IB Group 4 – Sciences

BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, DESIGN TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND SOCIETIES, PHYSICS, SPORTS EXERCISE AND HEALTH SCIENCE

Aims

• Provide opportunities for scientific study and creativity within global contexts which will stimulate and challenge students
• Provide a body of knowledge and methods / techniques which characterise Science and Technology
• Enable students to apply and use a body of knowledge and methods / techniques which characterise Science and Technology
• Develop an ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise scientific information
• Engender an awareness of the need for, and the value of, effective collaboration and communication during scientific activities
• Develop experimental and investigative scientific skills
• Raise awareness of the moral / ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of using Science and Technology
• Develop an appreciation of possibilities and limitations associated with Science and scientists
• Encourage an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method

Curriculum Model

Specific to Biology, Chemistry And Physics

• A common curriculum model applies to Group 4 programmes. This model offers a parallel structure at both Standard and Higher Level, whereby all students study a core of material and this is supplemented by the study of options. At Standard Level the core makes up about 60% of the programme, while at Higher Level the core is 75%. At Standard Level, students have to choose two options of 15 hours study each, while at Higher Level they must choose two options of 22 hours each. There are three kinds of options – those specific to SL students, those specific to HL students and those which can be taken in part by SL students and as a whole by HL students.
• All students are required to spend at least 25% of their teaching time following an internally assessed scheme of practical / investigative work, related to all aspects of the programme, including the options. The Group 4 project, which is a common component for all Group 4 programmes, makes up 10 hours of the internally assessed scheme of practical work.

Assessment Outline

• The assessment model is designed to measure the performance of examination candidates against the five common objectives of all the Science programmes.
• Assessment is carried out by a combination of external examinations conducted at the end of the programme of study, and internal assessment carried out by teachers. These two key assessment structures are weighted 80% and 20% respectively. The external examinations consist of three papers, occupying a total of 3 hours at Standard Level and 4.5 hours at Higher Level.
• Internal assessment is intended to take up approximately 25% of the total teaching time available for the programmes (i.e. about 40 out of 150 hours at Standard Level and 60 out of 240 hours at Higher Level).