IB Middle Years Program
Carson Graham is proud to offer the MYP, a program that aims to help students develop their personal understanding, their emerging sense of self and responsibility in their community while challenging them to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world.
The MYP is an inquiry based program; students inquire into issues and ideas of personal, local and global significance through concepts that have relevance within specific disciplines and across subjects. All students in grades eight to ten study the Ministry of BC Curriculum through an MYP lens in 8 curricular areas: Arts, Design, Individuals and Societies, Language Acquisition: French, Spanish or Squamish, Language and Literature: English, Mathematics, Physical and Health Education, Sciences.
The Approaches to learning (ATL) are a unifying thread throughout all MYP subjects. The ATL provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Developing and applying these social, thinking, research, communication and self management skills helps students learn how to learn.
Students are expected to develop their character by engaging in a minimum of. 30 hours of thoughtful Service as Action through community service. Students also complete the Personal Project on a topic of their choice through which they have the opportunity to demonstrate their growth as learners and global citizens.
For more information on the MYP at Carson Graham please visit our school website at ww.carsongraham.ca or contact our IB Coordinators: Liz Thornhill and Stephanie Strandt.
IB Diploma Program
We are proud to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The DP is an internationally recognized university preparatory programme that is widely acknowledged as the most prestigious high school diploma available to students.
The DP curriculum is rigorous; it requires that students complete a two-year programme that consists of the study of language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, the sciences, mathematics and the arts. In addition to its academic demands, students are expected to gain a breadth of knowledge, ideas and experiences as they complete core requirements in Creativity Action Service (CAS), the Extended Essay (EE) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK).
IB Diploma Program Courses
IB Diploma Programme courses are rigorous, two-year university preparatory courses. Students who study in the full IB Diploma Programme choose six courses plus the core. Students must choose one course from each of the six groups, but have the option to replace Visual Arts with a second course from Group 3 or Group 4. Several universities offer transfer credits to DP students achieve a final score of 5, 6, or 7 (students must do their own research on the transfer credit policy of their university-of-choice). In addition to the full diploma, we can also offer a partial diploma for students to take 1-3 courses for certificates.
GROUP 1: STUDIES IN LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
English A: Language and Literature is a two-year course that introduces the critical study and interpretation of written and spoken texts from a wide range of literary forms and non-literary text-types. The formal analysis of texts is supplemented by awareness that meaning is not fixed but can change in respect to contexts of production and consumption. The course is organized into three areas of exploration and seven central concepts, and focuses on the study of both literary and non-literary texts. Together, the three areas of exploration of the course allow the student to explore the language A in question through its cultural development and use, its media forms and functions, and its literature. Students develop skills of literary and textual analysis, and also the ability to present their ideas effectively. A key aim is the development of critical literacy.
GROUP 2: LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
FRENCH B (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
French B is a two-year course that aims to develop the students’ linguistic competence and intercultural understanding. The language skills developed will enable the student to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences. Authentic materials will be used in order to maximize the student’s exposure to the target language and to model the appropriate use of the language in a range of situations, contexts and, purposes while investigating a variety of themes or subjects. French will be the main language of communication in the class between the teacher and the student, as well as among the students themselves. This course gives the student the opportunity to reach a high degree of competency in French as well as a wide exposure to the international Francophone community. There is a common syllabus at SL and HL (with literature as an additional component of the HL course).
SPANISH B (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
Spanish B is a two-year course that aims to develop the students’ linguistic competence and intercultural understanding. The language skills developed will enable the student to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences. Authentic materials will be used in order to maximize the student’s exposure to the target language and to model the appropriate use of the language in a range of situations, contexts and, purposes while investigating a variety of themes or subjects. Spanish will be the main language of communication in the class between the teacher and the student, as well as among the students themselves. This course gives the student the opportunity to reach a high degree of competency in Spanish as well as a wide exposure to the international Spanish community.
GROUP 3: INDIVIDUALS & SOCIETIES
GEOGRAPHY (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
Geography answers where and why human activities occur across the globe. It is a critical study of the human experience and the origins of cultural and economic patterns. Throughout this two-year course, students analyze the relationship between human activities and their impact on the environment. It also encourages the development of international awareness by examining contemporary issues such as poverty, sustainability and resource consumption. As the course progresses, students deepen their understanding of the challenges the world faces by exploring themes such as urbanization and the uneven access to health and food. Students who choose the Higher Level option continue their studies by examining global interactions: our place in a complex and shrinking world. While thinking globally, students act locally to build an awareness of their own responsibility to their community. Supporting this, the fieldwork component of the course will be on a local scale where students collect and analyze data then present their work in a written report.
GLOBAL POLITICS (4 credits per year. Grades 11. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
Global Politics explores political concepts such as power, equality, sustainability, and peace in a range of current and contemporary contexts. It allows students to develop an understanding of the local, national, international, and global dimensions of political activity and process, as well as to explore political issues affecting their own lives. This course helps students to understand abstract political concepts by grounding them in real-world examples and case studies. It also invites comparison between such examples and case studies to ensure a wider and transnational perspective. The study of global politics enables students to critically engage with different and new perspectives and approaches to politics in order to comprehend the challenges of the changing world and become aware of their role in it as active global citizens. Examples of case studies that students may encounter include: power struggles in the South China Sea, Myanmar and the Rohingya crisis, nuclear North Korea, Russian annexation of Crimea, the Syrian civil war, ongoing effects of the Rwandan genocide
GROUP 4: SCIENCES
BIOLOGY (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
IB Biology is a two-year course of study designed to provide students with an understanding of the important underlying biological themes through a focus on acquiring a body of factual knowledge. Four basic biological concepts run through this body of knowledge: the relationship between structure and function; the theme of universality versus diversity; the occurrence of equilibrium within living and non-living systems; and, evolution as an underlying concept for understanding life on Earth. Students will become knowledgeable about the ideas and concepts fundamental to biology and will be challenged to think about how biology and emerging biological technologies exist within a global context. Laboratory work forms an integral part of the course.
CHEMISTRY (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
IB Chemistry is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition and development of practical and investigational skills. This two-year course aims to balance the needs of a content-oriented syllabus with the development of the critical-thinking skills required by the experimental scientist. The course reflects the need to ensure that the qualifications will be met for students wishing to enter university study in the sciences; it will also develop students’ investigational skills in the use of the scientific method, involving the formation, testing and modification of a hypothesis through observation and measurement, under the controlled conditions of an experiment. The course will also allow students to develop their problem-solving and analytical skills, as well as provide opportunities for students to become more aware of the moral, ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of using science and technology. Laboratory work forms an integral part of the course.
PHYSICS (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
The purpose of this two-year course is to provide students with an understanding of both the theoretical and practical nature of physics and to increase facility in the use of mathematics, which is the language of physics. This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore physics as it was developed historically from Galileo’s time to the present. A key objective is to challenge students to think about how physical principles have been applied to construct and alter the material world to suit our needs. This raises the issue of the impact of physics on society, the moral and ethical dilemmas, and the social, economic and environmental implications of the work of physicists. These concerns have become more prominent as our power over the environment has grown. Students will also explore the international context within which physics exists and examine issues from more than one side. Laboratory work forms an integral part of this course.
GROUP 5: MATHEMATICS
MATHEMATICS: ANALYSIS & APPROACHES (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
The purpose of this two-year course is to provide students with an understanding of both the theoretical and practical nature of physics and to increase facility in the use of mathematics, which is the language of physics. This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore physics as it was developed historically from Galileo’s time to the present. A key objective is to challenge students to think about how physical principles have been applied to construct and alter the material world to suit our needs. This raises the issue of the impact of physics on society, the moral and ethical dilemmas, and the social, economic and environmental implications of the work of physicists. These concerns have become more prominent as our power over the environment has grown. Students will also explore the international context within which physics exists and examine issues from more than one side. Laboratory work forms an integral part of this course.
MATHEMATICS: APPLICATIONS & INTERPRETATION (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level)
Mathematics Applications & Interpretation places an emphasis on analytical approaches to mathematics. The largest section of the course is statistical techniques. It is designed for students with varied mathematical backgrounds and abilities. It offers students opportunities to learn important concepts and techniques and to gain an understanding of a wide variety of mathematical topics. It prepares students to be able to solve problems in a variety of settings, to develop more sophisticated mathematical reasoning and to enhance their critical thinking. Its intent is to allow students to learn through inquiry and investigation. The individual project is an extended piece of work based on personal research involving the collection, analysis and evaluation of data. Students taking this course are well prepared for a career in social sciences, humanities, languages or arts.
GROUP 6: THE ARTS
VISUAL ARTS (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
The impulse to make art is common to all people. From earliest times, human beings have displayed a fundamental need to create and communicate personal and cultural meaning through art. The process involved in the study and production of visual arts is central to developing capable, inquiring and knowledgeable young people, and encourages students to locate their ideas within international contexts. Engagement in the arts promotes a sense of identity and makes a unique contribution to the lifelong learning of each student. The study of visual arts provides students with the opportunity to develop a critical and intensely personal view of themselves in relation to the world (IBO).
DP Visual Arts is a two-year course where the students work with a variety of materials and concepts, exploring their own art making practice and developing an understanding of other art forms and artists. Emphasis will be on expanding student understanding of communication in the arts, developing a body of work that is personally meaningful and understanding how art production reflects both their own and others’ worlds, ideas and experiences. A sketchbook is mandatory for recording ideas, process work, art criticism, visual explorations, as well as the further development of technical skills. Field trips to galleries and/or artists’ studios are a part of the curriculum.
THE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME CORE
In order to achieve the full diploma, students must successfully complete all three components of the Diploma Programme Core. The following three courses are only available for students completing the full diploma:
CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY AND SERVICE (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12)
Creativity Activity Service (CAS) is the heart of the IB Diploma Programme. CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experimental learning from September of Year 1 to March of Year 2. In CAS, Creativity encompasses participation in the fine and performing arts, as well as other experiences that involve creative thinking; Activity involves physical exertion that contributes to a healthy lifestyle; and Service and service learning encompasses the unpaid, voluntary efforts that have benefits for both the student and others. This core component provides an important counterbalance to the academic requirements of the Diploma Programme, as a strong CAS programme should be both challenging and enjoyable; CAS is a personal journey of self-discovery. CAS is available only to Diploma Programme candidates.
EXTENDED ESSAY (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12)
The Extended Essay is a core component of the IB Diploma; it is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from one of the student’s six chosen Diploma Programme. It is intended to promote high- level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity. It provides students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor (a teacher in the school). This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing of approximately 4,000 words, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject chosen. The extended essay is externally assessed by examiners around the world using common and subject specific criteria. The Extended Essay is available only to Diploma Programme candidates.
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE (4 credits per year. Grades 11 &12)
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a two-year course that is central to the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme; it is a core requirement for all Diploma candidates. In the TOK classroom, emphasis is placed not on what one knows, but on how one knows, and on the role that knowledge plays in an increasingly global and technological society. Both students and their teacher must be willing to reflect critically on the diverse ways of knowing (perception, language, emotion and reason) and on the varied but interconnected areas of knowledge (Mathematics, Natural Science, Human Sciences, the Arts, History, and Ethics). With thoughtful inquiry as its foundation, TOK is composed almost entirely of questions, both ageless questions on which thinkers have been reflecting for centuries, and new ones, often challenging accepted belief, which are posed by contemporary life. A specific aim of TOK is to enable students to appreciate the multiplicity of cultural and historical perspectives and to challenge and broaden their global understanding.
