IB Highlights: Feminine & Indigenous Identity

An SGS senior has used the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme to explore, in Spanish, the feminine and indigenous identity of a Spanish novel character.

 

Extended Essay Highlight: Senior Gabi Cunningham is writing her Extended Essay on the topic of the reclamation of indigenous figures.  Her research question is: How does Malinche by Laura Esquivel use symbolism to explore Malinche's feminine and indigenous identity?  Gabi is writing her EE in Spanish!  When asked why she chose this topic, Gabi replied: "Because of my interest in continuing to learn Spanish after High School, in order to have a career in diplomacy, I chose to write my EE in Spanish to better my writing and reading comprehension.  During Spanish class in sophomore year, we learned about several maligned women in Latin American history, and I wanted to learn more.  When selecting which Spanish text I would analyze, Malinche by Laura Esquivel jumped out at me.  I couldn’t help but select the book as a topic the minute I found it."

 

CAS Project Highlight: Juniors Ethan Wu, Finley Wolff, and Patrick McCarthy have already submitted their CAS project proposal.  It is wonderful that these juniors are thinking ahead to get their project set up and completed before the stress of senior year begins.  They proposed to do a Little Spokane River Clean Up along the stretch of the river from Pine River Park to the SGS campus in the summer of 2021.  The learning outcomes that will be reflected in this project are Collaborative Skills, Ethics of Choices and Actions, Initiative and Planning.

 

CAS Experience Highlights: CAS experiences for all of our Upper School students (in the US and in China) include helping with a blood drive, AAU travel basketball, cooking enchiladas, make a Hawaiian kukui nut lei, stacking and moving firewood, participating in Lifetime sports, delivering presents to kids, learning meditation, making churros, skiing, helping a classmate with an EE experiment, writing a novel, creating a pen and ink drawing, cooking dinner for neighbors, fixing a fence, making bracelets, making a family dinner, writing for the Round Table, participating in the SGS mentor program, taking photos, playing soccer, participating in the Jean Ward Debate tournament, doing yoga, “adopting a family” over the holidays, and blogging.

 

IB Question of the Week: What are 10 reasons why the IB Diploma Program (DP) is ideal for preparation for university? *

1. It increases academic opportunity: Research shows that DP graduates are more likely to be enrolled at top higher education institutions than entrants holding other qualifications.

2. IB students care about more than just results: Through Creativity, action and service (CAS) you learn outside the classroom and develop emotionally and ethically as well as intellectually.

3. It encourages you to become a confident and independent learner: For example, the Extended Essay (EE) requires independent research through an in-depth study.

4. The IB encourages critical thinking: Learn how to analyze and evaluate issues, generate ideas and consider new perspectives.

5. Graduates are globally minded: Language classes encourage an international mindset, key for increasingly globalized societies.

6. It’s an international qualification: The DP is recognized globally by universities and employers.

7. DP students have proven time management skills: Take good study habits and strong time management to further education and the working world.

8. It assesses more than examination techniques: Learn to understand, not just memorize facts or topics and prepare for exams.

9. Subjects are not taught in isolation: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) classes encourage you to make connections between subjects.

10. It encourages breadth and depth of learning:  You are able to choose courses from six subject groups and study subjects at different levels.

 

*Information gathered from https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-toolkit/posters/dp-10-reasons-poster-en.pdf

 

IB Overview:  The Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum for grades 11-12 is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) and the Extended Essay (EE).  Please refer to our IB webpage and to the IB Resources page in PowerSchool Learning for detailed IB information.