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GROUP 4 : SCIENCES |
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The Group 4 subjects of the IB explore the domains of scientific knowledge as well
as scientific activity. A common curriculum model applies to all group 4 programs.
This model offers a parallel structure at both Higher and Standard Levels, whereby
a core of material is studied by all candidates, and this is supplemented by the
study of options. The Standard Level (SL) core makes up about 60% of the program,
while the core at Higher Level (HL) is 75%. SL students have to choose three options
of 20 hours study each, while HL students must choose two options of 30 hours each.
There are three kinds of options:
- Those specific to SL students (OPT – SL)
- Those specific to HL students (OPT – HL)
- Those which may be taken in part by SL students and as a whole by HL students (OPT
–SL/HL)
The student's IB mark is determined by a combination of practical or laboratory
work and the final written exam. All Experimental Science programs are structured
in four components: Subject Specific Core (SSC), Additional Higher Level (AHL) topics,
Optional topics and a Group 4 Project. The time allocations according to this model
are as follows:
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Part of Model |
Target
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Theory |
Investigations |
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SSC
AHL
Options
Group 4 Project
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All Students
HL Students only
All Students
All students
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65 h
70 h
45 h |
15 h
20 h
15 h
10 h
------
40 h SL
40 h HL |
BIOLOGY
The Biology program comprises a broad content base unified by four main themes:
Theme 1 - Structure and Function
How structures permit some functions and conversely limit others
Theme 2 - Universality versus Diversity
The ubiquitous existence of molecules in a diverse biological world, as
well as the adaptations of various species and the connectivity or interdependence
between a range of organisms
Theme 3 - Equilibrium within systems
The checks and balances which exist both within living organisms and in
ecosystems; the state of dynamic equilibrium as essential for the continuity of
life
Theme 4 - Evolution
The unifying theme, which observes changes leading to diversity within
constraints and the adaptation of structure and function; examines the historical
significance of Darwin's theory of evolution
CHEMISTRY
As the central experimental science, Chemistry underpins our physical environment
as well as all biological systems. Apart from being an independent discipline, it
also serves as a prerequisite for several other courses in higher education, such
as medicine and biological and environmental sciences.
PHYSICS
The study of Physics examines in detail the laws, experimental skills and social
and historical aspects of this discipline as an evolving body of human knowledge.
As the most fundamental of the experimental sciences, Physics seeks to explain the
basic features of the natural world primarily in terms of the interaction between
matter and energy.
The study of Physics incorporates three connected domains of knowledge:
1. Laws of Physics
Students should be able to:
- Describe and explain them as qualitative and quantitative models of reality
- Describe their phenomenological and experimental basis
- Describe their limitations
- Describe their applications in and implications for daily life
- Apply them to unfamiliar situations
- Describe, where appropriate, their connections with one another
2. Experimental Skills
Students should be able to:
- Follow instructions for experimental methods
- Manipulate equipment safely and effectively
- Record and analyze experimental data
- Draw conclusions from those data in a formulation of a purely empirical model or
in comparison with a proposed hypothesis or model
- Design experiments to answer scientific questions of model generation or hypothesis
testing
3. Social and historical aspects of Physics as an evolving body of human knowledge
about nature
Students should be able to
- Evaluate the impact - good, bad or neutral - that Physics has had on daily life
and society
- Evaluate the roles that Physicists have played in the evolution of the subject
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