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International Baccalaureate Courses

College & Career Planning

COLLEGE PREPARATORY (CP) courses are designed to prepare students for the rigors of college courses. Students in college preparatory classes are open-minded and seek to develop the skills necessary to analyze and synthesize information. Students will be provided with scaffolded opportunities to solidify their time management, note-taking, and study skills. Courses are designed to build a solid foundation in a particular content area. Opportunities for enrichment will be available.

ADVANCED (A) courses are recommended for students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement through a combination of ability and motivation. The Advanced level assumes that students are independent learners who can work with limited teacher support. Students are advanced and enthusiastic readers who can make inferences, draw connections, and comprehend texts with sophisticated themes and vocabulary at a fairly fast pace. These courses contain considerable enrichment and acceleration. Instruction will assume that students are able to grasp concepts on initial presentation. There will be little practice or repetition within the classroom. Students are expected to be able to organize their time, to plan long-term assignments, and to seek help when necessary, all on their own initiative. Advanced course enrollment requires teacher recommendation.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

It is essential for any pre-university education to equip students with the depth of discipline-specific knowledge and skills that they will need for their chosen academic and career paths. However, this must be balanced with the breadth needed to develop well-rounded students who can draw connections between different disciplines. As such, the philosophy of the IB Diploma Programme is that students should engage with a range of subjects while being able to explore specific areas of personal interest in greater depth.

• IB STANDARD LEVEL (SL) courses are rigorous core content based classes that focus on the “what” beyond concepts and theories.

• IB HIGHER LEVEL (HL) courses tend to delve deeper into the concepts that SL subjects cover focusing not only on the “what” but also the “how” and “why”. The core content is the same as the SL course in the same discipline, however, additional topics are covered.

Students will delve into diverse genres of writing that center around the theme of ‘self-discovery.’ Throughout this thematic journey, learners will engage in an examination of their own identities, reflecting on the various aspects that shape who they are. Each unit will present unique themes that encourage students to uncover personal insights, question their beliefs, and articulate their experiences, while connecting with the classroom materials/novels. This process of self-exploration will not only enhance their writing skills but also foster a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world. This course focuses on the importance of being able to read different genres of text, think analytically, and write with clarity. Students will read both literary and non-fiction texts to practice identifying key ideas, recognizing and appreciating the author’s craft, exploring connections with other texts, clarifying the meaning of unknown vocabulary, and discerning the author’s point of view or purpose. Students will hone their analytical reading and writing skills by crafting text-dependent written analyses. In addition, students may write informational, narrative and argumentative pieces, using the steps of the writing process.  To build their ability to express themselves with clarity and style, students will review the conventions of grammar and usage.

Students will delve into various genres of writing, centering around the theme of ‘facing challenges.’ This theme will serve as a foundation for students to examine not only external obstacles but also their personal growth and self-awareness. Throughout the units, learners will engage in reflective writing assignments that encourage them to identify and confront their own challenges. Each genre will offer unique perspectives, allowing students to explore how different authors approach adversity and resilience. By analyzing stories of triumph and struggle, students will gain insights into their own experiences and develop a deeper understanding of the human spirit in overcoming hardships. This course continues to build upon literary elements.  Students will continue to explore various genres in units including realistic fiction, poetry, storytelling, memoirs, and plays. They will refine their analytical reading and writing skills through practice. Further exploration of the writing process will be a major focus.  The study of vocabulary will augment these other goals. 

This comprehensive unit for 8th-grade students delves into the complex interplay between personal identity formation, social justice, and the power of language in shaping our beliefs and worldview. Through carefully selected literature, multimedia resources, and guided discussions, students will explore how various factors influence identity development during adolescence, examine social justice issues relevant to their lives, and analyze how language shapes perception and understanding. 

The unit emphasizes critical thinking, self-reflection, and empathetic understanding while supporting students through their own journey of self-discovery and identity formation. Activities will include personal narrative writing, analysis of diverse coming-of-age texts, and collaborative projects that encourage students to explore and express their evolving sense of self within their broader social context.

• Levels: College Prep, Advanced

• Credit: 1

The course revisits a range of genres as a way to prepare for the IB ways of knowing a text; in particular, the focus on the conventions and vocabulary of analysis specific to various text types. Students will explore these text types, investigating how writers employ genre-specific tools to create meaning and effect. The focus on the tools of creation will serve as the foundation of the writing instruction in the course, allowing students to both analyze how those tools are used by experts and to fold them into their own arsenal as well. The goal is a symbiotic progression of analysis and creation, one set of skills reinforcing the other. 

The thematic focus of the course is an organic next step from the focus on personal identity explored in grade 8. Students will build upon the development of self-knowledge to explore the complexity of interpersonal connection and responsibility. A carefully curated set of texts will enable students to read, think, speak, listen, and write critically about questions of compassion, empathy, moral complexity, social responsibility, and leadership, preparing them both for the demands of the IB and for meaningful civic engagement throughout their lives.

• Levels: College Prep, Advanced

• Credit: 1

This course surveys American literature by focusing on quarterly themes to gain an appreciation for the complexities of the American voice over time. A variety of text types will provide opportunities to practice the use of specific terminology and lenses for analysis as students will read novels, short fiction, poetry, essays, podcasts and visual arts. Through exposure to significant artists, students will learn how historical context affects perspective and message; they will gain an understanding of literary and cultural groups and movements. The course encourages students’ heightened awareness of the artistry of a deep, analytic presentation. Students will practice developing focused analytic arguments as they critically evaluate a range of American material. Skills reinforced will include word precision, sentence variety, and audience consideration. 

Advanced course enrollment requires teacher recommendation.

The advanced class assumes that students are invested and independent learners who can work with limited teacher support. Students are advanced and enthusiastic readers; they can make inferences, draw connections, comprehend and appreciate texts with sophisticated vocabulary and themes read at a fast pace. Students enter the course as strong expository and narrative writers who understand grammar, mechanics, spelling and sentence/paragraph structure. Course content is similar to that of American Literature. What is significantly different in this advanced class is the work pace, expected level of critical analysis, and eager independence in learning. Students are also expected to be practiced writers.

• Levels: Advanced, IB Standard Level, IB Higher Level

• Length: two years (SL/HL), one-year (advanced)

• Credit: 1 per year

Over two years, students will “engage with central concepts of the discipline in order to become flexible, critical readers of all types of texts…Students will learn about the complex and dynamic nature of language and explore both its practical and aesthetic dimensions. They will explore the crucial role language plays in communication, reflecting experience and shaping the world. Students will also learn about their own roles as producers of language and develop their productive skills…students will explore the various ways in which language choices, text types, literary forms and contextual elements all affect meaning. Through close analysis of various text types and literary forms, students will consider their own interpretations, as well as the critical perspectives of others, to explore how such positions are shaped by cultural belief systems and to negotiate meanings for texts. Students will engage in activities that involve them in the process of production and help shape their critical awareness of how texts and their associated visual and audio elements work together to influence the audience/reader and how audiences/readers open up the possibilities of texts. With its focus on a wide variety of communicative acts, the course is meant to develop sensitivity to the foundational nature, and pervasive influence, of language in the world at large.”

• Length: semester

• Credit: .5

An English course is offered each semester for juniors and seniors, either as a student’s primary discipline requirement or as an enrichment if the student is already enrolled in another English class. The semester offerings change each year as a reflection of department considerations for student development, student interest, or faculty strength. Each class will have appropriate readings and materials, varied assessments, and enrichment opportunities such as field trips or visiting lecturers as the subject matter determines. The semester will conclude with an assessment designed to showcase students’ learning.

Course topics may include: Biography & Non-Fiction, World  Literature, Local Lore, Gothic Literature, and Protest Literature.