IB Course Information

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: English I & II (Honors recommended)

Level:  Advanced

Credit Earned:  English III & IV: Career Ed; Elective

Additional assessment opportunities: AP English Language and Composition (11th grade), AP English Literature and Composition (12th grade)

IB HL World Literature is primarily a pre-university course in literature aimed at students who intend to pursue literature, or related studies, at university. This course introduces students to the analysis of literary texts. The course is organized into four parts, each focused on a group of literary works. Together, the four parts of the course add up to a comprehensive exploration of literature from a variety of cultures, genres and periods. Students learn to appreciate the artistry of literature, and develop the ability to reflect critically on their reading, presenting literary analysis powerfully through both oral and written communication.

Instructors:

Juan Sandoval - [email protected]

Alondra Flores - [email protected]

Year One Syllabus

Year Two Syllabus

Length: Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: Algebra I, Geometry I, Algebra/Trigonometry* (Honors recommended)

* Alg/Trig summer course available

Level: Advanced

Credit Earned:  Adv. Algebra II/Trig; Elective

This course recognizes the increasing role that mathematics and technology play in a diverse range of fields in a data-rich world. As such, it emphasizes the meaning of mathematics in context by focusing on topics that are often used as applications or in mathematical modelling. To give this understanding a firm base, this course also includes topics that are traditionally part of a pre-university mathematics course such as calculus and statistics.

The course makes extensive use of technology to allow students to explore and construct mathematical models. Mathematics: applications and interpretation will develop mathematical thinking, often in the context of a practical problem and using technology to justify conjectures.

Instructors:

Virginia Manriquez - [email protected]

Peter Waswil - [email protected]

Year One Syllabus

Year Two Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: Biology, Chemistry (honors recommended)

Recommended: Advanced Algebra Trigonometry (or summer Alg/Trig course)

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned: Chemistry; Career Ed; Elective; Additional Lab Science; Biology

The chemistry course is organized by topics, with SL students studying eleven topics. An experimental approach to the course delivery is emphasized. External assessment consists of three written papers and provides opportunities for students to display their scientific understanding through the application, use, analysis and evaluation of scientific facts, concepts, methods, techniques and explanations.

Instructors:

Mark Ainsworth - [email protected]

Jonathan Perez - [email protected]

Course syllabus

IB SL PHYSICS 

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: Biology, Chemistry (honors recommended)

Recommended: Advanced Algebra Trigonometry (or summer Alg/Trig course)

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned: Physics; Career Ed; Elective, Other science (diploma candidates only)

The IB physics course allows students to develop practical skills and techniques and to increase facility in the use of mathematics. It also allows students to develop interpersonal skills, and information and communication technology skills, which are essential in modern scientific endeavors and are important life-enhancing, transferable skills.

Instructors:

Lalachan Augusthy - [email protected]

Mark Ainsworth - [email protected]

Course syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades:  11-12

Prerequisite:  2 of the following courses - H. Civics, AP Government and Politics, H. U.S. History, AP U.S. History

Level:  Advanced

Credits Earned:  Other Social Science;  Career  Ed, Elective, Second Year fills World Studies Credit 

The Diploma Program history course aims to promote an understanding of history as a discipline, including the nature and diversity of its sources, methods and interpretations. It also helps students to gain a better understanding of the present through critical reflection upon the past. The course provides both structure and flexibility, fostering an understanding of major historical events in a global context. It requires students to make comparisons between similar and dissimilar solutions to common human situations, whether they be political, economic or social. It invites comparisons between, but not judgments of, different cultures, political systems and national traditions.

Instructor:

Stephanie Bradley - [email protected]

Year One Syllabus

Year Two Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: None

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned:  World Language; Career Ed; Elective

Additional assessment opportunities: AP Chinese Language and Culture

The language ab initio course is a language acquisition course for students with little or no experience of the language. The course is organized into three themes: individual and society, leisure and work, and urban and rural environment. Each theme comprises a list of topics that provide students with opportunities to practice and explore the language and to develop intercultural understanding. Through the development of receptive, productive, and interactive skills, students develop the ability to respond and interact appropriately in a defined range of everyday situations.

Instructor:

Dongyu Bao - [email protected]

Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: None

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned:  World Language; Career Ed; Elective

The language ab initio course is a language acquisition course for students with little or no experience of the language. The course is organized into three themes: individual and society, leisure and work, and urban and rural environment. Each theme comprises a list of topics that provide students with opportunities to practice and explore the language and to develop intercultural understanding. Through the development of receptive, productive, and interactive skills, students develop the ability to respond and interact appropriately in a defined range of everyday situations.

Instructor:

Yadira De La Torre - [email protected]

Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: World Language placement (based on fluency and experience)

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned:  World Language; Career Ed; Elective

Additional assessment opportunities: AP Spanish Language and Culture (11th grade, AP Spanish Literature and Culture (12th grade

This is a language acquisition course for students with some previous experience of learning the language. While studying the language, students also explore the culture(s) connected with it. Higher and standard levels are differentiated by the depth of syllabus coverage, the required study of literature at HL, and the level of difficulty and requirements of the assessment tasks and criteria. The course is organized into themes. Three core themes are required: communication and media, global issues, and social relationships. In addition, teachers select two more themes from the five options provided. Finally, two works of literature are studied.

Instructors:

Erica Uribe - [email protected]

Maritza Castillo - [email protected]

Adrianna Guerrero - [email protected]

Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: None

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned:  Fine Arts - Visual Art; Career Ed; Elective

Theory and practice in visual arts are dynamic and ever-changing, and connect many areas of study and human experience through individual and collaborative production and interpretation. This course enables students to engage in both practical exploration and artistic production, and in independent contextual, visual and critical investigation. The course is designed to enable students to study visual arts in higher education and also welcomes those students who seek life enrichment through visual arts. Students at HL have the opportunity to develop ideas and skills, and to produce a larger body of work, or work of greater depth. Students are assessed both externally and internally.

Instructor:

Haydee Lopez - [email protected]

Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades: 11-12

Prerequisite: None

Level: Advanced

Credits Earned:  Fine Arts - Theatre/Drama; Career Ed; Elective

Theory and practice in visual arts are dynamic and ever-changing, and connect many areas of study and human experience through individual and collaborative production and interpretation. This course enables students to engage in both practical exploration and artistic production, and in independent contextual, visual and critical investigation. The course is designed to enable students to study visual arts in higher education and also welcomes those students who seek life enrichment through visual arts. Students at HL have the opportunity to develop ideas and skills, and to produce a larger body of work, or work of greater depth. Students are assessed both externally and internally.

Instructor:

Chani Buchic - clbuchic @cps.edu

Syllabus

Length:  Four Semesters

Grades:  11-12

Prerequisite:  Accepted into IB diploma programme

Level:  Advanced

Credit Earned:  Other Social Science; Career Ed Elective

The interdisciplinary Theory of Knowledge course, offered exclusively to IB diploma candidates, is designed to develop a coherent approach to learning that transcends and unifies the academic areas and encourages appreciation of other cultural perspectives. This course is in part intended to encourage students to reflect on the huge cultural shifts worldwide around the digital revolution and the information economy. The extent and impact of the changes vary greatly in different parts of the world, but everywhere their implications for knowledge are profound. Theory of knowledge encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself and aims to help young people make sense of what they encounter.

Throughout the two years of the course, IB diploma students will also have opportunities to work towards completion of diploma requirements like the Extended Essay independent research paper and the CAS portfolio.

Instructor:

Carolyn Brown - [email protected]

Syllabus