In addition to taking six challenging courses, students in the Diploma Programme are required to fulfil the three key requirements of The Core. Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS); the Extended Essay; and Theory of Knowledge.
CAS: Creativity, Action, and Service carries the aim of extending students beyond the classroom. This requires students to be involved in co-curricular activities at school or involved in their community at large. Not only are students required to be involved in these activities, but they are required to show evidence of their involvement and reflect upon the process.
The Extended Essay: The Extended Essay (EE) is a self-directed essay students must submit in order to complete the Diploma Programme. The essay should be between 4,000 and 6,000 words long and on an academic subject of the students choosing. They work closely with a teacher-supervisor but are expected to be self-guided for the majority of the process. All essays are externally marked and moderated by IB examiners.
Theory of Knowledge: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is the only required course for students enrolled in the Diploma Programme. TOK is an interdisciplinary subject that focuses not on a specific content of knowledge but rather on the nature of the subject, and how knowledge is acquired in that particular area of knowledge.
Sample discussion topics in a typical TOK Class could include:
Final IB grades are determined by an externally assessed essay and an internally assessed presentation.
Header image from Flickr User Jeff Kubina, available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kubina/471143582
All information on this page found at the IBO webpage devoted to the Core, accessible at: http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/core/
CAS: Creativity, Action, and Service carries the aim of extending students beyond the classroom. This requires students to be involved in co-curricular activities at school or involved in their community at large. Not only are students required to be involved in these activities, but they are required to show evidence of their involvement and reflect upon the process.
The Extended Essay: The Extended Essay (EE) is a self-directed essay students must submit in order to complete the Diploma Programme. The essay should be between 4,000 and 6,000 words long and on an academic subject of the students choosing. They work closely with a teacher-supervisor but are expected to be self-guided for the majority of the process. All essays are externally marked and moderated by IB examiners.
Theory of Knowledge: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is the only required course for students enrolled in the Diploma Programme. TOK is an interdisciplinary subject that focuses not on a specific content of knowledge but rather on the nature of the subject, and how knowledge is acquired in that particular area of knowledge.
Sample discussion topics in a typical TOK Class could include:
- What does it mean to be scientifically proven?
- Is seeing believing?
- Can anything be objectively considered "good art"?
- How do we determine right and wrong?
- Are there absolute truths in ethics? In the arts?
- Can any history be devoid of bias?
- Are mathematical truths "truer" than historical truths?
Final IB grades are determined by an externally assessed essay and an internally assessed presentation.
Header image from Flickr User Jeff Kubina, available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kubina/471143582
All information on this page found at the IBO webpage devoted to the Core, accessible at: http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/core/