What is environmental systems and societies in IB?

ESS is a complex course, requiring a diverse set of skills from its students. It is firmly grounded in both a scientific exploration of environmental systems in their structure and function and in the exploration of cultural, economic, ethical, political, and social interactions of societies with the environment.

What are environmental systems and societies?

Environmental systems and societies (ESS) is an interdisciplinary course offered only at standard level (SL). As a result of studying this course, students will become equipped with the ability to recognize and evaluate the impact of our complex system of societies on the natural world.

What is special about the environmental systems and societies course?

The Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS) course is an interdisciplinary course which is unique in that it contains various sciences, coupled with a societal viewpoint, all intertwined to help you understand the environment and its sustainability.

What do you learn in IB ESS?

ESS covers eight major topics: foundations of the course and its major ideas, ecosystem structure and function, biodiversity, water resources, soil systems and food production, atmospheric science, climate change and energy production, and the interaction between human populations and resource use.

Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) is a college-level introduction to ecology, which overlaps significantly with the IB Geography syllabus. It is science applied to ideas presented in geography, economics, and TOK. We’ll look at the ways different people around the world perceive…

What are the topics in the ESS IA syllabus?

Topics of ESS IA that are more on Humanities side are: Foundations of environmental systems and societies, Water and aquatic food production systems and societies and Human systems and resource use. However, since ESS IB syllabus is very well written, we can’t really draw such a restrictive line between these two.

What are the topics in environmental systems and societies?

Environmental systems and societies is a complex course, therefore you have a range of different topics. You can focus ESS IA on physical aspect of the environment or social aspect. ESS IA includes work laboratory work and/or fieldwork. ESS IA accounts 25% of your final mark.

What are the required activities for IB ESS?

Practical activities are a required part of the IB ESS course, many of which may be conducted in a laboratory setting. Students should plan to spend a minimum of 20 class hours (teaching hours) engaged in these required activities.