The Environmental Systems and Societies course is a transdisciplinary (groups 3 and 4) Standard Level course. The purpose of this course is to provide students with a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies. Topics of study include systems and models, the ecosystem, human population, carrying capacity and resource use, conservation and biodiversity, pollution management, the issue of global warming, and environmental value systems. This course seeks to promote an understanding of environmental processes at a variety of scales, from local to global, provide a body of knowledge, methodologies and skills that can be used in the analysis of environmental issues at local and global levels, and enable students to apply the knowledge, methodologies and skills gained. Because the course is transdisciplinary it offers students requirements for both hexagon groups 3 and 4, leaving students the opportunity to study another subject from any group of hexagons including another subject from groups 3 or 4.
Prerequisites
B average in previous science courses, teacher recommendation and permission of the instructor. Open to all Grade 11 and 12 W-L students who meet the prerequisites.
This course prepares students for the required Standard Level IB examination in Environmental Systems and Societies, which is taken at the end of the course of study. Students not completing the Internal Assessment and/or not taking the exam will not earn the additional quality point (24275). This IB course is weighted by applying an additional 1.0 quality point value assigned to the final grade upon completion of the course.