IBDP CURRICULUM

The IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11 and 12) is a rigorous programme with a balance of subjects and final examinations that prepare students for entering University Programmes and success in their careers ahead. The programme is taught over two years and has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.

The IB Educational approach stresses thinking skills, the ability to reason, and an open-minded attitude to different cultures; it is not focused on the memorization of facts.

We at Goldcrest International are committed to successfully delivering the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and to fulfilling our role in the development of Navi Mumbai.

Each subject has a set curriculum with focused content and clearly defined aims and objectives, plus a suitable type of assessment for each objective. The IB Diploma Programme develops content while also building and defining skills. The programme takes two years to complete and this provides the space needed for a student to mature and develop both skills and content and be ready for success at University. In assessing the curriculum, the IB seeks to reduce the element of chance in examinations through an independent internal assessment component which includes commentaries and presentations.

IB Diploma Programme students study six courses at higher level (HL) or standard level (SL). Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 5, thus ensuring breadth of experience in languages, social studies, the experimental sciences and mathematics. The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from Group 6, or the student may choose another subject from groups 1 to 5.

In addition, the programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding. An IB Diploma is awarded by the IBO following the May exams in Year 2 of the programme. These exams are marked independently by the IBO to their standards along with Internal Assessment work done by the students in class (which can include oral commentaries and presentations) determinate of the final IBDP grades. To receive an IBDP Diploma, students must satisfy all requirements of the programmes (passing CAS, TOK, and EE) and receive at last 24 points in their combined grades with no failing conditions. 

Course options at Goldcrest International

  Goldcrest International follows the IB requirements of:   • Three of the six subjects  to be studied at higher level (courses representing 240 teaching hours)

  • The remaining three subjects at studied at standard level (courses representing 150 teaching hours)

However, there can be an extra higher level  subject option offered, only at the discretion of the Head of school

COMPULSORY PROGRAMMES

Theory of Knowledge / Extended Essay / Creativity, Activity  and Service

 

OVER VIEW OF DIPLOMA COURSES

The following information is taken from the IBDP Subject Guides

 A Group 1 Language is a language the student speaks and understands with a high proficiency and fluency. It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from Group 1.

In Group 1, students will study Language and its uses including literature, with literature in translation. Students will choose to study their Group 1 subject(s) in a language in which they are academically competent.

The aims of the Language and Literature programme at both Higher and Standard Levels are to:

  • Encourage a personal appreciation of language and literature
  • Develop an understanding of the techniques involved in literary criticism
  • Develop students’ powers of expression, both in oral and written communication
  • Develop an understanding of the formal, stylistic and aesthetic qualities of texts
  • Broaden students’ perspectives through the study of works from other cultures and languages

At Goldcrest International we offer the following courses in Group I

  • English: Language and Literature (HL/SL)

A Group 2 Language is a student’s second language which may be spoken at the very beginning (Ab Initio) and at various levels in between (Language B). It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from Group 2.

The aims of Group 2 for Languages and Languages Ab Initio are to:

  • Enable students to understand and use the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes
  • Enable students to use the language appropriately
  • Encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness and appreciation of the different perspectives of   people from other cultures
  • Develop students’ awareness of the role of language in relation to other areas of knowledge
  • Provide the opportunity for enjoyment, creativity and intellectual stimulation through knowledge of a language
  • Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through language
  • Develop students’ awareness of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which they are familiar

The following courses are available at Goldcrest International in Group 2

  • French Language ab initio  (SL) course is for students who have little or some previous experience of learning the language they have chosen. These courses are only available at standard level.
  • Hindi Language B  (SL/HL) course is intended for students who have had some previous experience of learning the language. They may be studied at either higher level or standard level.
  • French Language B (SL) course is  intended for students who have had some previous experience of learning the language, having studied French in grades 9 and 10.

The IB curriculum is meant to foster international understanding and mindedness, which lead to an appreciation of the way of life of different cultures in the world. Studying Group 3 subjects provides for the development of a critical appreciation of:

  • Human experience and behaviour
  • The varieties of physical, economic and social environments that people inhabit
  • The history of social and cultural institutions

In addition, each subject is designed to foster in students the capacity to identify, to analyze critically and to evaluate theories, concepts and arguments relating to the nature and activities of individuals and societies.

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from Group 3.

The following courses are available at Goldcrest International in Group 3

  • Business and Management (HL/SL)
  • History (HL/SL)
  • Environmental Sciences and Societies (SL)
  • Economics (HL/SL)
  • Psychology (HL/SL)

Group 4 subjects assist students in increasing their awareness of how scientists work and communicate with one another. While the “scientific method” may take on a wide variety of forms, it will generally involve the formation, testing and modification of hypothesis through observation and measurement, under the controlled conditions of an experiment.

It is in this context that all the Diploma Programme Experimental Science courses should aim to:

  •      Provide opportunities for scientific study and creativity within a global context that will stimulate and challenge students
  •      Provide a body of knowledge, methods and techniques that characterize science and technology
  •      Develop an ability to analyze, evaluate and synthesize scientific information
  •      Engender an awareness of the need for and the value of, effective collaboration and communication during scientific activities
  •     Develop experimental and investigative scientific skills
  •     Encourage an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from Group 4.

The following courses are available at Goldcrest International in Group 4

  • Biology (SL/HL)
  • Chemistry (SL/HL)
  • Physics (SL/HL)
  • Environmental Systems and Societies (SL)
  • Computer Science (SL/HL)

IB Mathematics aims to enable all students to appreciate the international dimensions of Mathematics and the multiplicity of its cultural and historical perspectives, as well as foster enjoyment and develop logical, critical and creative thinking.

The aims of these courses are to enable students to:

  • Appreciate the multicultural and historical perspectives of the subject
  • Enjoy the courses and develop an appreciation of the elegance, power and usefulness of the subject
  • Develop logical, critical and creative thinking
  • Develop students’ understanding of the principles and nature of the subject
  • Employ and refine students’ powers of abstraction and generalization
  • Appreciate the consequences arising from technological developments
  • Transfer skills to alternative situations and to future developments
  • Communicate clearly and confidently in a variety of contexts

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one course in Mathematics. These courses may be studied either at Standard or Higher Level.

Goldcrest International offers four levels of Mathematics to address all skill levels

  • Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL
  • Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL
  • Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL
  • Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL

 In the Arts, students are encouraged to develop a personal view of the world by discovering ways of seeing and perceiving the world through Art. The programme brings to students a lively, inquiring and informed attitude towards the rich artistic heritage of many cultures, both modern and historic. This allows students to express their ideas, opinions and judgments, develop their own sense of taste, and expand their perspective of themselves within cultural and historical contexts. The IB Visual Arts programme provides students with the opportunity to develop a critical and intensely personal view of themselves in relation to the world. Quality work in visual arts can be produced by students at both HL and SL.

The following courses are available at Goldcrest International in Group 6

  • Visual Arts (SL/HL)
  • Film (SL/HL)

 THE DIPLOMA CORE

EXTENDED ESSAY

All IB Diploma programme students must undertake an Extended Essay on a topic of their choice. With the other core components, the Extended Essay makes the DP a coherent and integrated qualification.

The Extended Essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic within a DP subject. It provides students with an opportunity to engage in personal research on a topic of their choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing of no more than 4,000 words, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject. The IB recommends that completion of the essay is followed by a viva voce with the supervisor. It is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity – resulting in approximately 40 hours of work.

CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY, SERVICE

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the Diploma programme. Creativity encourages students to engage in the arts and creative thinking. Activity seeks to develop a healthy lifestyle through physical activity. Service with the community offers a vehicle for a new learning with academic value.

The three strands of CAS enhance students’ personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning and enable journeys of self-discovery. Students have to maintain a CAS portfolio which includes a personal profile, CAS Experiences, Initiative project and reflections, along with evidence. Participation in the CAS Experience encourages students to share their energies and special talents, while developing awareness, concern and the ability to work cooperatively with others. The educational benefits of CAS apply in the school community, local, national and international communities.

Goldcrest International assists students in finding CAS Experiences best suited to their interests, as well as sponsors activities. Goldcrest has a series of successful CAS activities including a Clean Vashi Campaign, working with Habitat for Humanity, retirement homes, special needs schools in Navi Mumbai, and a Village school project in rural Maharashtra.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

Theory of Knowledge embodies the spirit and approach of the DP as a whole. With the Extended Essay and Creativity, Action, Service components, it provides the cement that makes the Diploma a coherent and integrated qualification. Theory of knowledge develops a logical approach to learning that unifies the academic disciplines. In this course on critical thinking, students inquire into the nature of knowing and deepen their understanding of knowledge as a human construction. Based within the six subjects that the students study, it compares and contrasts them, allowing students to develop a more mature view of them, in preparation for deeper study.