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 the primary school. Most students join the Pre-IB before entering the IB DP. Majority of the group is 16 years old when they begin the study. The curriculum was developed within the school and the subjects taught during the preparatory year are: English, History, Math, Social sciences, Natural sciences, Physical education and Life skills. All students take Icelandic as well (for native speakers, as a second language or for beginners).
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 improve study skills and time management.
- To introduce available IB DP subjects and IB DP core to students.
- To introduce the IBO philosophy.
- To introduce the most common terminology within the IBDP: Common terms, ATL (approaches to teaching and learning), LP (learner profile), academic honesty, international mindedness and more.
IB course names in MH.
Below are brief course descriptions (might change):
English (ENGL2AP05, ENGL2BP05)
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 (HIST2AP05, HIST2BP05)
HIST2AP05 is a course on Icelandic history, from the age of settlement, and World History, from early modern times, up to the revolutions of 1848 and the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. In many ways it is comparable to SAGA2BE05..
HIST2BP05 is a course on Icelandic and world history, from the 19th century to the present day. In many ways it is comparable to SAGA2AA05.
- Due to time constraints many themes of that history will unfortunately not be addressed, the course is Eurocentric.
- The students should gain acquaintance of some major themes of Icelandic and World History, through both primary and secondary resources and interpretation/evaluation of these sources.
Mathematics (MATH2P05, MATH2BP05)
The pre-IB math course is a two-semester course intended to prepare students for the rigorous mathematics in the IB DP. Topics in the autumn: Sets, Venn diagrams, Algebra, roots and radicals, the pythagorean theorem, coordinate geometry.
Natural sciences (SCIE2AP05 is physics (60%) and chemistry (40%), SCIE2BP05 is chemistry (20%), biology (60%), internal assessment preparation (20%)).
SCIE2BP05:
BIOL part: Chosen chapters from the book Unity and Diversity of Life are covered. The objectives are to introduce the student to basics in biology, more specifically the cell, metabolism and heredity and genetics. With the completion of the course the student will be familiar with all aspects of the cell and how metabolism in eukaryotic cells is carried out. The student will also know the heredity of Mendelian genetics and solve simple genetics problems.
Social sciences (PSYCAP05 is Psychology, SOCI2BP05 is social studies)
PSYCAP05: 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. We will take a look into the philosophical foundations of psychology and we will study 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:
Aims: The students will....
- Students will understand how key thinkers, culture and major events can influence and transform our worldview.
- Students will gain knowledge on the development of social groups and interactions between different groups in modern societies.
- Students will gain knowledge on how population change can shape societies.
- Students will practice looking at issues from more than one perspective
- Students will develop their understanding of the value of international mindedness.
- Students will use and develop their social, communication, thinking, self-management and research skills.
Description: This is a course on worldviews, international mindedness and modern global issues, with links to the DP TOK (Theory of knowledge) course. The course is split into two main parts. The first part focuses on worldviews. It offers the students the opportunity to examine their own worldview and 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 and the impact of population change on societies.
Physical education (PHED2AP01, PHED2BP05)
The goal is to prepare students for the future by increasing there 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.
* Importance of strength for the body's support system and the practical and theoretical aspects of strength training.
* Importance of flexibility and stretching and the impact on muscles and joints.
* To nurture an improved mental, physical and social well-being for the future.
Life skills (LISK2AP03, LISK2BP01)
LISK2AP03 is for Pre-IB students only (autumn). It aims to prepare students for the IB diploma programme, to introduce students to the demands of CAS and to get students acquainted with the process of goal settings and self-evaluation. Taught twice a week.
LISK2BP01 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. It introduces the aspects of TOK and more. Taught once a week.
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, i.e. ÍSLE2AA and ÍSLE2BB. Other students take ÍSAN (Icelandic as second language, advanced) or ÍSER (Icelandic for beginners).
Íslendingar athugið: MH leggur mikla áherslu á að Íslendingar taki íslensku sem móðurmál, jafnvel þó þeir hafi búið um lengri eða skemmri tíma erlendis. Það er í samræmi við stefnu IB samtakanna, að nemendur leggi stund á sitt móðurmál. Því er undirbúningur í íslensku á Pre-IB mjög mikilvægur. Nemendur eiga að taka ÍSLE2AA05 og ÍSLE2BB05. Undanþágur er eingöngu veittar af faglegum forsendum og hvert tilvik er metið af íslenskukennurum MH.