I agreed somewhat spontaneously to teach an IB Environmental Systems and Societies course at our school. Needless to say, I had reservations in taking it on but I am really enjoying the course. I moved some high school students into it who were being dragged along in IB Biology but don’t even have the intention of attempting to obtain certificates in the subject.
Their reaction to the new curriculum is so positive each and every day. “This is so nice” “Finally I feel like I’m learning something at the right pace” “This is so much better” “This makes so much more sense”.
Today I prepared laminate activities for them on pollution management and we watched some videos on e-waste and the cost of pollution cleanup. It feels almost simplistic even middle school level to me but they are really enjoying it. We have great conversation. They are eager to do the labs and projects. It is just such an enjoyable course.
It is definitely a “softer” alternative to the sciences of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants the IB diploma but is uncertain about the science component. Additionally, the course can count as a Group 3 course allowing students to mix and match courses to maximize their areas of interest. This is a GREAT course with practical application to the ‘real world’. I highly recommend it.