Group 3: Individuals and Societies

Business Management

As a customer or consumer, you interact with businesses and organisations on a daily basis. As such, you already have an applied knowledge of the Business Management course. You will likely be aware of some marketing strategies used by global organisations and will even have been influenced by these strategies, you will have heard people speaking about their jobs and what makes them happy or unhappy at work, you will know that organisations are likely driven by the goal of making a profit or surplus and you will have had experience of good or poor quality service. This course will delve deeper into such examples so you can understand the theory behind them. Units of study include: Introduction to Business Management, Human Resource Management, Finance & Accounts, Marketing and Operations Management. Additionally, a set of situational, planning and decision-making tools are studied to analyse and evaluate different disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts.g Four conceptual lenses underpin the course, and provide the framework for deeper study: change, ethics, creativity and sustainability.

These books and clips cover different aspects of business and the people that run them.

● Toyota Production System (1988) by Taiichi Ohno

● Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard

● No Logo by Naomi Klein

● Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us by Daniel Pink

These business education websites have interactive resources:

● www.tutor2u.net/business

● www.businessmanagementib.com

Economics

Watch this video which explores the issue of scarcity and resource allocation, the topic we will start the course with. Note down some observations and think about how you would answer this question:

“How is it that the first world has an oversupply of food, while 1 in 7 in the world are malnourished?

You could also explore the ‘A level and IBDP’ sections of the tutor2u.site The home screen is regularly updated with new topics drawn from current news events, linked to parts of the IB/A-Level syllabus so that you can begin to understand how news events are analysed using concepts that you will come across in class.

If you are a newcomer to Economics, you could also view some of these short clips on YouTube that relate to micro and macroeconomics here There are also some excellent documentaries that you could view such as ‘Before the Flood’, ‘Money for Nothing: Inside the Federal Reserve’, ‘Boom, Bust, Boom’ and, of course, “Freakonomics’. You can also access Kanopy resources using your UWC account to view these short documentaries:

● The Economics of Daily Life

● The Economics of Happiness

● Sustainable

● The Cost of Living

● When China Met Africa

● Green Economics-Living Well

● Clothes to Die For

● Pricing: what hides behind a price?

● The invisible hand

● Free Markets, Capitalism, Neo-classical Economics: A focus on Joseph Schumpeter The Man who discovered capitalism

● The Economics of Uncertainty (a series) including Game Theory, moral hazard and adverse selection, and the business cycle

Geography

Geography is a dynamic subject that is grounded in the real world and deals with some of the major concerns of our time. You will be studying contemporary issues like Poverty, Climate Change and Globalisation, and Geopolitical issues like conflicts over resources.

To help you prepare for IB Geography, find out more about these global issues and get into the habit of regularly checking in with what is going on in the world by reading the news.

Reputable sites to use include:

● http://www.bbc.com/news/science_and_environment/

● http://www.theguardian.com/environment/all

● http://www.scientificamerican.com/sustainability/

Download this IB geography podcast app which has a wealth of podcasts related to our units of study.

These recently published books are both relevant to several different aspects of the course, and are a fascinating, easy school holiday read. Pick one and think about the questions it raises for you about contemporary world issues: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling and Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall.

Global Politics

IB Global Politics is a dynamic subject that is built around the unifying theme of ‘people, power and politics’. You will have the opportunity to explore the interactions of both state and non-state actors at various levels of analysis including community, local, national, regional, international, and global. As such, politics is happening all around you, and you should be aiming to spend part of your school holiday tuning into political ideas and discussions.

The first unit will focus on the role of China in a Changing World, while the second unit will look at Global Public Health with a focus on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014. Taking note of these two political issues in particular will be most useful for your first semester of IB Global Politics.

You are encouraged to create a Twitter account (if you haven’t already got one) and follow @melwilsonglopo You can also use the hashtag #IBglopo to review a range of up-to-date resources.

Podcasts are also an excellent source of relevant political information, including in-depth interviews and discussions. The following podcasts are recommended as a very good starting point for Global Politics students:

● The World Next Week: Council of Foreign Relations

● Global Dispatches: Conversations on Foreign Policy and World Affairs

● The Daily: New York Times

● The Economist Radio

● Global News Podcast: BBC World Service

While there are literally thousands of books available that relate to the study of Global Politics, an interesting book to start with, as it deals with one of the major course concepts of ‘power’, is Is the American Century Over? by Joseph Nye. The Almighty Dollar by Dharshini David presents a fascinating account of globalisation at work, while Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall provides a description of various conflict ‘hot spots’ around the world.

History

The study of History comes with a great responsibility. Yes, we must learn from the past in order to understand who we are today. But we must also study History in order to speak for those without a voice. That said, there is also pure joy to be found in the wonderful, baffling, hilarious and sometimes terrifying stories from History. IB History hopes to immerse you fully in each of these vital elements. Your programme largely examines the social, political and economic history of the 19th and 20th century. We travel across continents to explore war, peace, revolutions, dictatorships, remarkable advancements and crimes against humanity. Units include Tokugawa and Meiji Japan, Revolutionary Cuba, Qing China, the Vietnam War, the Rwandan genocide and Nazi Germany. As such, we suggest you read some fascinating survey histories, and watch some films, to develop a feel for the themes and tone of the period.

● The Age of Extremes by Eric Hobsbawm

● A People’s History of the World by Chris Harman

● Civilisation: the West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson

● Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall

Watch

● Platoon

● Ghost of Rwanda

● Comandante

● Hitler: The Rise of Evil

● All Quiet on the Western Front

Psychology

As students of psychology, you will have a chance to learn more about the fascinating human species. Be aware, however, the explanations are often complex, and there are no definitive answers in understanding the human mind and behaviour. At the core of the DP psychology course are the three different approaches to understanding behaviour and thinking; the biological approach, the cognitive approach and the sociocultural approach.

As an introduction to some of the topics we cover, students can go online to TED Talks and listen to and reflect upon the Fascinating psych experiments playlist (9 talks). Additionally, the psychology podcasts that we recommend include Invisibilia, All In The Mind, Hidden Brain, Revisionist History, (S2, S3), Work/Life and Brains On.

Any of the following are books you may want to read over the break to give you a taste of what we cover in Psychology:

● Patient HM A story of memory, madness and family secret by Luke Diitrich

● Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

● Crazy Like Us by Ethan Waters

● The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon

● How the mind works by Steven Pinker

● 30-second psychology by Christian Jarret (Editor)

● Outliers: The story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

● The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

● Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv

● Behave by Robert Sapolsky

Group 4: Sciences

Science is both a process for generating new knowledge and for explaining the world around us. Over the long vacation, maintain your interest in science by visiting the following quality science websites to read articles and watch science videos. From your reading, consider problems that could form the basis of an extended investigation in your science subjects.

● www.guardian.co.uk/science

● www.guardian.co.uk/science/series/the-newton-channel-science-videos

● www.bbc.co.uk/science

● www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/

Biology

Biology is the natural science which is concerned with the study of life and living things. Amongst other topics, we will look at cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, ecology, evolution and the human body.

In preparation for your Biology course, you can consolidate your existing Biology understandings by engaging in some holiday reading to maintain your curiosity. The following books and websites are particularly good:

● Creation, the origin of life / the future of life by Adam Rutherford, concerning what life is, where it came from and where it is going.

● Gut by Giulia Enders, which reveals the latest science on how much our digestive system has to offer.

● What Has Nature Ever Done for Us by Tony Juniper, which links life, the planet and economics.

● CrashCourse Biology channel on YouTube is a great online resource.

● The Biology Department also likes A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson which describes the people behind the major findings in modern science.

Chemistry

Chemistry is the central science in that it is said to be the bridge between the physical and life sciences. Chemistry is concerned about the behaviour of matter—the stuff which makes up our world—and how it interacts together. In preparation for your Chemistry course, we ask that you consolidate your existing chemistry learning, but also that you engage in some vacation reading to maintain your chemical curiosity. The following websites are particularly good:

● Napoleon’s Buttons

● The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) have a great ‘Learn Chemistry’ site www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry and a host of other interesting areas to help satisfy your chemistry cravings. Download The Mole student magazines and have fun with the award winning interactive periodic table.

● The periodic table of videos: www.periodicvideos.com This is easily the most enjoyable journey through the periodic table on the Internet.

Finally, an excellent and enjoyable account of the wonderful world of molecules is contained in P.W. Atkins’ Molecules. You can read most of this as a preview on Google books by searching for ‘Google books Atkins Molecules.’

Sports, Exercise, and Health Science

Sports, Exercise, and Health Science is an applied science course that investigates human performance and its adaptations to training programs. We focus on acquiring the knowledge and necessary understanding to critically analyse athletic pursuits- be it swimmers, rugby players, or skateboarders. We begin the course with basic anatomy, which some students can find particularly challenging. To prepare yourself for this, having a general understanding of the scientific names for muscles and bones will be particularly useful.

Social media is also a great place to find up-to-date research in Sport Science, and those listed below are great resources for this:

● Science for Sport (@scienceforsport)

● YLM Sports Science (@ylmsportscience)

● [P]Rehab (@theprehabguys)

● Evidence Based Movement (@evidencebasedmvmt)

● OPEX Fitness (@opexfitness)

● BBC sport (@bbcsport)

Additionally, the following books, videos, and websites will help guide any preparations:

● BBCbitesize: a great resource to improve your general knowledge and understanding of the skeletal and muscular systems.

● Knowledge Encyclopedia: Human Body focuses on anatomy and physiology, two key components of this course and provides fantastic pre-reading information for the course.

● ESPN: Sport Science is an inquiry-based YouTube channel that explores current topics in sport science.

● Science for Sport is a website that provides articles, videos, and infographics on a variety of topics related to the field.

● The Physical Educ8or has really useful YouTube videos that cover all core topics in the SEHS course.

Finally, stay active with activities you love. Ask yourself questions while pursuing these activities, such as, what causes fatigue? What muscles am I using and how am I using them? What makes this skill particularly challenging? Or, what is actually happening to my body as I increase my fitness? Find answers to questions that genuinely intrigue you.

Physics

Physics is a science that makes meaning of physical phenomena by discovering laws and mathematical relationships from the outcomes of experimental investigations and careful observations. This course will allow you to investigate both the world of classical physics, its history and its development into the modern era of quantum physics. You will investigate the models that help us to explain the natural world from the smallest subatomic particles to the largest objects in the universe. You will also be able to make connections with modern technology and see how much of it is a result of the investigation into the strengths and limitations of these models.

There are many YouTube channels that give an accurate overview of the physics behind the headlines, clarify misconceptions and will introduce you to ideas you will encounter on the course. Those worth watching include: Veritasium, Minutephysics and #physics.

The history of science is essential to appreciating the context in which scientists lived and how their work, and its results, were shaped by the times and places in which they lived. The Measure Of All Things by Ken Alder makes an excellent read and is also available as a three part documentary.

A good and brief introduction to many theories in physics can be found in the book 50 Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know by Joanne Baker.

A slightly more complex look at several key theories is given by Richard Feynman in his book, Six Easy Pieces

Computer Science

“Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn.”

Professor Stephen Hawking, CH, CBE.

Computer Science is the study of theory and the application of techniques which will allow you not only to solve existing problems with computers, but also design and apply algorithms which bring new possibilities to other disciplines. Software and computational thinking have been applied to many different fields to push the boundaries of what was previously believed to be possible. Whether you are interested in creating the next level of VR or animated film, breaking an encryption code, making music or games, learning at an accelerated pace or even becoming a digital entrepreneur, you will find that the same tools can be applied effectively in each of these endeavours and many more.

To prepare yourself for the new concepts and ways of thinking that you will learn, it would benefit you to have some experience of computer programming in any language. There are many introductory courses but one which teaches the material in a simple yet transferable way is the Khan Academy’s excellent Intro to JS For the more adventurous, we would also recommend Stanford University’s CS101 online course which covers many of the basics of Computer Science and programming in a different style.

It would be very useful if you could download and install the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers on your laptop as we will be using this throughout the course. You would also benefit from reading the MIT Technology Review and related websites which keep you up-to-date with new and emerging technologies.

Design Technology

Design, and the resultant development of new technologies, has given rise to profound changes in society: transforming how we access and process information; how we adapt our environment; how we communicate with others; how we are able to solve problems; how we work and live.

Technology emerged before science, and materials were used to produce useful and decorative artefacts long before there was an understanding of why materials had different properties that could be used for different purposes. In the modern world the reverse is the case, and designers need to have an understanding of the possibilities offered by science to realise the full potential of what they can design in terms of new technologies, products and systems.

Design is the link between innovation and creativity, taking thoughts and exploring the possibilities and constraints associated with products or systems, allowing them to redefine and manage the generation of further thought through prototyping, experimentation and adaptation. It is human-centred and focuses on the needs, wants and limitations of the end user.

To help you prepare for the IB Design Technology course, we suggest reading, watching documentaries and regular visits to websites like:

● http://designmuseum.org/design

● http://storyofstuff.org/movies/

● http://www.vitra.com

You could visit the National Design Centre in Singapore as well as the Red Dot Museum. In preparation for this course, you should gain familiarity with Autodesk Fusion 360 software. You are also encouraged to access and read the book The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

Environmental Systems and Societies

Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) is both a Group 3 Individuals and Societies and a Group 4 Experimental Sciences course that offers a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between the natural and human systems. This perspective is one that enables us to adopt informed personal responses and sustainable solutions to the wide range of pressing environmental issues that we have inevitably come to face. Attention is constantly drawn to our own relationship with the environment and the significance of choices and decisions we make in our own lives. In ESS, we evaluate the scientific, ethical,economic and socio-political aspects of issues on a local scale which at the same time directly link and apply to the global context.

These articles from the following sites should get you excited about current environmental issues and solutions we will be studying in the course:

● Environment and Natural Resource Security

● Wild Singapore

● Green Facts

Group 5: Mathematics

All courses at the IB Diploma rely heavily on technology and all students are expected to have the TI-Nspire CXII graphing calculator. This model is available at the school shop on East Campus and students should bring this calculator, along with the cables and packaging, to their first Mathematics lesson. You will need your licence key and activation code to be able to install the TI software on your laptop.

What better way to prepare for your IB Diploma than reading about mathematics, listening to stories about mathematics and doing mathematics. Please dip into any of these online resources and enjoy your school holiday.