International Baccalaureate

General Information

Students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at Community Lab School commit to a rigorous, upper-level course load that challenges them to be reflective of their own learning and consider global viewpoints. IB students have the opportunity to earn course certificates or a full IB diploma.

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is a two-year comprehensive and rigorous pre-university curriculum leading to an IB diploma. The DP curriculum is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising the Theory of Knowledge course; the creativity, activity, service (CAS) programme; and the extended essay. There are four elements to the CP core: personal and professional skills, service learning, language development, and reflective project. Students reflect on the nature of knowledge, complete independent research, and undertake a project that often involves community service.

To learn more, visit our International Baccalaureate website:

International Baccalaureate at Community Lab School

IB Course Descriptions

IB Biology I, II

IB Biology I and II investigate the fundamental topics of biology, including cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, and evolution through laboratory investigations and individual student research.

Prerequisites: Biology 1 is a prerequisite for IB Biology I; IB Biology I is a prerequisite for IB Biology II.

IB Dance

The course focuses on the composition, performance and analysis of dance, or “expressive movement,” which is practiced amongst peoples of various backgrounds and for a variety of purposes throughout the world. Students create, participate in, and reflect upon dance forms and styles from a range of cultures and traditions, both familiar and unfamiliar.

Prerequisite: Dance 1

IB Design Technology I, II

Design Technology courses are recognized International Baccalaureate courses. The courses are designed to promote an understanding and appreciation of the technology design process as a cycle. As students work through the technology course and related project, which unifies all aspects of IB design technology, they analyze and evaluate the impact and ethical considerations arising from technology. The courses focus on how design is used to produce outcomes. In Design Technology 2, the design project is assessed against the design technology criteria: planning, research, development, evaluation, and manipulative skills. (CTE Code: IB4585/IB4586)

IB English 11, 12

​IB English 11 and 12 are organized into three parts, each focused on a different aspect of literature and performance. Together, the three parts of each course cover the critical study of literary texts, exploration of chosen approaches to a text, and realization of texts in performance. Students engage with a wide variety of textual genres to explore the concept of transformation, examining the ways in which the contexts of production and reception shape meaning.

Courses must be taken in sequence.

IB Environmental Systems & Societies

Through studying environmental systems and societies, students will be provided with a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies, one that enables them to adopt an informed personal response to the wide range of pressing environmental issues that they will inevitably come to face.

IB Environmental Systems and Societies

Through studying environmental systems and societies, students will be provided with a coherent perspective of the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies, one that enables them to adopt an informed personal response to the wide range of pressing environmental issues that they will inevitably come to face.

IB Film I, II

At the core of the IB Film course lies a concern with clarity of understanding, critical thinking, reflective analysis, effective involvement, and imaginative synthesis that is achieved through practical engagement in the art and craft of film.

IB History 11, 12

​IB History 11 and 12 are world history courses based on a comparative, multi-perspective approach to history and focused around key historical concepts such as change, causation and significance. The courses involve the study of a variety of types of history, including political, economic, social and cultural, encouraging students to think historically and to develop historical skills. In this way, the courses involve a challenging and demanding critical exploration of the past.

IB History requires students to study and compare examples from different regions of the world, helping to foster international mindedness. Teachers have a great deal of freedom to choose relevant examples to explore with their students, helping to ensure that the course meets their students’ needs and interests regardless of their location or context.

Courses must be taken in sequence.

IB Math: Analysis and Approaches I

This course focuses on developing important mathematical concepts in a coherent and rigorous way, with an emphasis on communication and independent inquiry. The course reviews the fundamentals of algebra, geometry and trigonometry, before delving into an in-depth investigation of statistics and single-variable calculus.

IB Math: Applications and Interpretation I, II

IB Math: Applications and Interpretation I focuses on introducing important mathematical concepts with an emphasis on statistics and introductory calculus. Instruction will focus on the application of mathematics to real-world phenomena and the interpretation of advanced mathematical notions in terms of concrete scenarios.

IB Math: Applications and Interpretation II focuses on introducing important mathematical concepts with an emphasis on statistics and introductory calculus. Instruction will focus on the application of mathematics to real-world phenomena and the interpretation of advanced mathematical notions in terms of concrete scenarios.

Prerequisites: Geometry and Algebra 2

IB Music I

Involving aspects of the composition, performance and critical analysis of music, the course exposes students to forms, styles and functions of music from a wide range of historical and sociocultural contexts. Students create, participate in, and reflect upon music from their own background and those of others. They develop practical and communicative skills which provide them with the opportunity to engage in music for further study, as well as for lifetime enjoyment.

Prerequisite: Audio Production

IB Philosophy

Philosophy is a systematic critical inquiry into profound, fascinating and challenging questions, such as: What is it to be human? Do we have free will? What do we mean when we say something is right or wrong? These abstract questions arise out of our everyday experiences, and philosophical tools such as critical and systematic thinking, careful analysis, and construction of arguments provide the means of addressing such questions. The practice of philosophy deepens and clarifies our understanding of these questions, as well as our ability to formulate possible responses.

IB Spanish IV, V

IB Spanish aims to develop students’ intercultural understanding; enable students to understand and use the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes; encourage, through the study of texts and social interaction, an awareness and appreciation of the different perspectives of people from other cultures; develop students’ awareness of the role of language in relation to other areas of knowledge; develop students’ awareness of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which they are familiar; provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional language; and provide the opportunity for enjoyment, creativity, and intellectual stimulation through knowledge of an additional language.

Prerequisite: Spanish 3 or equivalent

IB Theory of Knowledge I

As a thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing and different kinds of knowledge, this course is composed almost entirely of questions. The most central of these is: How do we know? Other questions include: What counts as evidence for X? How do we judge which is the best model of Y? What does theory Z mean in the real world? Through discussions of these and other questions, students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions and develop an appreciation of the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives.

IB Visual Arts I, II

IB Visual Arts courses encourage students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries. In these thought-provoking courses, students develop analytical skills in problem solving and divergent thinking, while working towards technical proficiency and confidence as art-makers. In addition to exploring and comparing visual arts from different perspectives and in different contexts, students are expected to engage in, experiment with, and critically reflect upon a wide range of contemporary practices and media. Courses are designed for students who want to go on to study visual arts in higher education as well as for those who are seeking lifelong enrichment through visual arts.

Courses must be taken in sequence.


For more information about course registration, career development, or our Career Learning Communities, please contact your school counselor.