Conference : 5AB
Dr. Gianluca Corsi
Email : gcorsi@dentonisd.org
Phone : (940)369-2051
Tutorials : Daily before/after school by appointment
Higher Level International Baccalaureate Biology is a two-year course of study, which emphasizes basic biochemistry, cell structure and function, genetic patterns of inheritance, plant form and function, evolution, ecology, human physiology, statistical analysis, microbiology, biotechnology, taxonomy and the international nature of science. The Standard Level covers the same topics in one year.
The course is designed to provide opportunities for scientific study and creativity within a global context that will stimulate and challenge students.
The course will include two optional topics (IB Biology HL only) chosen by Denton High School in addition to the core biology topics, which are included in IB Biology curriculum worldwide. Option C
– Ecology and
Conservation will be taught during the 1 st year. Choosing two topics for concentrated study will deepen the students’ understanding of biology instead of a wider approach that only scans the surface of this field.
Ecology, Option C, is a critical theme of biology and touches important aspect of our role within the environment.
Students in IB Biology are required to conduct structured labs and design their own experimental projects emphasizing the topics they learn in class. Instruction is student-centered with cooperative learning as well as teacher directed, thus offering the student a college-level biology experience.
The compulsory Group 4 project encourages students to realize that one discipline is not isolated from another and that developing their natural curiosity by being critical thinkers, inquirers and risk-takers as well as knowledgeable and principled communicators will allow them to work on problems together in order to discover solutions toward a common goal. Students will learn to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications of science. The Group 4 project is collaborative and interdisciplinary by having students analyze a topic or problem which can be investigated in each of the science disciplines offered at the school: biology, chemistry and physics. It is also an opportunity for students to explore scientific solutions to global questions.
Students will take the International Baccalaureate Biology Exam in the spring of their senior year.
Assessments
There are three categories of assessments in IB Biology: (a) Internal Assessment (IA), (b) External
Assessment (EA), and (c) the Group 4 Project, which applies the Practical Scheme of Work (PSOW) model.

Internal Assessment
The internal assessment (IA) requirements are worth 24% of the final assessment. It consists of an interdisciplinary project, a mixture of short and long-term investigations, such as laboratory practicals and subject-specific projects.
Student work is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by IB Examiners. The performance in IA is marked against assessment criteria.
Internal Assessment Criteria
There are five assessment criteria, used to assess the work of both SL and HL students:
1. Design (D)
2. Data collection and processing (DCP)
3. Conclusion and evaluation (CE)
4. Manipulative skills (MS)
5. Personal skills (PS)
The first three criteria, design (D), data collection and processing (DCP) and conclusion and evaluation (CE), are each assessed twice.
Manipulative skills (MS) criterion is assessed summatively over the whole course and the assessment should be based on a wide range of manipulative skills.
Personal skills (PS) criterion is also assessed once only and this will be during the group 4 project.
Each of the assessment criteria can be separated into three aspects as shown in the following sections.
Descriptions are provided to indicate what is expected in order to meet the requirements of a given aspect completely (c) and partially (p). A description is also given for circumstances in which the requirements are not satisfied, not at all (n).
Assessment criteria can be found in the Vade Mecum.
External Assessment
Paper 1
Paper 1 is made up of multiple-choice questions that test knowledge of the core and AHL material for students at HL. The questions are designed to be short; one or two-stage problems that address objectives 1 and 2 (see the “Objectives” section). No marks are deducted for incorrect responses. Calculators are not permitted, but students are expected to carry out simple calculations.

Paper 2
Paper 2 tests knowledge of the core and AHL material for students at HL. The questions address objectives 1,
2 and 3 and the paper is divided into two sections.
In section A, there is a data-based question that requires students to analyze a given set of data. The remainder of section A is made up of short-answer questions.
In section B, students at HL are required to answer two questions from a choice of four. These extendedresponse questions may involve writing a number of paragraphs, solving a substantial problem, or carrying out a substantial piece of analysis or evaluation. A calculator is required for this paper.
Paper 3
Paper 3 tests knowledge of the options and addresses objectives 1, 2 and 3. Students at HL are required to answer several short-answer questions and an extended-response question in each of the two options studied.
A calculator is required for this paper.
Assessment specifications
Component Overall Weight Duration of Test
Paper 1
Paper 2
Paper 3
20%
36%
20%
1 hour
2.25 hours
1.25 hours
Calculators are not permitted for Paper 1, but students are expected to carry out simple calculation
A calculator is required for Paper 2 and Paper 3
Group 4 Project
The Group 4 Project is an interdisciplinary activity in which all Diploma Programme science students must participate. The intention is that students from the different group 4 subjects analyze a common topic or problem. The exercise should be a collaborative experience where the emphasis is on the processes involved in scientific investigation rather than the products of such investigation.
In most cases, all students in a school would be involved in the investigation of the same topic. Where there are large numbers of students, it is possible to divide them into several smaller groups containing representatives from each of the science subjects. Each group may investigate the same topic or different topics. That is, there may be several group 4 projects in the same school.

The G roup 4 Project forms one part of a candidate’s overall practical experience and does not contribute a fixed percentage to internal assessment.
Materials
1. Composition notebook
2. Pen and Pencil
3. Scientific Calculator (recommended)
Grading Policy
Research and Investigations are Minor Summative grades (30%)
Tests and Projects are Major Summative grades (70%)
Denton ISD grading policies apply.

The Denton Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, handicap, race, color, and or national origins in its educational programs. Admission to career programs is based on age, grade, interest, aptitude and ability.
Lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admissions and participation in any educational programs.
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