Group 3: Individuals & Societies

IB DP History HL
This course is a comparative and integrated exploration of the relationship of the United States, Canadian, and Latin American histories. Emphasis is placed on a comparative analysis of social, political, and economic issues within the Western Hemisphere with a primary focus on the 19th and 20th centuries. The course emphasizes the importance of encouraging students to think historically and to develop historical skills, as well as gain factual knowledge and develop an understanding of multiple interpretations of history. It puts a premium on developing the skills of critical thinking. Topics include: Independence Movements in the Americas, the Mexican Revolution and Civil Rights and Social Movements in the Americas post 1945. Presentation of a formal, independent research project is required and internally assessed. This course is one of the two courses leading to the examination in History at the Higher Level.

IB DP Environmental Systems & Societies SL
ES&S is one of two interdisciplinary courses offered in the Diploma Programme, Literature and Performance is the other interdisciplinary course. Because it is an interdisciplinary course, students can study this course and have it count as either an individuals and societies or a science course, or both. This gives students the opportunity to study (an) additional subject(s) from any group. Students will be able to study this course successfully with no specific previous knowledge of science or geography. However, as the course aims to foster an international perspective, awareness of local and global environmental concerns and an understanding of the scientific methods, a course that shares these aims would be good preparation. During the course, students will study eight different topics. An important aspect of the ES&S course is hands-on work in the laboratory and/or out in the field.

IB DP Business Management SL
The Business Management course is designed to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of business management theories, as well as their ability to apply a range of tools and techniques. Students learn to analyse, discuss and evaluate business activities at local, national and international levels. The course covers a range of organizations from all sectors, as well as the sociocultural and economic contexts in which those organizations operate. The course covers the key characteristics of business organization and environment, and the business functions of human resource management, finance and accounts, marketing and operations management. Links between the topics are central to the course.
Students can earn dual credit through PCC.

IB DP Psychology SL
Students study and critically evaluate the knowledge, concepts, theories and research that have developed the understanding in these fields. The interaction of these approaches to studying psychology forms the basis of a holistic and integrated approach to understanding mental processes and behavior as a complex, dynamic phenomenon, allowing students to appreciate the diversity as well as the commonality between their own behavior and that of others. The contribution and the interaction of the three approaches is understood through the four options in the course, focusing on areas of applied psychology: abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, health psychology, and the psychology of relationships. The options provide an opportunity to take what is learned from the study of the approaches to psychology and apply it to specific lines of inquiry. Psychologists employ a range of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, to test their observations and hypotheses. IB DP Psychology promotes an understanding of the various approaches to research and how they are used to critically reflect on the evidence as well as assist in the design, implementation, analysis and evaluation of the students’ own investigations. Surrounding the approaches and the options are the overarching themes of research and ethics.