IBDP Core

Students will earn .5 credit each in 11th & 12th grade. Though this class will not meet formally during the school day, students will be expected to fulfill obligations and deadlines during their junior and senior years, all of which will be graded accordingly.
The Extended Essay (EE) is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of approved Diploma Program subjects— one of the student’s six chosen subjects for the IB diploma. It is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity. The EE provides students with an opportunity to engage in personal research about topics of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor who teaches at Harrison High School. The goal is to complete a major piece of formal, structured writing, in which ideas and findings are communicated logically and coherently about the subject chosen. After completion of the written essay, a short, concluding interview - called the viva voce - will be conducted by the supervisor.
Creativity, Activity & Service (CAS) is a fundamental requirement of the Diploma Program and takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a refreshing counterbalance to academic studies. It is a requirement for those pursuing an IB Diploma. CAS involves students in experiential learning through a range of artistic, physical and service experiences. It is important to note that the value of CAS isn’t in the hours collected; rather it is found in the quality of the experience.

IB Extended Essay Curriculum

IB Creativity, Activity, Service Curriculum

The International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge course is an interdisciplinary investigation into the nature of knowledge. One of the most important elements of the DP is the Theory of Knowledge course, which challenges students to question the basis of knowledge—to reflect critically on how they know what they believe to be facts or the truth. It consists almost entirely of exploring questions about different sources of knowledge (perception, language, emotion, reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical, historical).
• Do we construct reality or do we recognize it?
• Does knowledge always require some kind of rational basis? Is there any kind of knowledge that can be attained solely through emotion?
• Is scientific knowledge progressive; has it always grown? Can we reach a point where everything important in a scientific sense is known?

IB Theory of Knowledge Curriculum