ACADEMIC FOUNDATION
The IBDP Curriculum
SJI , as an IB World School , is committed to quality education in the spirit of the IB Diploma Programme ( IBDP ). Recognized as the leader in international education , the IBDP cultivates the knowledge , skills and attitudes that enable students to excel in university . Through the SJI IBDP , students gain rigorous and balanced academic preparation , an ability to draw on knowledge and understanding of various cultures and histories , and the experience of learning how to think critically and apply what they have learned in different contexts and across disciplines .
The challenging curriculum educates the whole student aiming to develop their capacity for inquiry , research and problem solving , as well as essential skills for communication and collaboration .
During the course of the two-year IBDP , IP students in their Year 5 & 6 will :
• Study six subjects chosen from six subject groups *
• Complete an Extended Essay
• Follow a Theory of Knowledge course
• Participate in Creativity , Activity , Service
6 Subject Groups
Group 1 : Studies in Language and Literature
• English : Literature
• English : Language and Literature
• Chinese : Literature
Group 2 : Language Acquisition^
• Chinese B
• Malay B
• Tamil B
• Bahasa Indonesia Ab Initio
• Mandarin Ab Initio
• Spanish Ab Initio
Group 3 : Individuals and Societies
• Economics
• Geography
• History
Group 4 : Sciences
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
Group 5 : Mathematics
• Maths Analysis and Approaches
Group 6 : The Arts
• Music
• Visual Arts ( Instead of an Arts subject , students can choose a subject from Group 3 or 4 .)
* subject to staffing ^ MOE Bilingual Policy requires students taking NTIL or any MTL-in-lieu to do this in addition to the IBDP requirements .
The IB Core
Extended Essay ( EE ) The Extended Essay promotes high-level research and writing skills , intellectual discovery and creativity , and acquaints students with the independent research and writing skills expected at university . The 14-month EE journey culminates in a piece of formally presented and structured writing ( 3500-4000 words ), in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner , appropriate to the subject chosen .
Theory of Knowledge ( TOK ) TOK plays a special role in the IB as it provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and the connections between areas of academic knowledge that they study and link it to themselves as a ‘’ knower ’ in a way that they can be aware of their own perspectives and those of others . The TOK Course is centrally focused on developing skills of critical thinking by getting students to interrogate knowledge construction processes and unpack commonly held assumptions . Students are evaluated on two final assessment tasks : at the end of Year 5 , students are to create a TOK exhibition and in Year 6 , complete a 1600-word essay based on a prescribed title .
Creativity , Activity , Service ( CAS ) Students are offered a wide range of co-curricular activities that gives students the opportunity to experience new challenges in sports , the arts and community service . Students can also choose to continue with their CCA from secondary school .
SJI offers a rich and varied selection of activities and programmes , including the Global Education Programme ( GEP ) where students take responsibility to plan and implement a trip overseas as part of their service component . This is to develop the leadership skills and fuel the student ’ s sense of idealism and help them to become true global citizens and to see that they too can become a catalyst for change .
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