Environmental Systems & Societies
environmental systems and societies sl
Environmental Systems & Societies combines the skills from Biology and Geography, but also includes Economics and Philosophy. Students do not need to have a GCSE in Biology or Geography to do the course, although both are beneficial.
The course recognises that to understand the environmental issues of the 21st century and suggest suitable management solutions, both human and environmental aspects must be studied. Students not only investigate the issues facing the complexities of our planet, but also the actions required for the fair and sustainable use of shared resources.
course content
Students develop a wide range of skills during the course including practical skills, use of statistics, interpreting, analysing and evaluating information, graphical skills, working systematically, considering opinions and values and independent thinking whilst developing a scientific and ethical understanding of environmental issues and sustainability.
The course is only studied at Standard Level and is a transdisciplinary* subject i.e. Group 3 or 4.
The topics are:
ASSESSMENT OUTLINE
*TRANSDISCIPLINARY
Environmental Systems is a transdisciplinary subject in that it fulfils the subject requirements for group 3 and group 4. Students taking this subject can have greater flexibility in their subject choices for their Diploma. e.g. a student may choose: Group 1 (English A1), Group 2 (languages; 3 levels available), Group 3/4 Environmental Systems, Group 5 Maths (three levels available). Choosing Environmental Systems then allows the student their remaining choices from any of the other subject Groups, e.g. two Science subjects, two Arts subjects, etc.
Experimental Programme
The IB has a strong focus on practical skills. Students at Higher Level are required to spend 30 hours on practical work.
Students are assessed on a scientific investigation which they design, carry out and evaluate. This counts towards 25% of their final grade.
The IB programme also includes a collaborative sciences project which is an interdisciplinary science project addressing global issues. This typically takes 10 hours of timetabled time and results in a presentation of findings and self-reflection on your contribution to the progress. The exercise should be a collaborative experience where the emphasis is developing skills in team building and leadership.