Pre-IB courses at MH

The Pre-DP (Pre-IB) at MH

In addition to the proper IB courses there is a one-year preparatory year at MH. It serves as a bridge between the IB Diploma Programme and upper primary school. Most students join the Pre-IB before entering the IB DP and the majority of the group is 16 years old when they begin their study. The pre-IB curriculum was developed within the school to meet the demands of the DP.

The overall aim of the Pre-IB is to prepare students for the demanding IB Diploma Programme. In more details:

• To improve English skills in all subjects.
• To prepare students for academic study in the different subject groups.
• To develop Icelandic skills, whether for native speakers, intermediate users or beginners.
• To improve study skills and time management.
• To introduce available IB DP subjects and IB DP core to students.
• To introduce students to IB philosophy and terminology, such as ATL (approaches to learning), LP (learner profile), Academic honesty, international mindedness and more.

The subjects taught during the preparatory year are English, History, Icelandic, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Social sciences, Visual arts, Physical education and Life skills. The courses are in many ways but not all, similar to the courses first year students in the regular MH programme take.

IB course names in MH.

Below are brief course descriptions of the subjects and courses in the Pre-DP.

English:

Pre-IB English is taught both fall and spring semester and is split in two different lines of study. The courses ENGL2AP and ENGL2BP are language acquisition courses, similar to the first two English courses in the MH regular programme (ENSK2AA05 and ENSK2BB05). These courses are a good preparation for students who will take English as a second language in the IB DP.

For native English speakers and fluent speakers who intend to take English A literature in the IB DP, we offer the courses ENGL3AP and ENGL3BP, which focus less specifically on building vocabulary and more on literature.

Pre-IB English will develop students all-round English reading and writing skills. Students practice oral skills: reciting poetry and public speaking. Students are introduced to some of the reading and writing techniques used for any Language A and Language B in the IB. These courses will prepare students for the academic study of literature working with poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. Pre IB English will introduce and familiarize students with a broad range of English literature.

History:

History is taught both fall and spring semester.

HIST2AP05 is taught in the fall semester. It is a course on World History, from early modern times, up to the 19th century, as well as Icelandic History from the age of settlement to the 19th century. In many ways it is comparable to the MH course SAGA2BE05.

HIST2BP05 is taught in the spring semester. It is a course on Icelandic and world history, from the 19^th century to the present day. In many ways it is comparable to the MH course SAGA2AA05.

IB both courses the emphasis is on introducing the students to some of the major themes of Icelandic and World History, through both primary and secondary resources and interpretation/evaluation of these sources.

Mathematics:

Mathematics is taught both fall and spring semester and is intended to prepare students for the rigorous mathematics in the IB DP. The courses share content with the first two courses in the math curriculum at MH: STÆR2AA05 and STÆR2BB05

MATH2AP05 is taught in the fall and covers sets, Venn diagrams, Algebra, roots and radicals, the Pythagorean theorem, coordinate geometry

MATH2BP05 is taught in the spring and covers Coordinate Geometry and Linear Equations, Probability and Statistics, Trigonometry, Quadratic Functions and Equations.

Natural sciences:

Natural sciences is taught both fall and spring semester. In the fall students study physics (2/3) and chemistry (1/3). In the spring students study chemistry (1/3) and biology (2/3).

SCIE2AP05: The Scientific method, modern physics, motion in 1-dimension, forces and Newton's law of motion, introduction to chemistry, matter and change, atomic structure, the periodic table.

SCIE2BP05: Chemical bonding and structure, chemical reactions, the mole concept, solutions and concentrations, the pH scale, introduction to biology, chemistry of life, cell biology, research assignment.

Social sciences:

In the fall semester students study psychology, while in the spring semester students have a general course on social studies.

PSYCAP05: Psychology is taught in the fall. The course offers an introduction to psychology. Students learn how they can use tools and information found on the world wide web as an alternative to the traditional notebook and textbook. Students learn how to use a website as a notebook and as a way of presenting material and they discover the powers of mass collaboration by doing assignments using online tools that allow many to work on the same file at the same time. The philosophical foundations of psychology will be reviewed and one psychological disorder. Students develop a psychological experiment in groups to get an answer to a question of their interest and present the report of their experiment on the class website as well as a presentation which they give to the class. Students choose a fictional book which relates to a topic in psychology and make a presentation for the class. A fiction related to psychology is also chosen by the teacher which everybody reads.

SOCI2AP05 is taught in the spring. It is split into two main parts. The first part focuses on people’s worldviews. It offers the students the opportunity to examine their own worldview, what affects it and how it compares to the worldviews of others. The second half of the course examines issues such a social groups and identities, the impact of population change on societies, as well as sustainability and the UN global goals. The course requires students to practice international mindedness and helps to prepare them for the DP TOK (Theory of knowledge) course.

Visual Arts:

Visual arts is only taught in the spring semester. It is not a full-time course, but rather taught once a week.

ARTS2BP02 is taught for 2 hours a week, for the first 10 weeks of the spring semester. The main aim of this course is to get students acquainted with visual arts, important art movements and some of the pioneers in art history. The students learn about different practices of artists and about elements of visual language and how to use it.

ARTS2BP01 is a required course for pre-IB students who wish to take DP visual arts. It is taught for 5 weeks as a follow up course to ARTS2BP02. The course is intended as a hands-on introduction to various visual arts techniques, e.g. in drawing, photography and digital art. Students who will not select Visual arts in the DP are not required to take this course.

Physical education

Physical education is taught once a week, both in the fall and in the spring.

PHED2AP01 and PHED2BP05. The goal is to prepare students for the future by increasing their knowledge of diverse physical activity and health care. The main educational factors are the importance of warm up prior to exercise, endurance training, strength training and flexibility.

Emphasis is placed on diverse training methods combined with proper movement of the body; the importance of strength for the body's support system and the practical and theoretical aspects of strength training; the importance of flexibility and stretching and the impact on muscles and joints; nurturing and improving mental and physical health as well as social well-being for the future.

Life skills (LISK1AP03, LISK1BP01)

Life skills is taught both semesters, twice a week in the fall and once a week in the spring.

LISK1P03 aims to prepare students for the IB diploma programme. Students learn about and work on the IB Learner Profile, CAS and ATL skills. The class also focuses on student wellbeing. The course is also used to introduce the school and its services to students, and the class sometimes welcomes outside speakers.

LISK1BP01 aims to prepare students for the IB DP, to introduce the students to the IB DP subjects and assist them to select subjects for the two-years programme.

Icelandic

Candidates that are going to opt for Icelandic as their A (mother tongue) need to study two courses at the college level before they enter the IB DP, i.e. ÍSLE2AA05 and ÍSLE2BB05. Other students take ÍSAN (intermediate Icelandic) or ÍSER (Icelandic for beginners).

Please note, that it is school policy that fluent Icelandic speakers take Icelandic as their first language in the IB DP, even if they have lived abroad for longer or shorter periods. This aligns with the IB‘s policy that students study their mother tongue. Therefore, preparation in Icelandic at Pre-IB is very important, and eligible students must take ÍSLE2AA05 and ÍSLE2BB05. Exemptions are only granted on academic grounds and each case is evaluated by MH's Icelandic teachers and IB coordinator.