Teaching, learning & resources
- How chemistry fits into the overall IB Diploma programme
- The common aims of all the Group 4 (Sciences) subjects
- How teaching IB chemistry differs to teaching chemistry within your own national system
- How the syllabus is set out
- Planning your own teaching schedule for delivering the syllabus
- Advice on teaching SL and HL students together in the same class
- Prompts to consider what sort of teacher you are
- Advice and examples of different styles of teaching
- The skills needed to become a successful lifetime learner
- How to train your students to think critically in chemistry
- Details of all the IB deadlines
- How to make your own unit plans
- How to write recommendations for your students when they apply to university
- Details of a wide range of different resources
- Understanding the abbreviations and acronyms used by the IB
- Coping with school closure and distance learning
- Information about IB chemistry workshops
Introduction
We obviously have a duty to make sure our students are conversant with the factual chemistry information set out in the syllabus as that is what the final assessment is based on. This section is concerned with the methods we use to achieve this - i.e. it considers teaching and learning. A good teacher does not drill their students to simply pass exams but enthuses and encourages them to think critically about our subject and take responsibility for their own learning. This will not only increase their understanding of the underlying concepts and give them the confidence to tackle problems in unfamiliar areas, but it will also set them up to be lifelong learners.
A list of essential resources has already been given in the 'Start here" section for teachers new to the IB. These include time, equipment, materials, class size, classroom (and/or laboratory facilities) as well as the more obvious ones such as the subject guide and signing up to My IB etc. This section includes different specific sources and examples for chemistry information and ideas to support your teaching. This is because however good a teacher you are you will need to relate the chemistry you teach to global, environmental and current issues. Your students also need resources to research secondary data and factual information for themselves.
Links
The main links accessible on the left and below breakdown as follows:
Chemistry - part of the IB Diploma
This section explains how chemistry fits into the overall IB Diploma programme, how all the Group 4 subjects share the same nine aims and how teaching IB chemistry may differ from teaching chemistry in your own national system.
Syllabus
This looks at how the syllabus is set out and gives examples of possible teaching schedules to deliver the syllabus, the problems associated with teaching SL and HL together in the same class, and the dates of all the deadlines you have to meet.
Approaches to teaching
Approaches to teaching looks at different teaching styles and the skills needed to be a successful teacher. There is also information about workshops for IB teachers and how to write testimonial and recommendations for your students when they come to their university or job applications.
Approaches to learning
Teachers as well as students are lifelong learners. This section looks at how to learn and the different skills needed to be a successful learner.
Resources
This site is one big resource but links to specific resources are provided here including IB, specific books, general text books, journals, demonstrations, videos etc. etc.
Critical thinking
Explains what is meant by critical thinking and gives examples of different ways in which students can be encouraged to think critically in chemistry.
Unit plans
An explanation of what a unit plan is, why they are needed and advice and examples of how to write your own units plans.
Do you speak IB?
The IB is full of 'jargon' and uses many acronyms or abbreviations. This page lists those that you are likely to come across.
School closures and distance learning
The pandemic caused huge disruption both to schools and to the IB programme with Paper 3 and the Group 4 project being abandoned for the 2020 - 2022 examination sessions. Depending upon the location of their school some students were able to take external exams during that period, others had to rely on their IA report and predicted grades for their final IB grade. Currently the May 2023 exam session heralds a return to normality but the pandemic is still not completely over. This site is particularly adaptable to be used for distance-learning and details are given in this section.