Information Pack - International School Moshi

www.ismoshi.orginfo@ismoshi.orgThe InternationalBaccalaureate DiplomaAges 16 – 19A Diploma student participates in• Six subjects• An extended essay• A Theory of Knowledge course• ‘Creativity, Action and Service’ (CAS) activities.The Theory of knowledgeThe Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course is composed almost entirely ofquestions. The most central of these questions is ‘How do we know’ whichToK applies to many different, yet interrelated, topics. Students explore howdifferent subject areas like natural science, social science, mathematics,history, art and ethics interpret knowledge and how each seek knowledge.The six subjectsThree subjects are taken at higher level and three at standard levelcontinuously over the two years of the programme. Subjects must bechosen from EACH of groups 1 to 5 below, and the sixth subject may beVisual Arts, or a second choice from Groups 3 or 4.Group 1First LanguageGroup 2Second LanguageGroup 3Individuals & SocietiesGroup 4Experimental SciencesGroup 5MathematicsEnglish A [HL or SL] or French A [HL or SL] orSwahili A [HL or SL]English B [HL or SL] or French B [HL or SL] orSwahili B [HL or SL] or Swahili for beginners [SL]Spanish for beginners [SL online]Economics [HL or SL] or Geography [HL or SL] orInformation Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) [HL or SL],History [HL or SL], Psychology [SL online]Biology [HL] or Environmental Systems & Societies [SL] orPhysics [HL or SL], Chemistry [HL or SL]Mathematics [HL or SL] orMathematical Studies [SL]Group 6Visual Arts [HL or SL]Note that due to timetabling limitations, certain combinations of subjects are not possible. Subjects linkedby ‘or’ in the boxes above cannot be taken together, the same language cannot be studied at more thanone level, and History, Chemistry and Visual Arts are taught at the same time. Subjects on offer may varyslightly depending on demand. If students wish to study another language other than those listed above,we will try to find a suitable teacher and will offer whatever assistance we can. In such cases, additionalcosts may have to be borne by parents and the provision of a teacher cannot always be guaranteed.The extended EssayThe 4000-word research-based Extended Essay focuses on a particularaspect of one of the subjects. A supervisor leads each student, overa number of months, through a process of thorough research andpersuasive writing. The skills developed in writing the extended essayprove extremely useful for students when they engage in academicresearch at university.Creativity action and serviceThroughout the diploma years students are required to participate regularlyin creative, active and service projects. There is a wide variety of projectsfrom which to choose and further details are available in the CAS section.To study for a full IB Diploma at ISM, a student should have shownprevious competence in a majority of the six subjects to be studied,respect for their colleagues and the ethos of his/her school as reflectedin past reports, and the maturity to take responsibility for future study.Alternatives to The full IB diplomaGiven the challenging nature of the full IB Diploma, some students maychoose a modified programme of up to five or six subjects, with a majorityat Standard level, from within the timetable structure. They will do the fullcoursework and examinations in these subjects and receive a certificatein place of the full diploma. These students do not usually study Theory ofKnowledge or write an Extended Essay. Many such students excel becausetheir course load is tailored to their capabilities. Good subject Scoreswill enable entry into many US universities and a number of colleges anduniversities in other countries.Beyond the diplomaAdvice and support is provided by the school’s university and collegeadvisor. In addition ISM provides support for students taking SAT,TOEFL or other tests required for university entrance.In recent years our students have averaged a 90% success rate in theIB diploma examinations. After completing the Diploma programme,the vast majority of our graduates go on to universities or colleges inCanada, UK, USA and elsewhere.9