IB Prospectus 2026_paperturn_2 - Flipbook - Page 24
Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS)
(available at SL only)
This group 4 course provides students with a sound understanding of the
interrelationship between environmental systems and societies and a greater
appreciation of pressing environmental issues that they will inevitably come
to face. The ESS course combines teachings of Biology, Geography, Ecology,
Environmental Science, Chemistry and even Physics and uses a teaching
approach that allows students to evaluate the scienti昀椀c, ethical and sociopolitical aspects of these issues. It covers a range of environmental issues we
encounter today from climate change and global warming to pollution, as well
as investigating ecosystems and biomes like tropical rainforests and deserts, to
studying biodiversity and endangered species. ESS also examines the human
population on Earth, where it lives and the key demographic characteristics of it
whilst looking into main anthropogenic in昀氀uences in local and global aspects.
The course is particularly relevant to
students who enjoy scienti昀椀c study but do
not require a core science for HE or career
pathways, combining natural sciences
with ethical, philosophical and political
analysis it aims to foster an international
perspective, awareness of local and
global environmental concerns and an
understanding of the scienti昀椀c methods.
OUR STUDENTS
MAYA MCDEVITT
STUDIED:
Economics, Maths, Spanish (HL)
English & World Lit, Politics, ESS (SL)
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Dorothy Stringer
WHAT NEXT?
Gap Year, then
Geography with Environmental
Mathematics, University of Leeds
I came to Varndean College
in order to study the IB.. I
chose the IB because of the
range of options available to
take, the 'international aspect' of
the Diploma, and I liked how
every subject is linked and
makes connections with the real
world and relevant issues."
“
Previous titles for IAs include:
l To what extent does Gross National Income (GNI) per capita
in昀氀uence end user food waste?
l To what extent does human activity on a public footpath in
Sevenoaks impact biodiversity in the surrounding ecosystem?
24
OUR
MAYA M
