Individuals and Societies
Inquiry-based learning within Individuals and Societies helps learners to develop their identities as individuals and as responsible members of local and global communities. The inquiry that learners engage in within Individuals and Societies empowers students to explore our common humanity and hopefully develop a lifelong interest in “the human story” as our world continues to evolve in an era of rapid change and increasing interconnectedness. Individuals and Societies is fundamental to our learners developing empathy and international-mindedness, including the idea within the IB mission statement that “other people, with their differences, can also be right.”
Individuals and Societies draws together the study of history, geography and business and legal studies with a strong focus on inquiry and investigation. Learners develop increasingly complex skills that enable them to collect, describe and analyse data used in social studies; test hypotheses; and learn how to interpret increasingly complex information. The focus within Individuals and Societies at Good Shepherd Lutheran College is on research and analysis of real-world issues. Learners come to respect and understand the world around them and engage with exciting, stimulating and personally relevant topics and issues.