulations, communication systems, identity theft, privacy invasion, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Upon completion of this material, students will write two IB examination papers in May; however, HL requires the completion of Paper 3 and two additional topics: Information Systems and Artificial Intelligence. Students require a grade of 75% in Grade 11 IB ITGS SL/HL and permission from the Head of Individuals & Societies to register for Grade 12 IB ITGS HL.

Grade 12 Environmental Systems and Societies SL

(ENV122) 1.0 credit

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) SL is a two-year course of study which begins in Grade 11. ESS is organized into eight main modules which include: foundations of environmental systems and societies, ecosystems and ecology, biodiversity and conservation, water and aquatic food production systems and societies, soil systems and terrestrial food production systems and societies, atmospheric systems and societies, climate change and energy production, and human systems and resource use. Specifically, the Grade 12 curriculum builds upon the skills acquired in the Grade 11 ESS course, with a greater emphasis on field studies. Students will examine current environmental concerns as well as conduct structured laboratory experiments and reports and experimental design projects which will be assessed using school-based and IBO criteria. Upon completion of the course material, students will prepare for comprehensive IB exams that cover material from Grade 11 and Grade 12. Students require a credit in Grade 11 IB ESS (or equivalent) to register for this course.

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