IB Easter Institute

T:+44 1865 741911
F:+44 1865 310002

email
ib.easter@
stclares.ac.uk

For students taking the IB Diploma Exam in May or November 2003

This is an intensive review course designed to cover work that most students should have completed in their first and second years of the IB Diploma course. Many students find it helpful to review work with a different teacher, and get a new approach to a topic. While we cannot hope to go over everything, teachers will cover the major topics of the subject syllabus and concentrate on those topics that appear frequently in exam papers. Also, due to no fault of your own, you may have missed sections of a syllabus. As the group sizes are small, you will be able to go over gaps in your knowledge with the teacher involved. Where possible, classes will be grouped by ability. In the residential college setting, you will be asked to work hard, but should find the course worthwhile and that it puts you in a good position to tackle your final IB exams.

The following courses are being offered in April 2003:

Sa 12		Su 13	M 14	Tu 15	W 16	Th 17		F 18	Sa 19	Su 20	M 21		Tu 22	W 23	Th 24	F 25
arrive by 16h00 Saturday												arrive by 16h00 Monday
	Course 1			Course 2			Study Weekend					Course 3
				depart after lunch Thursday								depart after lunch Friday

You may take a different class in each course. Each class will be suited to your needs. Class sizes will be small, so you can tell us what you would like to cover before you arrive and during the classes. If you would like your current IB teacher to write to us to let us know what he or she feels that you need, please feel free to ask them to do so. Whilst we cannot hope to go over everything, teachers will adapt the courses as much as possible to suit the needs of each group of students.

Courses will include:

• a review of work covered in the first and second years of IB but not understood fully
• teaching of topics that appear frequently in the IB exams
• areas which students typically find hardest
• practice of questions from past exam papers
• opportunity to apply knowledge and discuss problems
• timed exam practice

• 17.5 hours on course 1 and 2
• 27.5 hours on course 3
  

More information:

• IB Review Programme Details
• IB Study Weekend

Subjects

Course One [12-14 April]

Biology HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course One [12-14 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Topics

• The IB Approach to Biology; Nature of Life; Cell Structure; Chemistry of water, carbon, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids; Membranes and transport; Protein synthesis; Genetics; Ecology; Classification

Exam Techniques

• Multiple choice; Data response; Structured essays; Making approximations; Linking theoretical and practical knowledge

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Chemistry SL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course One [12-14 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

This course reviewed the work the students found most difficult on the core topics in the Chemistry Standard syllabus.

Topics studied included:

• Stoichiometry
• Atomic Structure
• The Periodic Table
• Bonding and States of Matter
• Equilibrium and Rates of Reaction
• Enthalpy and Redox Reactions

Students revised the main points in the topics and attempted relevant IB Paper 2 questions. They also worked on a Paper 1 (May 1998), observed a practical and did some work on the practical criteria.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

History (Modern European) SL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course One [12-14 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Topics include:

• Totalitarianism, Russian revolutions, Stalin, Cold War, World War I, World War II, German unification, Italian Unification, French revolution, League of Nations.

Skills include:

• Essay writing, working with documents, revision, research.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

English A2

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course One [12-14 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

• Research and discursive writing skills.
• Techniques for the comparative commentary.
• Oral presentations and writing (summaries and interpretations) connected to newspaper readings.
• Brief overview of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Global issues: Northern Ireland, Middle East, South Africa.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Maths Methods

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course One [12-14 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Sequences, logarithms and indices, binomial theorem, linear equations, quadratic functions, inverse functions, composite functions, transformation of graphs, trigonometry, radian measure, circular functions, vectors.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Course Two [15-17 April]

Chemistry HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Two [15-17 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

The following topics were studied:

• Stoichiometry; Converting masses to moles; Calculations involving solutions; Volumes of gases; Balancing equations
• Energetics; Hess's Law; Enthalpy change calculations; Born-Haber cycles; Practical on enthalpy change for a decomposition reaction; Entropy; Free energy of reactions
• Equilibrium: Problems involving Kc calculations; Partial Pressure
• Bonding: Sigma and pi bonds; Hybridisation
• Intermolecular bonding

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Physics SL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Two [15-17 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Topics
During the intensive one-week physics review course we approached three main areas of students' concern: solving problem strategies, deeper understanding of fundamental concepts in classic physics and learning how to learn physics independently. We focused our attention around the concepts of force, momentum, energy, work, field, gravitation, dynamic equilibrium and wave. We studied these concepts in the context of Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics and Sound. The interface between several topics of physics and theory of knowledge was lightly touched.

Skills
We placed an emphasis in the development of competence in active learning processes and critical thinking skills. To this end students were encouraged to discuss solving problem strategies with colleagues, adopt group decisions and present their thinking to the whole class. There were some opportunities to evaluate a range of IT and investigative skills for learning physics. Students practised exam-like questions from a wide variety of sources including past exam papers.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

History (Modern European) HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Two [15-17 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Topics include:

• Totalitarianism, Russian revolutions, Stalin, Cold War, World War I, World War II, German unification, Italian Unification, French revolution, League of Nations.

Skills include:

• Essay writing, working with documents, revision, research.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

English A HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Two [15-17 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Contents

• Textual analysis: work on prose extracts and on different types of poetry.
• Introductory work on Shakespeare, analysis of key passages from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Consideration of Shakespeare in performance, Visit to Shakespeare's Globe for a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Skills

• Practising close analysis of poetry. Learning technical terms and how to use them. Practising essential skills for Paper One (unseen prose/poetry) of the final exam. Work on structuring the Paper One essay.
  

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

English B

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Two [15-17 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

• Research and discursive writing skills.
• Techniques for the comparative commentary.
• Oral presentations and writing (summaries and interpretations) connected to newspaper readings.
• Brief overview of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Global issues: Northern Ireland, Middle East, South Africa

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Maths Studies

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Two [15-17 April]
17.5 hours over 2.5 days

Rounding to significant figures, standard form, arithmetic and geometric series. Algebra: expanding brackets, factorising and solving quadratics, quadratic graphs. Straight lines: equation of a straight line, midpoint, length, 2D 3D, perpendicular lines, gradient. Trigonometry: SOH, CAH, TOA, Sin/Cos Rules, 3D Trigonometry. Graphs of Trig functions. Venn diagrams, range/domain of functions, transformations (including Trig graphs). Simple, compound interest. Logic. Vectors. Statistics, Probability

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Course Three [21-25 April]

Biology SL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Three [21-25 April]
27.5 hours over 4.5 days

Topics

• The IB Approach to Biology; Nature of Life; Cell Structure; Chemistry of water, carbon, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids; Membranes and transport; Protein synthesis; Genetics; Ecology; Classification

Exam Techniques

• Multiple choice; Data response; Structured essays; Making approximations; Linking theoretical and practical knowledge

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Physics HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Three [21-25 April]
27.5 hours over 4.5 days

Topics
During the intensive one-week physics review course we approached three main areas of students' concern: solving problem strategies, deeper understanding of fundamental concepts in classic physics and learning how to learn physics independently. We focused our attention around the concepts of force, momentum, energy, work, field, gravitation, dynamic equilibrium and wave. We studied these concepts in the context of Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics and Sound. The interface between several topics of physics and theory of knowledge was lightly touched.

Skills
We placed an emphasis in the development of competence in active learning processes and critical thinking skills. To this end students were encouraged to discuss solving problem strategies with colleagues, adopt group decisions and present their thinking to the whole class. There were some opportunities to evaluate a range of IT and investigative skills for learning physics. Students practised exam-like questions from a wide variety of sources including past exam papers.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Economics HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Three [21-25 April]
27.5 hours over 4.5 days

Topics
The main focus was on micro-economics. Topics studied in depth included:

1. The industry - demand, supply, and price - within perfect and imperfect markets.
2. The firm - multi-firm industry in perfect competition, monopolies, oligopolies, and monopolistic competition.
3. Market failures.

A supplementary session covered themes in macro-economics, looking briefly at aggregate supply and demand, and systems employed by economists in reading the national economy and formulating policies: Classical, Keynesian, and Monetary.

Skills

1. Comprehension of frequently sophisticated economic concepts.
2. Application of those concepts to commenting on and analysing unseen economic information provided.
3. Illustrating ideas covered with appropriate graphs and examples.

Developing techniques for answering the various categories of IB examination questions.

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

English A SL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Three [21-25 April]
27.5 hours over 4.5 days

Contents

• Textual analysis: work on prose extracts and on different types of poetry.
• Introductory work on Shakespeare, analysis of key passages from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Consideration of Shakespeare in performance, Visit to Shakespeare's Globe for a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Skills

• Practising close analysis of poetry. Learning technical terms and how to use them. Practising essential skills for Paper One (unseen prose/poetry) of the final exam. Work on structuring the Paper One essay.
  

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

English B

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Three [21-25 April]
27.5 hours over 4.5 days

• Research and discursive writing skills.
• Techniques for the comparative commentary.
• Oral presentations and writing (summaries and interpretations) connected to newspaper readings.
• Brief overview of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Global issues: Northern Ireland, Middle East, South Africa

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

Maths HL

Easter Course - All IB Review Courses
Course Three [21-25 April]
27.5 hours over 4.5 days

Students covered the following topics:

• Number and Algebra: Arithmetic and Geometric Series; Factor and Remainder Theorem; Partial Fractions; Binomial Expansion; Logs.
• Trigonometry: Trig Graphs; Solving Trig Equations.
• Calculus: An Introduction to Differentiation and Integration.
• Functions: Range and Domain; Inverse and Composite Functions; Transformations; Graphs of Functions.
• Probability

Please note that this is an illustration of the sort of areas covered by one particular class. Each course is slightly different, as the teachers adapt what they cover to ensure that they address the particular needs of each group of students.

Back to course list

IB Review Programme Details || IB Study Weekend

Top of page