Curriculum options: Planning your four years in BIHS
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Individual BIHS course descriptions |
Social Science (Group 3): All students will take IB HL History 1 (History of the Americas) and IB History 2 (Global Studies) and will be exempt from BUSD’s American Government requirement. HOA/Global Studies, as it is often referred to, is a two-year course. Students can sit for the SL or HL exam at the end of their two years of HOA/Global Studies.
World Language (Group 2): Berkeley High School currently offers IB Diploma exams in Spanish, French, Kiswahili, Mandarin, and Latin. There is also IB Spanish A2 HL for native speakers and students who have completed Spanish 7/8. The current course catalog gives detailed information about course selection and prerequisites.
Those students with previous world language experience are encouraged to remain with that language in order to test at the highest possible level. IB SL and HL exams will be given in French, Spanish, Latin and Mandarin. Kiswahili will offer the SL exam.
Math (Group 5): There are multiple math pathways for BIHS students based on the level of math instruction that students have taken and enthusiasm for mathematics. Students taking Algebra I in ninth grade will proceed to Geometry in tenth grade, Algebra II in eleventh grade, and IB Math Studies SL in twelfth grade. Students starting in Geometry or Honors Geometry in the ninth grade will proceed to Algebra II in tenth grade, then to Math Analysis/IB Math 1 junior year and AP Calculus A-B/IB Math 2 SL or AP Calculus B-C/IB Math 2 HL senior year. IMP students will also have access to the IB math courses, following the IMP pathway. Students who take Algebra II freshman year will take Math Analysis sophomore year and Calculus B-C junior year. They will take IB Math HL senior year concurrently with college math.
Science (Group 4): Science (Group 4): Like Math, Science offers various pathways for BIHS students based on interest and enthusiasm in the subject. Students may take a science such as Advanced Biology in the ninth grade, then Chemistry or AP Chemistry in the tenth grade. Students who take AP Chemistry in the tenth grade may choose IB Biology SL in the eleventh grade and IB Physics HL OR IB Chemistry HL in the twelfth grade. Students who take Chemistry (non-AP) in the tenth grade may choose the same pathway as those who take AP Chemistry, but may also elect to take IB Chemistry SL in the eleventh grade and either IB Biology or IB Physics in the twelfth grade. Students should not elect to take both the SL and HL courses in the same science. The current course catalog gives detailed information about course selection.
Arts & Electives (Group 6): BIHS students who take Cultural Aesthetics as ninth graders will have met the CSU/UC "f" requirement. However, they are encouraged to take IB Art or IB Music as well. Full diploma candidates must take one IB test in an elective area. IB Art and IB Music count as an elective exam, as does IB Economics. In rare cases, students may test in two world languages or two science disciplines. In these cases one of the tests will be an elective exam. Taking two different one-semester courses does not count.
Theory of Knowledge: All students must take the Theory of Knowledge course in their senior year, and therefore it is not technically an "elective." Although there is not an IB exam for this course, it will be designated as a completed requirement on all BIHS transcripts and may factor in a Full Diploma candidate's overall calculated score.
Physical Education: All students are required to complete two years of physical education in order to graduate from Berkeley High School. Students have a number of options: they can take PE courses during the school day; they can play on varsity BHS teams, including freshman and junior varsity; they can engage in athletics outside of school and get PE waivers. BIHS students have received PE waivers for activities such as capoiera, ballet, yoga, and tai chi. Students who are having difficulty finding a way to meet the PE requirement can receive help from the BIHS counselor or administrator.