GRADE 9 PRE-DIPLOMA PROGRAMME

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Pre-DP English 9: Critical reading will be taught and implemented through class discussions, annotation studies and self-created and led monologues and presentations. The ability to prove comprehension and the ability to apply literary terms will take place within personal writing and analysis of genres including short stories, novels, drama and poetry. International literary works from the time of Sophocles to the present will provide a range of content, which will serve as a stem from which continued reading knowledge may expand.

pre-IB French II-IV: The course is designed for students to be able to communicate effectively in French, orally and in writing. Students continue to develop their proficiency in interactions with other speakers of French, understanding oral and written messages in French, and making oral and written presentations in French. Through these activities, students begin to show a greater level of accuracy when using basic language structure.

pre-IB Spanish II-IV: The Pre-DP Spanish II course is offered to Pre-DP students during their 9th grade year after having completed one year of prior study. The course is designed for students to be able to communicate effectively in Spanish, orally and in writing, in various formal and informal settings. The course is designed to continue to develop the students’ skills in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures and contributions. Emphasis continues to be placed on the use of Spanish in the classroom as well as on the use of authentic materials to learn about the cultures.

PIB AP World History: This course is designed to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Program. This course is an analysis of world history beginning with foundations of civilization through the present. This course challenges students by incorporating extensive reading and writing assignments and helps to develop their analytical skills. Students are given a rigorous curriculum that focuses on the themes of world cultures, religions, politics, economics, philosophies, human interaction, and geography. Students will take the AP World History exam and the Virginia Standards of Learning test in World History II at the end of their ninth grade year.

pre-IB Biology: This introductory course to Biology is designed to provide students with an understanding of the past history and the current nature of biology. Students will be provided with a body of knowledge including facts and concepts, which will be based upon using the scientific method. The course also includes all information needed to pass the Virginia Standards of Learning test.

pre-IB Geometry: This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Algebra I. This course includes the deductive axiomatic method of proof to justify theorems and to tell whether conclusions are valid. Methods of justification includes paragraph proofs, flow charts, two-column proofs, indirect proofs, coordinate proof, and verbal arguments. Emphasis is places on two and three-dimensional reasoning skills, coordinate, and transformational geometry, and the use of geometric models to solve problems. A variety of applications and general problem-solving techniques will be used. Students will use calculators, computers and graphing utilities where feasible.

pre-IB Algebra II and Trigonometry: This course is designed for advanced students who are capable of a more rigorous course at an accelerated pace. Students enrolled in Pre-DP Algebra II and Trigonometry are assumed to have mastered those concepts outlined in the Algebra I and Geometry standards. A thorough treatment of advanced algebraic concepts is provided through the study of functions, polynomials, rational expressions, complex numbers, matrices, and sequences and series. Emphasis should be placed on practical applications and modeling throughout the course of study.

pre-IB Inquiry: The Inquiry course is designed to develop the critical, analytical, and logical thinking skills necessary to succeed in the IB Program. Using a question based and student centered approach, Inquiry challenges the individual to investigate topics and construct their own knowledge. This interdisciplinary course is also intended to support, enhance, and demonstrate relationships among the six IB Subject Groups. To do so a continual emphasis is placed on the development of study skills, time management strategies, and goal setting. Experiential learning is the primary mode of instruction. Guest speakers visit the classes, and students will take trips to museums, performances, and lectures.

 

GRADE 10 PRE-DIPLOMA PROGRAMME

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pre-IB English 10: An intensive course for students who have been accepted into the International Baccalaureate Magnet Program. This course covers all of the SOL's for English 10 and 11 as well as a comprehensive introduction to literary analysis, writing techniques for composing commentary, and spontaneous critical thinking.

pre-IB French III-V: The course is designed for students to be able to communicate effectively in French, orally and in writing. Students continue to develop their proficiency in interactions with other speakers of French, understanding oral and written messages in French, and making oral and written presentations in French. Students communicate using more complex structures in French on a greater variety of topics.

pre-IB Spanish III-V: The Pre-DP Spanish III course is offered to Pre-DP students during their 10th grade year after having completed two years of prior study. The course is designed to continue to develop the students’ skills in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures and contributions. Students communicate using more complex structures in Spanish in a variety of topics, including some of an abstract nature, such as social rights and responsibilities. Spanish is used almost exclusively in the class and students develop the ability to discuss topics related to historical and contemporary events and issues.

Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics: This course is a one-semester college level course designed to prepare the enrollees to successfully complete the Advanced Placement Examination, administered by the College Board and the Educational Testing Service. This college level course is also designed to encourage more reading, more complex analyses and reasoning, and skill development. Ultimately, the course is designed to help students understand the intricacies of the American political process. Both the multiple choice and essay questions on tests and the AP exam require students to use critical reasoning and higher level thinking skills. These course requirements will be completed during the tenth grade year for students seeking placement in the International Baccalaureate Program.

pre-IB Chemistry: This course is an advanced level chemistry course taught in 10th grade that provides students with the fundamental knowledge chemistry, using analytical and critical thinking and the inquiry approach to scientific investigation.

Pre-Calculus: This course is designed for advanced students who are capable of a more rigorous course at an accelerated pace. Students enrolled in Pre-DP Pre-Cal are assumed to have mastered those concepts outlined in the Algebra and Trigonometry standards. Pre-Cal is intended not only to extend students' knowledge of function characteristics but also to introduce them to another mode of mathematical reasoning.

GRADES 11 & 12 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

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HL and SL

SL - Standard Level courses are rigorous IB courses. Students who earn a 4, 5, or 6 on an end-of-course IB Standard Level exam usually score a 3, 4 or 5 on an AP exam in the same course.

HL – Higher Level courses are taught at a higher level of depth and complexity.

Students are required to take 3 SL’s and 6 HL’s in their junior and senior years. Students may take more than 3 courses at the HL level with approval by the teacher and the IB Coordinator

IB English 11 & 12 (HL): The study of IB English Higher Level includes the creation, presentation and evaluation of persuasive oral presentations. Appreciation for literature is enhanced by studying classic and contemporary American and world literary selections. Identification of prevalent themes and characterizations present in American and international literature is reflective of history and culture.

IB French IV - VII (SL/HL): The course is taught as a second language at both the Standard Level and the Higher Level so that students who complete 5 years of an IB language will be fluent speakers and writers of that language. The Higher Level adds an emphasis on literature and literary criticism. At levels IV and V, students continue to develop their proficiency in interactions with other speakers of French, understanding oral and written messages in French, and making oral and written presentations in French. Students are able to exchange and support opinions on a variety of topics related to contemporary and historical events and issues.

IB ab initio German: This accelerated 3-year course is taught over 2 years, and is designed for students to be able to communicate effectively in German, orally and in writing, in various formal and informal settings. The course is designed to develop the students’ skills in the area of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and knowledge of German-speaking cultures and contributions.

IB Spanish IV - VII (SL/HL): The IB Spanish IV and V courses, taught on the Standard and Higher Level, are offered to IB Diploma candidates during their 11th and 12th grade years after having completed three and four years of prior study. The Higher Level includes all SL subjects as well as focusing on literary analysis. Students use Spanish to access information in other subject areas and to compare and contrast cultural elements of countries where Spanish is spoken with their own. Spanish is used exclusively in all classroom interactions and instruction. The Spanish V course seeks to develop language skills that are useful in themselves and that can be applied to various activities and disciplines rather than the mastery of any specific subject matter.

IB History of the Americas/20th Century World History Topics: This course is part of a two-year course, which will culminate in history examinations for the IB diploma at the end of the 12th grade. At the end of the 11th grade, students will take the Standards of Learning (SOL) test in Virginia/U.S. history. The course is a survey of 400 years of U.S. History as well as an in-depth study of 100 years of U.S. history based on themes such as the Civil War and reconstruction, foreign policy, and the Cold War.

IB Psychology SL: This 1-year course is a systematic study of behavior and experience with attention to cultural variables to study the diversity of human behavior in a more comprehensive way. The goal is the possible improvement of individual life as well as the understanding of the social conditions that affect the individual. The rapid increase in globalization and the use of technology calls for greater insights into how individuals interpret meanings, relationships and health. Psychology addresses these complex issues so that students can develop an understanding of themselves and others. It, therefore, offers the opportunity to focus on individuals and societies in the context of a social science which is an integral part of the Diploma Program.

IB Biology SL/HL: This course, taught over a 2 year period, is designed to be the equivalent of the first-year college general biology course. It is taught at the Higher Level for those students who wish to specialize in biology. It provides students with an understanding of the past history and the current nature of biology, as well as a body of knowledge that includes topics such as anatomy and physiology, which will enable them to appreciate the global university of biological concepts. HL includes coverage of extension topics and material for the student who desires a career in medicine or in other biological science fields.

IB Chemistry SL/HL: This course is designed to be the equivalent of the first-year college general chemistry course. The primary goal of IB Chemistry is for students to achieve a deep conceptual understanding of its content and unifying concepts. It is taught over a 2-year period for those students desiring to focus on this aspect of science.

IB Physics SL: This course is designed for students to explore the study of matter and energy and the relationships between them through theory and experimentation. Over a two-year academic period, students obtain a comprehensive foundation of the core topics of physical measurement, mechanics, thermal physics, waves, modern physics, and electricity and magnetism. Additionally they study two of the following optional topics; quantum and nuclear physics, biomedical physics, relativity, astrophysics, optics and the history of physics. A mechanics or an energy extension may also be chosen as an optional topic. Students comprehend, analyze, apply, evaluate and synthesize physics theories and laws and perform scientific investigations that complement one another. Understanding is enhanced through problem solving and laboratory work.

IB Mathematics Higher Level: The highest level of IB math, this 2-year course is designed for advanced students who are capable of a more rigorous course at an accelerated pace. The course emphasize a multi-representational approach to higher level mathematics, with concepts, results, and problems being expressed geometrically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Higher Level is intended not only to extend students' knowledge of function characteristics but also to introduce them to other modes of mathematical reasoning. Students enrolled in Higher Level are assumed to have mastered algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus.

IB Mathematics Standard Level: This 2-year course is designed for advanced students who are capable of a more rigorous course at an accelerated pace. The course emphasizes a multi-representational approach to higher level mathematics, with concepts, results, and problems being expressed geometrically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Mathematics Methods is intended not only to extend students' knowledge of function characteristics but also to introduce them to other modes of mathematical reasoning. Broad concepts and widely applicable methods are emphasized. Through the use of the unifying themes the course becomes a cohesive whole rather than a collection of unrelated topics.

IB Mathematical Studies: This 2-year course is designed for students who are humanities oriented and chose to take a less rigorous mathematics course. The course will emphasize a multi-representational approach to mathematics, with concepts, results, and problems being expressed geometrically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Math Studies is intended to extend students' knowledge of function characteristics and to widely apply real-life applications. This course reinforces the relationships among the multiple representations of topics. Students enrolled in Mathematics Studies are assumed to have mastered algebra and geometry.

IB Visual Arts: IB Visual Arts is a two-year study of the importance of art in the daily life of man. The first year acquaints students not only with the appreciation of great works, but also allows them the opportunities to experiment in the various media and styles used by artists while studying cultures and world events that have influenced artistic expression. The course is designed to foster artistic growth of the student through recorded research (Research Workbook) and experimentation. The HL course, of two years adds a second year where students still experiment, but also hone their skills and styles by working in those media in which they are the strongest, and producing art that deals with a deeper understanding of the influence of the artist in the culture.

IB COMPONENTS

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IB Theory of Knowledge: Theory of Knowledge (ToK) is a year long course offered the second semester of the junior year and the first semester of the senior year. ToK is a critical thinking course in which IB students analyze knowledge and information with regard to source, intellectual bias, assumptive basis, proof, interpretation, social construct, opposition, and rationality. The ToK student examines the philosophical framework of each academic discipline while learning to reflect critically and logically on ideas originating in the other courses.

CAS: Creativity, Action, and Service is fundamentally an experimental learning component of the diploma and the IB Organization stresses great importance on CAS as an integral element of the IB curriculum and for successful award of the diploma. IB Diploma students design and complete150 CAS hours - 75 hours for community service, 50 hours for a personal activity, and 25 hours for a creative activity. While the Creativity and Action components of CAS are largely met through curricular and extracurricular programs, the Service component is the responsibility of the student. The services will be rendered individually and in groups. Students may begin to accumulate CAS hours the summer after tenth grade and must complete all requirements by January of their senior year.

Extended Essay

The Extended Essay (4000 words) is an in-depth study of a limited topic chosen from one of the six groups of the IB curriculum. It is designed to provide the candidate the opportunity to engage in independent research. Students are encouraged to pursue an area of special interest to them. In the junior year, the student decides on a topic and seeks the sponsorship of a faculty advisor. Students are expected to begin work on the project during the junior year and the summer between the junior and senior years under the supervision of an advisor. The Extended Essay is not a scheduled course.