DP 1 Blogs (February 10 to 20, 2020)

Group 1 English language & literature The previous few classes in language and literature, were primarily spent nurturing our understanding of graphic novels and visual media, aided with the assistance of in-class deconstruction and analysis of strips illustrated by our peers. We addressed each one through the lens of a unique, personally identified global issue, and through the perspective of multiple literary and visual devices. Furthermore, we also commenced the syllabi of our upcoming unit by segregating ourselves into groups and preparing presentations on individual contextualisation of the Persepolis. To conclude the week, we were graced with the presence of a senior student from DP2, Saaniya Husaini, a person with unparalleled and profound knowledge of the text’s roots, as she discussed and delineated tales of her childhood, and how she personally related to Marjane Satrapi’s novel.   Aryamoy Mitra

Group 2 French SL During this week we continued with our topic of health care. We have read the routines of three different individuals and how in their day to day, they manage to stay healthy. We have learned about the classification of aliments according to a new scale that will be released soon in France.  We also have to learn how to use the verbs “devoir”, to conjugate ” Il faut +  the infinitive of a verb”. For homework we were asked to write an article –  What is Health Across the Globe, Our Daily Routine, and What We do to Maintain Our Healthy”.  Lucia Martinez   French Ab Initio In our French class we are learning about travelling, and the vocabulary related to it. To develop our understanding of the same, we also did some online exercises (listening and comprehension) We were also given a task to create an itinerary for a seven-day trip to France, that would include visiting five different cities.     Spanish Ab Initio This week we learned past tense in Spanish. We discussed regular and irregular verbs in preterite and imperfect tense. We also conducted a survey to know about the different ways of entertainment for students in our school. We shared the results of survey in the class and we wrote an article on common ways of entertainment for school students. We also began our new chapter on the vocabulary and language relating to the jobs and the labour world. We understood this through reading comprehension and class discussions.  Anish Jayesh Bhave   Spanish SL We read two comprehensions based on our third theme ‘Social organization’. We learned to write a cover letter for job application. We also revised and practiced some topics from grammar. Ritwik Dutta Chaudhary         Hindi Recently in our Hindi lessons we were introduced to the format of a Formal and an Informal letter. We discussed the format and the main points to kept in mind while writing letters. We also discussed how communication and forms of communication have evolved over time. Kunal Rathi     German In the past week in German, we revised the topic of – Food, which includes basic items like fruits, vegetables, juices etc. This vocabulary led us to understand the use of authentic German language and gain knowledge of the conversation for ordering and buying household items and food. In Grammar we practiced past perfect tense and conjunctions. To practice these grammatical topics, writing assignments were given based on Paper 1 as per IB Guidelines.   Kushagraa Kapoor

Group 3 Global Politics In Global Politics we learnt about third party intervention in conflict situations. We completed a source analysis and essay writing activity as part of our Formative Assessment. We also explored connection between Theory of Knowledge and Global Politics. We were given a real-life situation exploring the Syrian Conflict. Following the Theory of Knowledge presentation format, in global politics we formed questions and created claims and counter claims. Through this presentation, we learned of connections between global politics and other areas of knowledge. Ishaan Sethi   History In History, we discussed the short and long term consequences of the victory of CCP in China. We examined the circumstances leading to rise of Mao as an authoritarian leader and strategies used by him to consolidate his position in China. We created presentation on the use of propaganda as a tool to muster popular support by Mao and discussed his political policies in the 1950s.  Aryan Srivastava   Economics This week we revisited Macroeconomic Concepts and explored the Supply-Side policies along with Expansionary and Contractionary Fiscal Policy and why they are implemented. We were also given paper 1 essay type questions to attempt which were related to the deflationary and inflationary gap in the economy.  Arnav Sharma   Psychology In the past two weeks, we revisited and revised the topics of Models of Memory, Schema Theory, Thinking and Decision-Making Models, Reliability of Cognitive Processes in which we further dwelled deep into Reconstructive Memory and Biases in Thinking and Decision – making. Lastly, we finished off Cognitive Approach to Behaviour with emotions and their influence on cognition: the phenomenon of Flashbulb Memories, and explored various factors affecting their formation and accuracy.   Garima Gill ESS We have continued with the unit of Biodiversity, now we are focusing on “Origins of Biodiversity”, in this topic we have learned how through natural selection the strongest and best suit individual of an ecosystem will survive in order to evolve. We also learn how we all come from the same individual and how each individual has evolved in a different way. To better understand the concept of Mutation and Genetic Diversity, we have used a website that uses the example of the black pepper and pepper moth, and why due to the industrial revolution the species have had a loss in quantity. We also have learned about the 5 mass extinctions and what were the reasons for the extinction. Lucia Martinez     Business Management In the past weeks, we further continued with our third unit – Finance and Accounts. We had our first Formative Assessment of the term which included the inquiry into Business Management concepts and linking them with TOK. We had group discussions in the class with regard to the importance of final accounts to the various stakeholders involved in business operations. We studied various financial terminologies and were given tasks to further enhance our knowledge.  We then studied about Trading and Profit and Loss Account and expanded our understanding further by taking notes in class on important concepts and learnt the format of the Financial Statements by solving few examples in class. Recently, we have been introduced to Profitability and Efficiency Ratios as well under the topic of Ratio Analysis.   Aditi Singh

Group 4 Chemistry We finished our unit on Periodicity this week. Past classes have mostly been covering HL content of the syllabus where Transition Metal Elements and their properties were covered. Alongside the same, SL and HL students received worksheets to revise their knowledge of the unit which was discussed for doubt clarification. We also performed a practical which combined our knowledge of this Periodicity unit and Stoichiometry unit and involved titration.  Mann Aswal   Biology In the past week, we have revised the Unit Evolution by doing some activities and discussions. We did a simulation to understand the natural selection in which there were many conditions given to us and we had to apply them in order to have an application-based understanding and so we could understand what evolution and speciation is.  We also had discussion so we could learn from others and give our inputs too. We had SA for the unit Ecology. Tanmay Sehgal   Computer Science In the past two weeks, we have covered much of the Option D syllabus, which is essentially Java. The students converted four different sets of pseudocodes into Java codes. The same was followed by an FA which was home-based. We also solved problems which required iterations and conditions. We used arrays to store data and discussed algorithms for binary search, linear search, insertion sort, selection sort and bubble sort. Our learning of two weeks was summed up with a written FA. Thereafter, we discussed the two types of loops i.e entry controlled and exit controlled loops and the corresponding while and do-while loop constructs available in Java including the break and continue statements. Dhruv Garg

Group 5 Maths A & A (HL & SL) We started with Sine and Cosine Functions and learned modelling using sine and cosine functions with the help of given data. We covered the concept of Trigonometric Equations and Identities to solve problems based on simplification, factorisation and proving. We practiced questions based on Trigonometric Identities and discussed the doubts in class to understand better.  In HL Math class, we practiced applications based on Polar form, Euler form and Demoivre’s theorem. Aryan Chaudhary    Maths A & I (HL) We continued with our unit on Probability. We started learning probability distribution, in which we learned how to calculate the expected value, the standard deviation and the variance. We then learnt the properties of variance and standard deviation. This learning was then tested by a Formative Assessment. We then moved on in the unit by learning binomial distribution. We even learnt how to solve binomial questions using a calculator, which made the calculations easier.  Neeharika Goel Maths A & I (SL) Over the fortnight we had taken Formative Assessments on various tools of data analysis like the Chi Square Test , Spearman’s  Rank Correlation and T – tests .  We were introduced to the modeling tool kit and are now mapping real life examples to linear models like Arithmetic Progression and simple interest. Sanjana Seth

Group 6 Visual Art In visual art we continued working on our mural sculptures, carefully crafting the clay. We got some guidance on how to go about sculpting and we also understood how by looking at real life pictures of a person we can sculpt using the skills of observation and imagination. We looked through some examples of comparative studies and process portfolio to better understand how to go about writing ours. We also got some good information and evidence for our process portfolios. While most of us are working on our murals we also are working on finishing the printmaking artworks and process portfolio.  Inika Anand   Theatre The past two weeks have been a step up towards our research presentations. We are currently in process of reaching out to the embassies and cultural centers of the countries our theatre traditions belong to. Furthermore, we are aiming at working on our vocal quality of delivering presentations by using voice notes and improving our diction and enunciation, making sure that the words are pronounced correctly since they belong [RS1] to international borders. Ritwik Dutta Chaudhary

CAS The past two weeks of CAS have led us to very productive activities all whilst enhancing our collaboration and social skills. The last weekend entailed to focus on Service and Activity. We visited Mukteshwar for the annual CAS Retreat. Our stay at Mukhteshwar encompassed with enriching experiences of team building activities, service at model village, donation at local school and visiting local radio station ‘Kaumoan Vani’.  After returning back from CAS retreat,  past tuesday, we were engaged in segregating the collected used books according to the ages and also marked them with prices so that they can be sold in the coming book fair which is our next CAS project.  Ved Ashit Shah

TOK The TOK retreat was the launchpad for a more cohesive use of TOK terminology. This includes the incorporation of an alternative perspective and extending that to taking a more holistic approach when making judgements regarding real-life situations. One of the primary areas of focus was drawing a strong linkage between the RLS in hand and the various knowledge issues it may give rise to. We understood that it is highly crucial to use the knowledge question as a portal, through which areas of knowledge can be truly, coherently assessed. This understanding arose from the discussions held between us and DP-2, who also enabled the furthering of our comprehension of what exactly is required when making affirmations, in the form of claims and counterclaims. In addition to this, it was encouraging to learn from our seniors. Now that we have returned, our TOK sessions are powered by the aggregate learnings of this fruitful trip.  Samarth Chopra (DP 1) & Shreya Mukherji (DP 2)

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Subject Entries Week ending 7th February 2020

Language & Literature   We analysed comic strips created by our peers as part of our formative assessment.  We identified the various structural and stylistic conventions of a graphic novel used by the author, examined their effect on the reader and explained how they contribute to the development of the theme. At the same time, we had a TOK discussion regarding the extent to which it is possible or necessary for a text to accurately represent reality and the disparity between the authorial intent and the reader’s interpretation.   Aranyani Swami DP 1A

Group 1

Group 2

French B SL:   This week in French we continued with our unit of ‘Identities’. We read passages on the importance of physical exercise and healthy food habits. We learnt new vocabulary along with some idioms. We also played games to test the vocabulary we learnt.    Ishaan Mohan Gupta DP 1B

French Ab Initio:   This week in French, we did various online activities. These included comprehensions and reading exercises. We also created a vocabulary bank related to travelling in our notebooks.    Abhinav Gupta DP 1B

Spanish SL:    In past weeks we revised various grammatical concepts. We read some texts comparing the life and activities of youngsters in the earlier times and now and conducted a compare and contrast activity on the same.  Next, we had an oral presentation based on our research of any famous place from a Hispanic country, keeping in mind the city, population, geographical location and origin.   Neeharika DP 1A

Spanish Ab Initio:    In the past few weeks of Spanish ab initio, we learnt about the leisure activities of the inhabitants of Latin American countries and understood how that can be a reflection of their respective cultures. We compared the same with the activities done by the inhabitants of our country. It has led us to a deeper understanding of the Spanish culture while enhancing our comprehensive skills. We gave individual presentations to assess our current abilities and identify areas of possible improvement.   Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

German Ab Initio:   In the past weeks we discussed Fit In Deutsch one and two books, focusing on the three components of Languages i.e. reading, writing and listening. We prepared mind mapping charts on various topics in order to revise and enhance our vocabulary. Apart from that book we also practiced writing and reading sections from our book related to different topics such as our daily routine, household chores etc.   Kushaagra Kapoor DP 1B

Hindi:    This week in Hindi we continued with our unit of Human ingenuity. We read passages on    Entertainment from which we picked relevant vocabulary words. We also started the topic of letter writing.   Aditya Taneja DP 1A

Group 3

History:   Students continued studying the 2nd phase of the Chinese Civil War (1945 -1949) and examined how the intervention of the US and USSR impacted the outcome of the Civil War. Students concluded the unit by examining the long-term impacts of the CCP victory over China and the establishment of a Nationalist government in Taiwan. Following this they undertook a formative assessment where they wrote two essays and analysed a source.   Aranyani Swami

Business Management   In the past few weeks, we revised concepts from the last term and started with Final Accounts. We started off by learning the intricacies of Break-Even Analysis and Margin of Safety which was followed by an activity in pairs where we made graphs on Desmos based on formulas taught in class. We were designated topics from the textbook and then presented them in the class. We were introduced to various business documents that are essential for creating a final account.      Aditi Singh DP 1A

Economics:     We dwelled deeper into macroeconomic concepts such as- Aggregate Demand, Aggregate Supply, LRAS, Fiscal Policy, SRAS and Short Run Equilibrium. We also discussed supply side policies and its types: Interventionist and Market Oriented.    Arnav Sharma DP 1B

Psychology:   The last couple of weeks in psychology were spent primarily determining the nature of Cognitive Biases (in conjunction with our learning in thinking and decision making) with the help of interactive means like videos and presentations. Furthermore, we engaged in meaningful class discussion that pertained to the nature of different models of thinking, such as the Dual Processing Model and the Adaptive Decision Maker Framework.   Aryamoy Mitra DP 1A

Global Politics:    In the past few weeks we continued with our ongoing unit of Peace and Conflict, which is also simultaneously overlapping with previous unit- Power and Sovereignty. New topics of Third-Party Intervention were explored, and we gained insight into the  different ways it can be enforced that included weapon embargos, trade restrictions and financial freeze. We also studied about  the Syrian conflict under this topic in detail. While exploring these topics we used various resources such as news articles and videos. We also made an example table collaboratively using the official weapon embargo website that archives data about them.   Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Group 4

Chemistry:   We started our new unit ‘Periodicity ’and after the introduction of various scientific theories for the development of periodic table, we understood that scientists organize subjects based on structure and function; the periodic table is a key example of this. Then we did an intriguing individual TOK presentation in class on ‘The role of creativity and imagination in sciences.’ We covered the SL syllabus of the unit and were formatively assessed on the same. We performed three practicals to further our understanding of the concepts. The HL syllabus of the unit is in progress and SL students are being given task sheets to complete in class. Kunal Rathi DP 1A

Biology: We studied a unit called- Ecology, where we learnt about what all contributed to a stable eco system and how all things are interrelated,  followed by learning of one of the key concepts i.e. Chi Square Test.  We also had two FAs, one was a pen and paper test and the second one was a presentation where we explored a lot about climate change and overcame a lot of misconceptions. The presentation was followed by a quiz to create more interest in the learner and this was peer assessed.    Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

Physics:   We learned about circular motion and gravitation during these weeks. We performed two practicals for a better understanding of the concepts. We solved task sheets based upon numericals to further our understanding, completion of sheets was followed by a walkthrough of the questions for doubt clearing. HL students had a small session discussing the HL questions sheet and were introduced to some HL concepts.   Mann Aswal DP 1B

Computer Science:   In the past two weeks we have started programming in Java using BlueJ.. We created programs for problem statements which required selection statements like if and switch and iteration statements like for and simultaneously understanding the basics and syntax of different statements in the language. We are now studying the concept of Arrays and Nested Loops. We were introduced to Bubble Sort and Selection Sort to arrange elements of array in a desired order.   Kushaagra DP 1B

ESS: Exploration of motile and non-motile organisms was a key concept to start with, where we learned about Simpson and Lincoln Index and undertook an FA for the same. We have started with the unit Biodiversity and learnt that it comprises of three key diversities. We had a discussion about how each one of them are key components of diversity.    Ananya Pandalai  DP 1A

Group 5

Mathematics AI (HL): This term was very interesting as it was challenging to some extent. This is because we were introduced to a variety of topics, mostly in the field of statistics. One of the major topics that we mastered is the Chi Squared Test and finding the p-value and its analysis. Following this, we learnt the Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient which came as an extension of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation. Our learning on the following concepts was tested through a formative assessment. Thereafter, we were introduced to Probability. We started off with the basics like what are independent and dependent events and quickly moved to a higher order concept that is ‘Discrete Random Variables’. We ended the week with an introduction to finding the expectation of random variables and its real life significance.   Dhruv Garg DP 1A

Mathematics AI (SL):   In the past few weeks in Maths we started a new Unit ‘ Statistical Applications’ where we looked at various different topics related to  Correlation in Statistics using different types of tests such as the Chi-square test, T- test, Pearson’s coefficient of correlation and Spearman’s rank correlation. We learnt about these topics through various exercises in the chapter and also learnt how to use the calculator for solving questions about these tests as well as how to support our answer through reasoning. At the end of week, we had a formative written assessment for the same.   Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Mathematics AA (SL/HL):   We have started with the new unit ‘Geometry and Trigonometry’ and revised the concept of Trigonometric Ratios. We learnt to apply the sine rule, cosine rule and area of triangles using trigonometry to non-right-angled triangles. We practiced questions based on the applications of sine rule and cosine rule with the help of bearing. We have understood the applications of unit circle and tried to calculate the values of trigonometric ratios and angles with the help of a calculator and the unit circle. We have taken our Formative Assessment and discussed the same in class to make corrections. We have understood the meaning of periodic behaviour, amplitude, principal axis and translations, and applied our learning to model sine function with given information.  In HL class, we have discussed the polar form of a complex number and applying different properties to solve problems based on polar form.    Aryan Chowdhry DP 1B

Group 6

Theatre:    The past two weeks we have started working on our research presentations. We are exploring various global traditions of theatre and have begun our research, finding various inter-cultural connections amongst these age-old traditions.    Ananya Pandalai DP 1B

Visual Art:  We started the unit – Murals in the last two weeks. We explored the medium of clay, wood and ceramics. We learned the skill of carving wood for printmaking. We completed our layouts for the unit and have started with the final product.   Chahat Aneja DP1B

Core

CAS:    For CAS we continued with the plantation drive. We were divided into two groups, one group was to paint the recycled containers, and the other helped put the plants into the painted containers. After planting and setting the plants with soil, we organised the plants in two sections- one was of the plants that could be sold, and the other was that of the ones which could not be.   Ved Ashit Shah and Chahat Aneja DP 1B

TOK This term in TOK we analysed a presentation on the Power of Emotions. We understood how to find a proper real-life situation and how to connect it to our knowledge question. We continued our discussion in class on what makes a proper claim and counterclaim and we talked about a few examples from the presentation. We are currently working on a task where we have to create a KQ and connect it with an RLS to help us with our final presentation.  Inika Anand DP 1A

Blogs DP 1 A & B Week ending 9th November 2019

Group 1

Language & Literature   We continued our discussion of Arthur Miller’s play, ‘The Crucible’, and the global issues highlighted in the text. We tried delineating extracts and pairing them up with relevant non-literary texts of various types for our Individual Oral Assessment. HL students began analysing their literary text, Frankenstein, and talked about how Mary Shelly opened a debate about the nature of scientific progress and man’s desire to conquer natural forces that continues to haunt us till today. We looked at prominent figures in the field of science and technology and discussed how their speeches carry that debate forward.    Aranyani Swami DP 1A

Group 2

French SL:   We honed our listening skills in the target language followed by a discussion on homework. We read unfamiliar texts in the target language based on different types of bullying in schools and measures to be taken against it.    Ishaan Mohan  Gupta DP 1B

French Ab Initio:   We revised the daily routine, and did a reading task on the same. Towards the end of the week, we started to learn reflexive verbs.    Abhinav Gupta DP 1B

Spanish SL:   We completed the IGCSE specimen of listening papers to revise both the language and to get a feel for how a listening paper is structured. Throughout the following week, we read passages from our book and answered the reading comprehension questions that followed. Our main goal for the coming months will be to practice our comprehension of the language and prepare for the assessments.   Rashed DP 1B

Spanish Ab Initio:    We learned more about the ‘Well-Being’ unit and discussed different sports and their benefits. We learned various regular and irregular verbs related to the topic, ‘Healthy Lifestyle’. We further analysed the advantages and disadvantages of team sports and individual sports. We also talked about Individual Oral Assessments too.   Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

German Ab Initio:   We practiced listening tasks which was carried forward as homework. We also practiced comprehension from our workbooks.   Kushaagra Kapoor DP 1B

Hindi:    During the last week, we completed our listening task sheet and practised for our listening assessment due in December.     Aditya Taneja DP 1A

Group 3

History:   Over the last few weeks we discussed the IAs and were taught the relevant format which we are to follow while completing our final IAs. We spoke in detail about several possible topics which we could move forward with. Towards the end we were tasked with completing a mini IA over our mid-term break. Furthermore, we discussed the ideological difference between CCP and KMT, while also researching in detail about Chiang Kai Shek and Sun Yat Sen.   Aryan Srivastava DP 1A

Business Management:   During the last two weeks, we completed our formative assessments for the ongoing unit. We then moved towards the completion of the first unit with detailed discussion on economies and diseconomies of scale. We further studied scales of operations and the various types of costs. After exploring the various case studies on internal and external growth, we analysed the graph of business cycle. We had a discussion on organizational planning business tools and watched videos related to the fishbone diagram and decision tree.    Kunal Rathi DP 1A

Economics:     Continuing our discussions on Government intervention in the free market through taxes and subsidies, we began with Externalities. During the two-day break, we read about the externalities of production and consumption in preparation for a short presentation. We have recently started discussions on the externalities of production, related graphs, and mechanisms used to curb the effects of externalities. We are taking an examination-related approach where we are covering concepts while discussing exam-style questions.    Mann  DP 1B

Psychology: Over the fortnight, we transitioned from our understanding of schemas to the effects of schemas and other suggestive information on memory. We watched a video detailing a study conducted by Loftus and Palmer, and subsequently discussed the openness of memory to suggestion. Additionally, we were also instructed to study the theory of reconstructive memory (from our book) and the studies that pertained to it.   Aryamoy Mitra DP 1A

Global Politics:    We continued to study about our unit on ‘Peace and Conflict’ where we discussed about the types, causes and methods of conflicts. We also wrote a short essay on ‘Conflict as a Competition of Power’. We worked on our HL presentations as well for TEA 1.   Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Group 4

Chemistry:   We began with our new and last unit ‘Chemical Bonding’ for this term. To begin with the unit, old topics about the various types of bonds were revisited. During the two-days holiday, students covered sub-topics 4.1 and 4.2 themselves which mostly dealt with ground concepts. Part of the sub-unit 4.2, ‘Covalent Bonds’ was covered in the last class. Further, we moved on to the sub-topic 4.3 which introduced us to the structures of covalently bonded molecules based on VSEPR theory. We also worked on a practice sheet to test our knowledge.   Mann Aswal  DP 1B

Biology:   In the past few weeks, we took formative assessment for cell biology and shared our understanding on various cell organelles in the form of peer teaching. The HL students took summative assessment on Nucleic acids. We had discussions on various theories like Endosymbiont Theory, where we learnt how cell organelles such as the mitochondria was assimilated into ancient cells. We covered Mitosis and its various stages. We were assigned homework on topic 1.5. With this, we came to an end of our cell biology unit.   Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

Physics:   We took another formative assessment on Projectile Motionto reinforce our understanding of the concept. In the following lesson, we discussed the marking scheme and reflected upon our performance. We then started our next unit, which is Thermal Physics. In the last class, we covered the basic concepts of the unit that have been done before. The class consisted of multiple practice questions and discussions for doubt clarification.   Mann Aswal  DP 1B

Computer Science:   We started with the unit, Computer Organization, where we learnt about the machine instruction cycle.  We were then divided into groups to explore different system components. Thereafter, we were introduced to the different number systems used in computing and how numbers, characters and colours are represented in a computer. We practiced conversion between these different number systems along with binary addition and subtraction. To enhance our understanding of binary subtraction, we researched about the one’s complement and two’s complement representation of binary numbers.    Kushaagra DP 1B

ESS:   In ESS we have finished the previous unit and have taken summative assessment for the same. We have started with another unit, Ecosystem and ecology, and have finished note making on ‘Species and Populations’ as well as ‘Communities and Ecosystem’.       Ananya Pandalai  DP 1A

Group 5

Mathematics AI (HL):   The students brushed up the unit of Functions. Thereafter, we had a formative assessment on the same. We also had an open session to clear our doubts for the upcoming summative. In the following week, we attempted a summative assessment on our first unit. Subsequently, we received another FA and an SA as well.     Dhruv Garg DP 1A

Mathematics AI (SL):    We continued working on functions and had an FA on Linear Functions. Then we started a new Unit namely Bivariate Data, wherein we did some exercises from our textbook on finding Mean, Median & Mode.    Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Mathematics AA (SL/HL):   We started with Relations and functions this week. For the introduction, we did simple questions based on identification of a relation or a function. Following the exercise, we found their domain and range values and learnt how to write domain and range using mathematical notation. We understood how to find horizontal and vertical asymptotes for rational functions and how to write the behaviour of functions with or without technology. We calculated inverse of functions using coordinate geometry and variable exchange.   In HL, students discussed the concept of Mathematical Induction. We understood the meaning of conjecture or proposition and also roved general results using mathematical induction.  We practiced questions based on conjecture and mathematical induction to understand the methodology better.    Aryan Chowdhry DP 1B

Group 6

Theatre:   Over the past few weeks, we have been aiming at finishing our director’s notebook. Working with play texts require us to also replicate two scenes of our choice. We are working on the script and the characters simultaneously. The two scenes that each of us will be selecting, has to be presented in front of an audience and the feedback has to be included in our journals.   Arnav Sharma DP 1B

Visual Art:   We were introduced to our second unit, based on Mural art. The presentation shown gave us an idea about the variance in different types of mural. The process and techniques differ; we will learn more about the process in this unit.  We were told to research and find out about three different mural artists. We will be choosing one of each artist’s artwork and do a formal analysis subsequently.    Chahat Aneja  and Keerat Singh Shah DP 1B

Core

CAS:   This week, we completed our reflections on our visit to the Yamuna.    Sanjana Seth DP 1A

TOK 1A   We are now dwelling into how knowledge issues can create knowledge questions. The difference between claims and counter-claims are being practised by discussing various real-life situations. We are also unpacking knowledge framework of Ethics as Area of Knowledge.   Aryan Srivastava DP 1A

TOK 1B   In the last two weeks, we learnt how the TOK presentation is assessed as well as the necessary requirements for a successful presentation. Further, the feedback was given on the group presentations, with regard to the quality of writing and linking the AOKs. We also understood how to use different real-life situations to justify research questions in TOK presentations. We were then assigned tasks on grading of TOK essay examplars. We used the rubric to see if the essay satisfied the criteria, and got clarity on how to write a comprehensive piece.    Samarth Chopra  DP 1B

Subject Entries

Week ending November 22’19

English Language & Literature- During the last week, we have been planning our Individual Oral Commentaries in which we compare and contrast the way a global issue has been highlighted in a literary and non-literary text, such as speeches, political cartoons and editorials. We have finalised our extracts and drafted the ten points we will be discussing, and have begun writing our final scripts. Keerat Shah

Spanish AB Initio – Last week we started practising for our oral assessment and completed the unit Identities. We explored how team sports and individual sports are different and discussed how to maintain a healthy life by adding physical activities in our routine. We also focused on how mental health is connected with sports. We learned a new tense- Preterito Perfecto and practiced it as well. Tanmay Sehgal

Spanish SL Last week, we were given three passages from our Spanish textbook to practice and enhance our reading skills. This week, we practiced for our term-end oral assessment. We were given visual prompts and had 15 minutes to prepare for a mock oral. After that, we had the formative assessment on the same. Neeharika Goel

French SL We read unfamiliar texts based on bullying in school and its consequences. A listening formative assessment was conducted. We were shown a video on different points of view on marriage and school life. Chahat Aneja

German AB Initio Last week, we learned a new form of verbs known as ‘modal verbs’ followed by the first case of future tense. We have started working on our oral assessments. So far, we have covered three topics namely, Family, Daily routine and Room description. Ved Shah

Hindi HL & SL Last week, we started practising for our listening exam and Paper 2. We practised over 5 passages, back to back, so as to enhance our listening skills. We also did several passages from the textbook and past Paper 2 exams, to develop that skill further. This week, we started a new unit. We had a detailed discussion on the importance of entertainment in our everyday lives. We also researched extensively about the same from Hindi articles and essays to get a better understanding of the sub-topic. Tashvi Anand

Business Management Last week, we started with the HL topic – Organizational Planning Tools in which we learned about the use of planning tools in a business, such as Fishbone diagram, Decision trees, force field analysis and Gantt chart. We watched introductory videos of each tool and also practiced some questions. We were given assignments during the weekend, which included questions from each sub-topic acting as a revision for our TEA. This week, we finished the unit by taking a summative and started with the second unit. We discussed different sources of finance – external and internal. Each one of us was given a sub-topic which we have to present in the next class.  Aditi Singh

Economics This week, we brushed up on our understanding about the different forms of government intervention by attempting questions formatted in paper 1 style. We delved in Macroeconomics through classroom discussions, and recapitulated different topics that we have covered in Microeconomics. Furthermore, we were also introduced to how the business cycle works and the concepts of leakages and injections. Aryan Anand

Psychology – This week we completed our psychology syllabus for the TEA. We also practiced questions from Paper 3 on experimental design. We began formulating our mock IAs in which we replicated a psychological study. We also received questions on the cognitive approach to psychology to practice. Anish Bhave

History We explored into the Chinese Civil War and the Rise of Mao further. We reflected on how the failures of his predecessor- Chiang Kai Sheik, aided Mao in his quest for control.  Additionally, we decoded the specifics of Mao Zedong’s ideology – Maoism and compared and contrasted Mao to other authoritarian leaders, such as Josef Stalin of the Soviet Union. Aranyani Swami

Global Politics In the past few weeks, we discussed and analysed the fundamentals of Just War Theory. We examined the Galutung’s triangle of conflict through various lenses. We explored if a war can be treated as fair or just, or if there can be a justification for any form of violence. We were also given library time to research and validate our arguments. Further, we will be writing our research analysis essays on the same. Ishaan Sethi

Biology Due to holidays caused by pollution, we had a skype session to cover the sub-units, Meiosis and Inheritance. We attempted a few worksheets on sex-linked inheritance and stages of meiosis to test our understanding. We also submitted our research-based FA on Stargardt’s disease and completed the unit. During the practical, we immobilised sucrase enzyme from yeast with the help of sodium alginate and calcium chloride solution. We are now preparing for our upcoming Formative and summative assessments. Pankhuri Chaturvedi

Physics We continued with our third unit based on thermal physics. First, we discussed temperature, specific heat and latent heat. Afterwards, we moved on to gas laws, where we found the relations between pressure, volume, temperature and number of moles. Over the weekend, we were given a task sheet on thermal physics and homework on mechanics. Recently, we also performed a practical to enhance our understanding of specific heat capacity. Through collaborative and peer learning we were able to brush up on our prior knowledge and create a strong foundation for an exciting unit ahead. Rishav Hadar

Chemistry We started a discussion on intermolecular forces, where we covered Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. In the following week, we took our Chemistry summative assessment on the unit Atomic Structure. Later, we had a discussion on hydrogen bonding and the effects of intermolecular forces. We saw some videos on the topic and understood the importance of hydrogen bonding in biological processes.  Lastly, we covered the topic of Metallic bonding and Alloys, and brainstormed that metals and alloys define the socio-economic status of a country, and also impacted the stages of civilization like the copper age and alike.  During our holidays, we had a flipped classroom to read sub-topics 4.4 and 4.5 and complete previous worksheet using the knowledge we gained through reading. Mann Aswal

Computer Science During the past few weeks, we had discussions on number systems such as binary, decimal, hexadecimal, and how to convert these into one another. We learnt how to add binary numbers and studied the 1’s and 2’s components to understand subtraction of binary numbers. We also learnt about logic operations, where we covered the symbols, Truth tables, Circuit logic diagrams, Boolean expression and how to create a boolean circuit. We also attempted a few real-life questions on logic operations. Inika Anand

Maths A & A (HL & SL) We have started with different types of functions. We practiced applications of the growth and decay problems and further extended our knowledge to natural exponential and logs. We understood how to evaluate the nature of graphs with and without the help of GDC. We practiced different functions to look for Asymptotes, Domain, Range and to find Inverse. We have taken our formative assessment to understand the concepts better. Ishaan Mohan Gupta

Maths A & I (HL) We started off by learning Logistic function. We broke it down, assisted by a real-life example. Thereafter, we were introduced to the logarithmic scale. After learning these two topics, we gave the summative assessment for unit 2. This marked the end of the unit. Following this, we began unit 3, Statistics. This is our last unit for the term. Dhruv Garg

Maths A & I (SL) We finished our TEA syllabus and started revision. We practised statistics on the GDC and learnt new related techniques. While learning about statistics, we analysed various kinds of data, such as Scatter graphs, Histograms and Bar graphs etc. Tanmya Prasad

Visual Art This week in visual arts, we were briefed about the new unit on relief murals. We learned about the different types of relief murals. We were given research work to pick three relief mural artists of different eras so we can observe how the art style has changed over time and generations. We are to explore their art and comment on the balance, contrast, colours, point of focus, shapes etc. Sanjana Seth

Theatre In the past few weeks, we have been preparing to submit our director’s notebooks. Working with play texts came with their unique set of challenges. From discovering historical timelines of famous playwrights, to dwelling into the historical and cultural contexts these stories came from; understanding the perception of the directors has been quite challenging, yet a fulfilling experience. We are now preparing to showcase two scenes from these plays and note the feedback given from the target audience. Arnav Sharma & Ritwik Dutta

TOK Last week we talked about moral and ethics, and how they are different from one another. After we finished this topic, we were assigned groups for our Mock TOK presentation for the TEA 1 assessment. We have started thinking about real life situations (RLS) and the knowledge question (KQ). As we go ahead with the presentations, we will be able to work on the feedbacks. Each one of us is trying to portray effective research and organizing skills Lucia Martinez

CAS In our previous CAS lesson, we collectively decided to start a school-led project. It will give us an opportunity to connect with the environment and personally invest our time and effort in protecting the environment. We discussed to initiate a plantation drive within the school premises which will be taken further later to an advocacy in a public place. Abhinav Gupta

ESS This week we learned about the Pyramid of Biomass, Pyramid of numbers and Productivity. We were given a task sheet on Biomes, Zonations and Succession. We also learned food chains, food webs, what is photosynthesis, and respiration. Ananya Pandalai

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Subject Entries

Week ending 4th October 2019

Group 1

Language & Literature   This week in Language and Literature students were familiarized with the assessment criteria for their Individual Oral: an externally moderated assessment in which they will have to compare and contrast two extracts: one selected from a literary text and the other from a non literary text they have studied in their English course. Additionally students discussed a possible global issue their analysis could focus on and discussed how the global issue acts as a common thread connecting two seemingly different texts to each other.   Aranyani Swami DP 1A

Group 2

French SL:   This week in French, we took the Oral Presentation FAs, where all of us presented our family system and the type of family system that we would prefer to live in the future. We explored the professional world in Francophone countries in terms of the hiring process and working culture. We learnt to conjugate future perfect tense.    Ishaan Gupta DP1B

French Ab Initio:   During the past two weeks, we have covered the grammatical content of the theme ‘Identities’, definite and indefinite articles, formation of plural of nouns, countries, nationalities, and professions. Numerous task sheets were given to reinforce these concepts and we accessed authentic audio-visual resources to practice listening skills. We have also studied about the Francophone countries and various aspects of French culture and civilisation. Based on these topics, we have also made identity cards and practiced the written expression as well.    Abhinav Gupta DP 1B

Spanish SL:   During the past week we concluded our last unit, Identidades – identities, and were introduced to a new topic called Experiencias -Experiences. Since some of the concepts were overlapping with previous units, we began to integrate those topics the subject matter of experiences. One of the main topics that we began with was Viajar – travel, and discussed the different types of travelers – Viajeros. We also discussed a text regarding the same and answered the questions. For the upcoming classes we will be discussing La vidasana – a healthy life, and the additional vocabulary and topics that are relevant to it.     Rashed DP 1B

Spanish Ab Initio:   This week we discussed food vocabulary and talked about gastronomy from around the world. We learnt various tastes through a comprehensive text ‘Los Tacos’ the traditional Mexican food and learnt a new grammar concept known as  ‘los objetosdirectos y indirectos’   Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

German Ab Initio:   This week we learned about the different school systems in Germany. We have been introduced to timings (formal and informal) and how to use them in a sentence. We practiced comprehensions for our exam related to our theme identities, followed by a new form of verb known as ‘trennbareverben’ i.e. separable verbs.   Kushaagra Kapoor DP 1B

Hindi:   This week in Hindi, we took our first formative which was in the paper one format. We also discussed the strands of our first unit Social Organizations. We were then given a task to make a presentation on topics related to social organizations.   Kunal Rathi DP 1A

Group 3

History:   Over the past few days in our history classes we talked about what all opportunities opened up for Japan following their success in the occupation of Manchuria. We also discussed the reasons as to why the Pearl Harbor attack occurred and the consequences that followed the attack. Lastly we discussed relations between the Soviet Union and Japan and the pact they formed amidst World War II.    Aryan Srivastava DP 1A

Business Management:   In the past week in Business Management we had discussions about various topics including: SWOT analysis, STEEPLE analysis and Ansoff matrix. We read a few case studies and then practiced exercises as assignments in class. We were then assigned a collaborative task that involved research into certain companies’ products for the understanding of the Ansoff matrix. Thereafter, we made a presentation by answering relevant questions.      Aditya Taneja DP 1A

Economics:     This week we are delving into the concept of allocative efficiency in a market. It requires to completely understand the concepts of excess demand and supply. We also practised graphical analysis for consumer and producer surplus and are now brainstorming on how to frame a strong response for essay style questions for Economics Paper 1. We plan to analyse a few articles from ‘The Day’ to find real-life connect for the concepts we have been working on.   Aryan Anand  DP 1B

Psychology: We progressed with our learning under the second unit – Biological Approaches to Behavior. With the help of the textbook as well as in-depth class discussion, we developed our understanding of genetic association to behavior including the study of the Falconer Model, and Epigentics. We also explored the evolutionary links to certain behavioral responses and markers, such as disgust reaction. This prepared us for our upcoming unit end assessment in the second week of October on the biological approaches to behavior.   Aryamoy Mitra DP 1A

Global Politics:     This week we explored further into our unit ‘Sovereignty’ where we prepared and presented a presentation upon the inquiry question ‘Is state sovereignty an outdated concept in the 21st century or does it still exist?’ We also looked at a source from an Australian NGO report to cater to the problem of asylum seekers and refugees which basically showed how there is a mixture of various perspectives in Australia towards refugees coming into their country and discussed about it further to bring in our own perspectives. Lastly, we worked our HL presentations in class which have to prepare upon a self chosen topic and case study.   Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Group 4

Chemistry:   In Chemistry we gave our summative assessment on unit 1 stoichiometry and afterwards the paper was discussed in class. We did the corrections and attempted the worksheet on unit 1 and I1 given to us as a weekend task. The new unit was introduced to us through an interesting video on atomic structure and we realized the fact that scientific discoveries are not the work of one scientist rather a team. We delved further in the unit and learnt about mass spectrometer and electromagnetic spectrum.   Abhinav Gupta DP 1B

Biology:   We began the week by being introduced to the Internal Assessment (IA). We learned the background for the IA and its marking criteria. We also looked at resources to help think of ideas to create our own investigation and performed paper chromatography to identify and calculate Rf values for various pigments present in mint leaves. We also extracted DNA from a banana and compared it to the extracted DNA of an onion.     Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

Physics:   After completing the concepts of air drag, static and dynamic friction, we practiced questions to strengthen our knowledge of the topics. We moved into work, energy and power section of the unit and covered the different forms of energy, and how energy is transferred from one form to another. Multiple practice questions were also solved in class around the same topics. We performed a practical to find spring constant and work done by varying force. Efficiency is the latest topic to be covered in class.    Mann Aswal  DP 1B

Computer Science:   After studying the different ways a new system could be implemented in the organization, we discussed the problems that may arise as a part of data migration. We also discussed the different testing techniques at all stages including existence of programs that can test other programs thus automating the testing process. Different ways of training the users and providing them with documentation was connected to real life scenarios. We also differentiated between patches, updates, upgrades and releases in context of a system/software.   Aryan Anand DP 1B

ESS: We have started with the unit: Sustainability where we were introduced to the concept of natural capital and natural income which was simultaneously linked with business and economy through class discussions. Also, we have understood the baseline principles of Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). Through various images we brainstormed to assess the site to be or not to be used for coal mining.     Ananya Pandalai  DP 1A

Group 5

Mathematics AI (HL):   This week we have finished off with functions. We completed the study of piecewise functions and inverse functions. We also studied how quadratic functions need to be restricted to have an inverse function.  Thereafter, we studied how to graph cubic functions on our calculator and then sketch them on paper. We understood how to find the roots of a cubic function and what is known as the local maximum and local minimum. To conclude the week, we were introduced to power functions; general form, substitution and word problems. We also decoded how the change in each parameter of the functions affects the graph.   Dhruv Garg DP 1A

Mathematics AI (SL):    This week we explored further into our unit of ‘Functions’ wherein we practiced various exercises from chapters (9 & 5) to learn about different functions such as linear, quadratic and cubic functions. We also took a brief summative assessment on CH 1 which was just a revision from MYP 5.   Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Mathematics AA (SL/HL):   We started off this week with ‘Quadratics’. First, we learnt about the form of a quadratic equation followed by different methods to solve it; factorising, completing the square, using quadratic formula or using tech. Moreover, we expanded upon each method of solving a quadratic equation in exercise 1A. After learning to use the quadratic formula, we understood how the state of the discriminant (D<1, D>1 or D=0) can determine the number of roots of a quadratic. Using this knowledge, we did a few questions based on determining the state of the discriminant and the nature of the solutions (roots) of certain quadratic equations. Then we practiced quadratic functions (shape of parabola), and the detailed terminology used, (axis of symmetry, parabola, vertex, y-intercept and roots), followed by the width and the shape of parabola (concave up or down) due to ‘a’ in ‘ax^2 + bx +c’. Furthermore, we learnt to sketch the graphs using axes intercepts and finding quadratic equations of the graphs by looking at the graphs. We also understood new terminology such as positive and negative definite quadratics, in the midst. Then we learnt about meeting point of functions, wherein, we practiced questions based on inequalities, writing the domain for the functions to the specified condition. Lastly, we attempted a combined problem, solving with quadratics for questions relating to different shapes and 3D figures.   Aryan Choudhary DP 1B

Group 6

Theatre:   Our task at hand is to wrap up the first draft of the director’s notebook. Looking at a published play text from the eyes of a director and then adding our own version as a creator is the most intriguing part of this task so far. Each of us has shortlisted two plays to research on and turn it into a full-fledged project exhibiting how we gain knowledge through understanding various contexts, its processes and how presenting it would impact our learning.   Ritwik Datta Choudhary DP 1B

Visual Art:    We made an effort to comprehend the different types of drawing and illustration techniques used in different paintings to create visual language. We have been studying formal analysis through several elements of art and design such as line, colour, texture, form, value, space and shape. We used this study and chose artists we were inspired by, and then identified how they manipulated these elements to create a strong narrative. Based on the research we have started making the layout for our practical work and are also working out on the mediums that we will use for our practical work. We worked on our process portfolio, through experimentation of different mediums like acrylic paint, charcoal pencils, watercolour and coloured pencils. We also researched on our chosen artists to complete and practice comparative studies.   Sanjana Seth DP 1B

Core

CAS:    We undertook a CAS trip to the Yamuna river. It did not go as planned and we were not able to clean the banks as we were supposed to, nonetheless, we still continued on our service project and added reflections later in school.   Keerat Singh Shah DP 1A

TOK:   In the past week we watched a video and reflected on ‘Memory’ as a way of knowing through the series of ‘The Mind: Explained’. We then reflected on what all we remembered from the video and to what extent are we dependent on memory as a way of knowing. It included our reflection on how our brain remembers the things we see, and the efficiency of the brain as a pertinent organ to the human body. We were then assigned a collaborative task based on the RLS task that had been previously submitted. We had to choose one RLS after discussion with our group members and then comprehend it with respect to knowledge questions.   Ved Ashit Shah  DP 1B

Subject Entries

Week ending (27.09.2019)

Group 1   Language & Literature Aranyani Swami	In order to prepare for our formative on textual analysis, we looked at blogs that conform to and deviate from the conventions of this text type. We discussed how relatable themes aid in strengthening the reader’s interest in the author and his writing. We learnt to be more specific while writing about the target audience and purpose of the text. The following week we were formatively assessed and self-recorded feedback in order to further our improvement in our individual areas of concern.
Hindi Tashvi Anand	In the last two weeks, we started a new unit of Social Organization and to gain a better understanding about the topic, we discussed the topic in detail for two consecutive lessons which was followed by the creation of a presentation about a self-chosen topic about the same to display our knowledge. We also discussed and made posters about Knowledge and its meaning and importance in everyday life. HL students started reading the book “My name is Tata” and discussed in detail the first story within the same.
French Sanjana Seth	This week in French, we had discussed how to write a cover letter for a job and also had two formatives based on family systems and which family system we prefer. listened to two different songs in French through which we learnt about conditional present verb and we performed an activity with these songs by recognizing the verbs. We also did a worksheet with an illustration about ‘Professional world’ as it was our new unit that we started just last week.
Spanish Anish Bhave	We appeared for the listening FA in which heard conversations and tested our comprehension and learned the use of various verbs. We began Unit-5 on health by discussing fruits and vegetables. We made a list of various regular and irregular verbs. We appeared for paper 2 formative assessments, reading and listening on the first unit, Identities. We will be appearing for unit end summative assessment next week.
German Ab Initio Kushaagra Kapoor	These past two weeks in German we practiced the dative case and how to use indirect objects in sentences. We then started with wechsel prepositions (both the cases Akkusativ and Dativ)and revised past homework. These prepositions lead us to some confusing verbs which mean the same however they get  changed because of the movement for example (stellen, stehen etc)
Group 3 Business Management Aditi Singh	This week in business management, we decided and did a final selection upon the three organization/companies we wish to research. The teacher introduced us to SWOT and STEEPLE analysis and the different sections that fall under them. We completed the topic of the different types of organizations and discussed the tasks in class.
History Aryan Srivastava	Over the last few classes we covered a range of different topics, after analyzing Japan’s relationship with the United States. We examined the causes of the attack on Pearl Harbor, neutrality pact Japan signed with USSR. We also studied why the United States refrained from interfering with Japan’s conquest before the attack on their Pacific fleet.  We evaluated the significance of Pearl Harbour incident and the consequences Japan faced for carrying out such an Event.
Global Politics Tanmya Prasad	We continued scrutinizing the concept of Sovereignty learning through various resources such as worksheets. We completed a presentation on whether sovereignty is an outdated concept in the 21st century looking at the countries that wanted to maintain their sovereignty and nations desiring greater international cooperation and calling for sovereignty to become obsolete.
Psychology Rashed Nessar	For the last two weeks, the Biological approach to behaviour continued in the Psychology class. We understood the link between hormones and pheromones and behavior. Also, the topic of Genetics was explored and its impact in determining behavior was dealt with. All these topics were studied with the help of research studies done in the field, some of these following the experimental method as well as correlational research. We applied our knowledge of research methods in evaluating the studies and also practised some questions as part of our FA. We can now understand the different ways in which our biological processes can influence our behavior.
Economics Lucia Martinez	This week in Economics we have learned about the quantitative measurement of change in demand due to the change in price.  We have also learned about income elasticity and elasticity of supply and their respective formulas, as well as the effects of market equilibrium in the supply line. We practised applying knowledge about elasticity to various categories of goods and services existing in the market.
Group 4 Chemistry Tashvi Anand	This week in chemistry we learned about various concentration terms, dilution law and Volumetric Analysis. We understood the importance of titration as an important analytical skill in chemistry. We practised various numerical on the concept which honed our problem-solving skills and helped us to gain a better understanding of the concept. We practiced a simulation on acid-base titration to understand how the concept works in real-life scenarios then we performed titration in the lab and realized the importance of using the precise instruments and systematic errors. We started learning about significant figures and propagation of errors as well. This week we performed another interesting practical on determining the molar mass of a volatile liquid using the Dumas method.
Physics Mann Aswal	We began working on an investigation, where we had to design an investigation about freefall using which we can find the value of g, the acceleration due to earth’s gravity. In these two weeks, we covered topics such as free fall and projectile motion in further depth. The pendulum is a great system to study to find the value of g, and we did yet another practical to find the value of g using the pendulum. These investigations were aimed towards finding one particular value but were focused on two different criteria of internal assessment. We performed a practical to further strengthen our understanding of vectors being resolved into their horizontal and vertical components. This helped us validate our theory with practical results. These practicals and investigation helped us to strengthen our practical skills such as data collection, knowledge of apparatus and data processing. Furthermore, we were introduced to friction, its types and equations, and air resistance.
Biology Aneesh Bhave	In the last two weeks, we completed the sub- units Cell respiration and Photosynthesis thus completing our first unit of SL- Molecular Biology. The practicals are scheduled for next week on chromatography and respirometry. We also gave our second FA. In this FA we had to present a previously covered subtopic using visual aids such as 3-d models or posters as part of peer teaching The HL students finished their unit on Nucleic Acids and will be preparing for upcoming FAs and SA.
Computer Science Inika Anand	Last few weeks, we worked on passing on our knowledge about social media, internet use, laptop use, gaming behavior, cyberbullying and privacy by conducting a workshop for MYP 2 students, who have just started using their laptops.  Afterwards, we conducted another session which will help them stay organized on the laptop. We practiced tracing the pseudocodes and flowcharts. In system fundamentals, we discussed various compatibility issues that arise due to new systems and business mergers. We also compared the on-premise software option with SaaS including the different installation and implementation methods of a new system like Direct, Parallel, Phased and Pilot.
ESS Aaditya Taneja	We debated on how to live sustainably and the efforts that can be made by nation for the same. Also, with some videos we were able to understand the same and discussed around their Environment Value System and how can it vary from people to people.
Group 5 Maths A & A  Abhinav Gupta	We practiced solving exponential equations using logarithms and clarified our doubts on the same. We started with the new unit ‘Functions’ and revisited the concepts of factorization of quadratic equations by various methods. We understood the meaning of discriminant and learned to describe the nature of roots with the help of discriminant. We also learned different forms of quadratic functions and to calculate vertex, axes intercepts, axis of symmetry, intercepts, etc. We made a sketch of quadratic functions using different conditions and to read the same using Graphic Display Calculator.  In HL Math, we understood the meaning of conjugate and continued with the standard forms of a complex number to prove identities.
Maths A & I (HL) Neeharika Goel	We began studying inverse functions with an investigation into how functions can be inverted. We took Celcius and Fahrenheit as an example. We began exploring composite functions by taking various examples and looking at real-life applications. We began learning quadratic functions and how we can interpret and analyze these graphs. We learned how to reverse engineer the functions from the given graphs. We also completed practice sheets on Logarithms and Complex numbers that helped us revise our previous work and prepare for the upcoming summative assessment.
Maths A & I (SL) Chahat Aneja	This week, we practiced functions. We revised domain, range and different types of equations for example, linear and quadratic. We got practice worksheets to prepare ourselves better for our FA on functions the next week. We submitted our worksheet folders which contained all our reflections and home assignments so far.
Group 6 Visual Art Keerat Singh Shah	We have tried to understand the different types of drawing and illustration techniques used in different paintings to create visual language. We have been studying formal analysis by the several elements of art and design such as line, colour, texture, form, value, space and shape. We used this study and chose artists we were inspired by, and then identified how they manipulated these elements to create a strong narrative. We worked on our process portfolio, through experimentation of different mediums like acrylic paint, charcoal pencils, watercolour and coloured pencil. We also researched on our chosen artists to complete and practice comparative studies.
Theatre Ananaya Pandalai	The past two weeks have helped us evaluate our work on the director’s notebook. We’ve each chosen two different published play texts and are constantly looking for newer perspectives to add our flair of creativity in the project. Along with researching on the context, we are prepping up for using our knowledge in the form of a presentation and execute our ideas that we need to use in the two scenes we are expected to reinvent.
Theory of Knowledge  DP 1 A Pankhuri Chatturvedi	In ToK, we further explored the AOKs and WOKs by choosing two AOKs and assigning two WOKs to each of them. We were also asked to justify our choices enabling us to deeply analyse the connection between the two. We looked into emotion as a WOK in depth. The discussions triggered us to think about whether emotion can be quantified.
Theory of Knowledge  DP 1 B Ved Ashit Shah	In TOK  this past weeks, we completed tasks, like RLS and TOK knowledge questions based on the Real life situations that we had incorporated from our prior learning of various subjects. We watched a video to have a deeper understanding of a ’Memory’ as one of the ways of knowing.
CAS Rashed Nessar	We are evolving and maturing in regard to our knowledge about CAS and its significance in our lifelong learning. Our CAS coordinator is gradually unpacking all the elements required for balancing creativity, action and service. We also had a session on how to use Managebac to add our experiences and evidences for our CAS projects. Now we are preparing for our visit to river Yamuna to participate in a cleaning drive.

Subject Entries  (Week ending 13.09.19)

Group 1

Language & Literature This week in Language and Literature we learnt to analyze two text types – advertisements and blogs. As a starter activity we reflected on the nature of beauty – particularly physical beauty concluding that beauty is a social construct. (There is no single objective definition of beauty. Rather what is perceived as beautiful varies from culture to culture and is dictated by society.)  We discussed how mainstream media can often force a single definition of beauty on people- hurting self esteem. We proceeded to deconstruct Dove’s 2019 advertising campaign that aims to present a version of female beauty that is inclusive of all women through the use of the Big 5 – speaker, audience, purpose, tone and mood.    We identified the structural and stylistic conventions the Dove campaign had in common with other campaigns conducted through social media. Additionally, we talked how corporations almost always have a hidden profit motive driving their campaign. Upon finishing the analysis of the campaign. We studied the structural and stylistic conventions commonly found in blogs and discussed how blog writers conform to or deviate from them.   Aranyani Swami DP 1A

Group 2

French SL:   In French, we began with a discussion on relationship and generation gap between parents and children. We understood the existence of conflicts in Francophone families by reading multiple passages. In extension to the perspectives we also discussed the types of families, such as recomposed, divorced and families with same-sex parents. To understand the concepts better, we discussed the various pointers together as a group. Now, we are moving on to the next subtopic which deals with professions and jobs.   Ishaan Mohan Gupta DP 1B

French Ab Initio:   In French, we have begun with the theme ‘Identities’. In this we have learnt about French speaking people and countries (Francophone) through the help of interactive videos. We then learnt basic salutations and greetings. Towards the end of the week, we learnt how to present ourselves to different people, as well as different questions that can be asked in a simple conversation. Lastly we also learnt the different definite and indefinite articles that are used in French. Abhinav Gupta DP 1B

Spanish SL:    In the past week, we mainly focused on preparing for Spanish FAs on the topic of ‘identidades’. As a culmination of the content that was learned, the FAs test listening and reading skills, both of which are critical elements of the final assessments. Additionally, we practiced vocabulary related to the unit from parts of the human body to expressions of personal opinion.   Rashed DP 1B

Spanish Ab Initio:   We learnt more about families, especially the royal family of Spain This allowed us greater insight into the Spanish culture. We also learnt how to express our likes and dislikes. The most interesting learning experience we had was the listening exercise. It allowed us to understand the pronunciation of the Spanish words as well as test our comprehension skills. It trained our ears to understand certain sounds not present in our other languages.   Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

German Ab Initio:   In German we had a formative on adjective endings. Following which we discussed ‘Our House’ and the vocabulary for various rooms. We then had a card sorting activity where we learned the names of furniture in each room. We had a formative on all the topics we had done till then. We also did the dative case.   Kushaagra Kapoor DP 1B

Hindi:   The past week in we continued our discussion on social organization. We brainstormed further reasons for these social issues and improved our collaborative skills. We began with a discussion on social issues and how have they impacted us. We then started reading our assigned book and completed worksheets. The articles we read in the book also talked about social relations and how they have changed as time has passed by.   Rishav Haldar DP 1A and Kunal Rathi DP 1A

Group 3

History: Students moved further in the Unit – Road to War and studied the Marco Polo Bridge incident that triggered the Second Sino Japanese War. The students researched the atrocities committed by Japanese troops in China, in particular the Rape of Nanjing.   Aryan Shrivastava and Aranyani Swami   DP 1A

Business Management:   In the past week we wrapped up the first sub-unit by taking a formative. We were then given a task where we had to understand and differentiate between the types of organizations. We were also introduced to the section C of the paper 2 where our teacher asked us to choose any three organizations/companies of our choice and to continue the research throughout the entire course of two years of DP; we must include how the 6 concepts that underpin the course of business management would have an effect on these organizations in different situations and analyze them.    Aditi Singh DP 1A

Economics:   In Economics we took our fundamental knowledge and applied it to real-life scenarios and concepts through essay-style questions. We combined knowledge of the law of diminishing marginal utility, income effect and the non-price determinants of demand, to explain why the demand curve slopes downwards. It was very satisfying to apply the different concepts and understand how producers and consumers behave in a certain situation. Using different scenarios, we understood that the non-price determinants caused a shift in the demand curve and not a movement, which is seen when the price varies.   Samarth Chopra DP 1B

Psychology:   This week in Psychology, we covered a significant amount of content from the biological approach to behavior. While working in continuance to last week’s lessons, we studied in conjunction from the textbook and were introduced to neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine and their associated links to behavior. We also understood biological specificities, such as agonists/antagonists and excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitters. We discussed and analyzed research studies linking biological markers to behavior. We also understood the rubrics and criteria for writing long answers in Paper 1.   Aryamoy Mitra DP 1A

Global Politics:    Last week in global politics, we recently finished the topic of Power and we took an FA in which we wrote an essay on multilateral and unilateral dimensions of power while evaluating it in terms of international relations. We also learnt about how to measure power and what are the ways in which we do it. We discussed the role of the state and how came into being, we regulated our views on this topic, we also discussed about nation and nation state; its meaning and how the term is used in global politics.   Tanmya Prasad DP 1A

Group 4

Chemistry:   In Chemistry, we recently started a new sub-topic which dealt with gas laws as well as ideal and real gas behavior. We learned about the different gas laws that define how a real gas behaves ideally in certain fixed conditions. We further understood the topic by doing various questions about the same. The formative assessment conducted last week was discussed and we were given an extensive sheet of IB style questions which includes MCQ’s and long answer questions as homework assessment which also helped us to prepare for our summative assessment. We have started exploring various concentration terms used for solutions and look forward for honing our analytical skills through a practical activity on the concept planned for next week   Tashvi Anand DP 1A and Abhinav Gupta DP 1B

Biology:   We explored the subunit 2.7 and learned the working of Polymerase Chain Reaction through virtual lab. This included a simulation of the process and an in-depth explanation of the process with interactive elements. It allowed us to better understand PCR as well as introduced us to the virtual lab tool. We revised the content taught till now with the help of a worksheet which was designed on the actual style of the exams. It included various types of questions such as MCQs, data response question and long answer questions. This helped us prepare for our upcoming assessments. It refreshed our knowledge and helped us realise our strengths and weaknesses. We also began working on our FA-2 where we have to present the various subunits such as Replication of DNA, carbohydrates and lipids thus demonstrating our understanding, innovation and creativity.   Anish Jayesh Bhave DP 1A

Physics:   We were given multiple practice sheets to prepare for our summative assessment. During the length of the week before the summative, we moved on to our second unit, Mechanics. Topics such as projectile motion and freefall have been covered in class. We also conducted an investigation to calculate gravitational acceleration which took the previous unit’s learning such as uncertainties and measurements into account.   Mann Aswal  DP 1B

Computer Science:   We started Unit 1: System Fundamentals, where we explored the problems faced by organizations when they shift from manual to automated systems or from one automated system to another, following which we explored the different problems faced by end users when using the new system. Furthermore, we started planning for a cyber etiquette and cyber safety session for MYP 2 where we will sensitise them about digital footprint, school IT usage policy and cyber bullying.   Aryan Anand DP 1B

ESS:   We had our first formative in ESS this week. We were given a case study to analyse and answer related questions. We viewed video and researched about the Chernobyl case, Minamata case and Bhopal Gas Tragedy during class and analysed the case study by researching about the country, causative agent, result, outcome and solutions. We were also given some research questions as a home assignment.   Aaditya Taneja  DP 1A

Group 5

Mathematics AI (HL):    In our class, we started off practicing powers of complex numbers. Thereafter, we solved various types of questions involving the same. This was followed by a thorough worksheet on the weekend which put light on all aspects of complex numbers that we had covered till now. We concluded the study of complex numbers with a formative assessment and began the study of functions. We started off with the basics; what is a function, types of functions and how to identify different types of functions.    Dhruv Garg DP 1A

Mathematics AI (SL):   Previously in our class, we started the new topic of Functions: identification and types. We practiced questions regarding linear functions which are one of the types of functions, We also learnt how to solve questions of these linear equations using various methods manually as well as on the graphics calculator.   Tanmaya Prasad DP 1A

Mathematics AA (SL/HL):   We started this week with exponential equations and learnt the laws of exponents to solve different types of exponential equations. Furthermore, after understanding the laws of exponents, we learnt the binomial theorem including Pascal’s Triangle, expansion, binomial coefficient and the general term. We practiced applications of binomial expansion using Pascal’s Triangle. We also learnt to find the binomial coefficient of any expansion. We understood the rules of logarithms, and learnt to simplify expressions including exponents and logarithms.   In HL Math, we understood the meaning of complex numbers and learnt to write the same in standard form. We solved quadratic equations with complex numbers as roots of the equation.   Aryan Choudhary DP 1B

Group 6

Theatre:   The past two weeks we have been studying exemplars of play text works and samples of Director’s Notebooks available online. This has further helped us understand the magnitude of work we need to put in and also gave us clarity on the format in which we need to collate our work. We are watching the plays online, along with reading them from their respective books, which shows us how the director has converted a text into a motion picture and what elements have they used to give justice to the original story.   Ananya Pandalai DP 1B

Visual Art:   We have begun our unit with creative composition drawing and illustration painting. We have tried to understand the different types of drawing and illustration techniques used in different paintings to create visual language. We have been studying formal analysis by the several elements of art and design such as line, colour, texture, form, value, space and shape. We used this study and chose artists we were inspired by, and then identified how they manipulated these elements to create a strong narrative. Based on our research, we have started making the layout for our practical work. We are also working out on the mediums that we will use for our practical work along with making mind maps based on the research.   Keerat Singh Shah DP 1B

Core

CAS:   Last week we had a special session by a representative from the water conversation organization, and she opened our eyes by stating facts and details about how we are wasting and polluting our own water and how we are polluting the only source of water in Delhi which is the Yamuna river. Cleaning Yamuna will be the first school-led project for us that will we plan further on.   Ishaan Mohan Gupta DP 1B and Tanmay Sehgal DP 1A

TOK    In TOK, we started learning the main constituents of Theory of Knowledge. The first one was skepticism. To understand the concept, we watched two videos. After understanding the concept, we completed the task in which we wrote about the certainty of 2 knowledge claims. The next concept we learnt was RLS or real-life situations. To learn about RLS we wrote out a few examples of RLS from the subjects we learn. The last topic for this fortnight is knowledge questions, which we are currently exploring.    Ishaan Mohan Gupta DP 1B

Subject Entries (Week ending 16.08.19)

Group 1

Language & Literature: Students of Language and Literature watched a Ted talk by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie titled ‘The Danger of a Single Story’.  The author spoke about the danger of having a single perspective on a group of people or an issue which lead to harmful stereotypes that erode the dignity of an individual. Using examples from her own life, she discussed how good literature can be used to expose people to a variety of perspectives thus averting this danger. The students then shared personal experiences of times they had either been a victim of a stereotype or perpetuated one.    Further on students dissected the reflective essay ‘Shooting an Elephant’ by George Orwell using the Freytag’s Pyramid and examined how the essay dealt with the abstract idea of imperialism. Additionally, we discussed how the background and the personal experience of the author as an imperial policeman in colonial Burma shaped his writing. The students concluded by reflecting on how a literary text can leave a lasting impression on its reader potentially transforming his or her view of the world just as Orwell’s perspective on imperialism may have urged many of his contemporaries to rethink their stance on the issue. HL students were given the task of comparing and contrasting the ideas expressed in the essay with Rudyard Kipling’s poem – ‘The White Man’s Burden’   Aranyani Swami

Group 2

French SL:   French Ab Initio We were introduced to the subject’s requirements, assessment criteria, themes to be studied, and the role of TOK and CAS in French ab initio. We visited the library to access the available resources on the first theme: Identities. We engaged in an activity on the criteria as well as on TOK question: How does the language adapt to the situation?   Abhinav Gupta

Spanish Ab Initio: We began this week by discussing the topic ‘family’ and what each relation is called in Spanish. We attempted our first FA based on the knowledge we have acquired till now and tested our basic knowledge and comprehension skills. To further sharpen our skills in Spanish we practiced grammar exercises which we further discussed in class.   Anish Jayesh Bhave

German Ab Initio: We began this week by discussing the topic ‘family relations’ and completed an activity based on it. We also did a task sheet on the topic as well. We learnt more verbs and their conjugations along with articles and how they change based on gender. Possessive pronouns in both the cases i.e. the nominative and akkusative cases were also practised. Currently we are working on adjective endings, it plays an important role in order to understand the gender of the noun in the same manner as in the Hindi language.   Kushaagra Kapoor

Hindi: Being introduced to DP, new classmates and a different curriculum, these first few weeks in Language Acquisition (Hindi) have been engaging and informative. We were introduced to the format of the DP assessment, division of papers and examined sample EEs in Hindi. We have begun our interactions with the teacher according to our benchmarked levels. As a practice, we also gave a mini mock of Hindi paper 1, which acted as a class activity to get us familiar with the level of difficulty and adapt to the new system of responses. Recently we were also introduced to the first unit, Social Organization wherein we pondered over potential topics of study, discussion and debate. These first weeks of being in DP have created a lively and interactive synergy in the environment and we are all geared up attain our diploma!   Rishav Haldar and Kunal Rathi

Group 3

History: We commenced with an activity which required us to compare and contrast two words: History and the Past. We moved ahead with our first unit – Japanese expansion in which we have started the Meji restoration and how it helped Japan improve its economy and military. We also watched a documentary ‘The Rise and Fall of Japan’ as part of the unit ‘The Move to Global War’. We discussed the various factors, for example, the Great Depression of 1929 that led to Japan becoming a militarized country in the 1930s.    Aryan Shrivastava and Aranyani Swami

Business Management: In the past two weeks, have discussed topics such as the four P’s of production, functions of business, different types of stakeholders, and the difference between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship in detail, through various tasks. We have also looked upon the six concepts that underpin the course of business management and discussed their relativity with respect to the topics already discussed in classes before. We tried to develop a better understanding of the topics covered through the study of the concepts. We also discussed about the structure of a business plan and the reasons why a business plan would fail and require amendments. Our teacher also introduced us to case studies related to the subject. We also had to create a mind map on the causes of a change in the business plan, and the implications of these changes on the various stakeholders of the company.   Aditi Singh and Ved Shah

Economics: We started off by laying the groundwork for future concepts and learnt the types of goods, the need for economics, a myriad of terms like market mechanism, law of demand, production possibility curve, opportunity cost among others. To enhance our comprehension of the subject, we were taught important graphical presentation of the concepts like PPC and demand. We were also provided a task to research about one economist and his/her contributions to the field, and present our findings in the form of a poster. Although sometimes the subject seemed arcane, through intense class discussions we made meaningful connections with real-life examples, thus building for us a strong foundation for the unit we are studying.    Samarth Chopra and Garima Gill

Psychology:This week we began a new unit – Biological Approaches to Psychology. We first drew a mind map of the unit, analyzing what we would study and how we would integrate the previous unit into it. We only covered a few topics, such as localization theory and used case studies to do the same (Paul Broca and his research on ‘Tan’). We were also able to generalize these results into constructs such as neuroplasticity.   Aryamoy Mitra

Global Politics: We recently completed our topic on Power, where we learned about the various types of power and their application in the real world in the last 10 to 15 years. This was accomplished through worksheets, articles and our course companion. In the last class we completed a formative wherein we made a presentation by choosing a topic on Power.   Tanmya Prasad

Group 4

Chemistry: We completed our sub topic the Mole Concept, where we learned about moles, how to calculate the number of particles in a substance and how to find the empirical formula of a substance through interactive videos, worksheets and lab activities. We recently started a discussion on the limiting and excess reagent in a reaction and their calculation. We took a formative to assess ourselves on our previously completed topic ‘Moles’. Apart from this, we applied this knowledge in a practical lab activity, where we burnt magnesium to create magnesium oxide and calculated its empirical formula experimentally. We were also given a homework worksheet of IB style exam questions for self-assessment which helped us in strengthening the concepts further.   Tashvi Anand and Abhinav Gupta

Biology: We completed the sub-unit -enzyme to learn about its structure, functions and denaturation. We analysed graphs on various factors effecting enzyme activity and proceeded to conduct an experiment to test the effect of enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on the rate of reaction taking catalase as an enzyme. Through this, we learnt lab skills and basic experiment design and procedure. Using the oxygen sensor and data logging were new experiences for us. Our second practical showed the effect of temperature on the Lipase enzyme. We started the new sub unit -the structure of DNA and RNA which is ongoing. We also discussed our first FA results and completed the correction work.   Anish Jayesh Bhave

Physics: We completed our density lab work which was a task synthesized to practice our skills of handling uncertainties in data and data processing. Afterwards, we took an assessment that assessed our understanding of the uncertainties. We were introduced with the concept of vectors and scalars and began practicing the basic vector calculation. We were given two home tasks in this time period which helped us practice data analysis and processing skills and discussed each task and homework sheet in the class. We discussed expected answers in the assessments and were made aware of the common mistakes children make. We started with the second unit ‘Mechanics’ and viewed some fundamental concepts, like motion, distance, displacement, instantaneous velocity and used geometry to describe the same. We solved questions based on ‘SUVAT Equations’.      Mann Aswal & Aviraj Chaudhary

Computer Science: We were introduced to Python, the programming language for developing both desktop and web applications. We converted the pseudocodes we wrote into python scripts using simple control structures like ‘if’ and ‘for’ for selection and iteration. We then started our first unit of system fundamentals through an activity for which we brainstormed the social and technical issues that arise when an organization introduces a change.   Aryan Anand

ESS: We continued with various environmental issues and case studies about carbon capture and storage and we also made posters to spread awareness about various techniques to decrease carbon emissions. We watched videos related to pollution, for example, one of the videos talked about a Minamata disease; a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. We also learned about the different types of social systems. The first formative assessment is expected to take place soon. Tanmay Sehgal and AadityaTaneja

Group 5

Mathematics AA (HL): We revised the concept of arithmetic and geometric series. We started with the laws of exponents and applied the same to solve exponential equations. We have taken our first formative assessment on arithmetic and geometric series and discussed the same in class to make corrections. We have started with the topic ‘Binomial Expansion’ and understood how to expand the given expression using Pascal’s triangle and binomial theorem. Aryan Chowdhary

Mathematics AI (HL): We started off with learning what complex numbers are and one can say it is quite complex! Nonetheless, we were introduced to the very basics of complex numbers and how there is an imaginary and real part. Subsequently, we practiced simple questions involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of complex numbers. Thereafter, we learned about the conjugate of complex numbers and also how to solve quadratic equations which have a negative discriminant. Following this, we learned how to graph complex numbers which included an introduction to the Argand plane. We solved basic questions related to the concept to find the modulus and the argument and received a challenging weekend worksheet based on the same.   Dhruv Garg

Group 6

Theatre: We have been working on analyzing the theatre guide and making a few plaque cards related to the assessment criteria of all the four projects for our Diploma Programme. We have also started researching for our play text, which we are going to work on and analyze for our first task out of four, i.e. Director’s notebook. The various discussions in class about controversial topics, directors and their directing styles, actors and their acting styles and many more, have been a very new and enriching experience for all. Every class is so diverse in terms of the things we learn, that we cannot help but be amazed by this subject. We introspected on the strong impact of movies, live shows and literature on the lives of the common folk.   Ritwik Datta Chowdhary

Visual Art: We have begun our unit with the creative composition: drawing and illustration painting. We have tried to understand the different types of drawing and illustration techniques used in different paintings to create a visual language. We have been studying formal analysis using several elements of art and design such as line, color, texture, form, value, space and shape. We used this study and chose artists we were inspired by, and then identified how they manipulated these elements to create a strong narrative.   Based on their research, students have started making a layout of their practical work. They are also working out the mediums that they will use for their practical work and making mind maps based on their research. Keerat Singh Shah

Core

CAS: This week our CAS coordinator gave us a presentation on CAS. Through the presentation we got to know about various types of CAS projects, experiences and what are school-led projects and student-led projects. The students have started sharing their ideas and started planning for their initial CAS interview which is one of the CAS portfolio requirements.   Ishaan Mohan Gupta and Tanmay Sehgal

TOK : We have been working on our essays on the topic, ‘Is validation of knowledge necessary for it to be considered reliable?’ We mainly discussed general topics related to the TOK, shared our experiences and gave examples on discussion topics such as: What is the difference between validity and authenticity? In the past couple of lessons, we have begun the presentation of our essays and elaborate discussions on each other’s perspectives through the lens of the essays.    Mann Aswal

DP 1B
August (Week ending 16.08.19)

Subjects

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature

English SL – We started the year with an overview of the Language and Literature SL curriculum and the new assessment pattern. With the help of a PPT, we gained an understanding of the areas of exploration, global issues and the concepts we will cover in the next 2 years. To understand the assessment criteria, we graded 2 sample papers to gain a clear understanding of the expectations. We also analysed different texts to determine the audience, speaker and purpose and how language had been used effectively to fulfill the purpose of each text. We are now in the process of writing the introduction to the analysis task of an editorial. By Kushaagra Kapoor DP1B

Hindi – Being introduced to DP, new classmates and a different curriculum, these first few weeks in Language Acquisition (Hindi) have been engaging and informative. The students were introduced to the format of DP assessment, division of papers and examined sample EEs in Hindi. The students finalised the subject at a standard or higher level and have been interacting with the teacher accordingly. As a practice, we also took a mini mock of Hindi paper 1, as part of a class activity to get familiar with the level of difficulty and adapt to the new system of response.Recently, the students were also introduced to their first unit, ‘Social Organization’ wherein they pondered on potential topics of study, discussion and debate. These first weeks of being in DP has created a lively and interactive synergy in the environment and all of us are geared up to attain our diploma. By Rishav Haldar

Group 2: Language Acquisition

Spanish Ab Initio -Spanish classes started with the description of the subject, syllabus and assessments. We started our first unit ‘Identities’. We leant how to describe ourselves and our personality in Spanish. We also talked about the school timetable, time schedule and school subjects. We conducted a discussion on the Theory of Knowledge connections with the unit ‘How do last names form our identity’. We connected it with History and our Spanish teacher helped us link it with other area of knowledge, Human Sciences. We are currently working on making our own dictionary by writing all the adjectives, expressions and cultural phrases which appeared while reading texts.

Spanish B SL – We understood the course of group 2. We discussed the 5 themes and their sub topics to be covered in DP 1 and DP 2. We started our first theme ‘Identidades’ and worked on the component of paper 2, a reading text and a listening text on languages. We were given images to describe. This helped us brainstorm our language speaking skills.

German Ab Initio – We started with an overview of the curriculum and an ice breaking exercise of making a mind map (what’s the first thing that comes to your mind, when you listen to the word German/Germany). Sounds, alphabets, greetings (formal and informal) and numbers followed soon after. We then moved on to introductions and verb conjugations in which we did the different subjects (I, you, they, he, she, it, etc.). After which we understood the different ways verbs change when added to different subjects. We also practiced the names of countries and the languages spoken, dates, zodiac signs and their related characteristics (adjectives), articles (the, and, a), family and other relations. We watched videos as well which taught us the basics of holding a conversation in German. By Kushaagra Kapoor DP1B

French -We understood the course curriculum of French B. A PPT presentation was given which illustrated the prescribed themes with the guiding principles and recommended topics. Our teacher explained the assessment outlines as well as the criteria. We started our first unit which is ‘Social Organization’ and explored different family systems existing in francophone countries.By Aryamoy Mitra DP 1

Group 3: Individuals and Societies

Business Management
HL/SL – During the initial weeks we were introduced to the structure of the distinct units that encompass our subject. We started our classes by discussing the IB DP Business Management Guide. We discussed the six concepts that underpin the course of Business Management. We went through the various topics and understood the curriculum.After we discussed the guide we discussed various questions on how the business sector is important for an economy and how it impacts our society. We learned how to answer questions appropriately during exams and studied the assessment rubric. We then watched unit specific presentation and video which helped us know more about the role of businesses, different sectors and the various stakeholders involved. We also undertook two innovative tasks in which we had to imagine a company and inform which sector it could be categorized under and the distinct external and internal stakeholders of the company. We also studied business terminology with respect to Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship. By Kunal Rathi DP 1A

Economics- In the last two weeks, we focused on topics such as opportunity cost, production possibility curve, the foundation of economics which is based on effective decision making and the circular flow of economic activity. We held class discussions while tackling each topic and revisited terminologies such as firms, households, markets and demand.
Furthermore, we held discussions on the determinants of household demands and created notes in our journal.
By Garima Gill DP 1 A

Psychology -The past couple of weeks we have targeted learning the basic fundamentals of psychology. To do this, we were introduced to the subject and how it was founded through ground breaking experiments and theorists. We were then introduced to the fundamental schools of psychology namely Behaviorism, Humanism and Psychoanalysis. The students gave presentations in groups based on each to help gain a better understanding of how they were founded, the theories based on which they were established and the individuals instrumental in their birth. This helped us gain a clearer vision of the foundations of the subject and its connection with other subjects. It helped us understand psychology as a subject and how it functions. By Tashvi Anand DP1A

History -We discussed the paper options available for the History Diploma Programme and started the unit on Japanese expansion in Asia in the 20th century. We started discussing the rise of nationalism and militarism in Japan after the Meiji restoration. We examined the circumstances under which Japan had to enter World War I and its aftermath. We also evaluated the role of different factors that motivated Japan to leave the League of Nations and join the Axis powers.

Global Politics -We started discussing the need of studying politics in the modern world. We examined the meaning and different paradigms of power and the theories of power given by Joseph Nye, Gramsci, Mearsheimer and Stephen Lukes. We looked at different examples of political case studies that can be examined against these theories. We evaluated the need of soft power and its implications in the modern world. With the help of newspaper articles we analysed the fundamentals of political theories and their practicability.

Group 4: Sciences

Physics – We were briefed about the curriculum and assessments. We were introduced to IA briefly. Followed by which we started with the first Unit: Measurements and Uncertainties. We learned about the uncertainties in measurements, and how can they be determined. We strengthened this concept with a practical task. We were made aware of criterion: Analysis for an IA and each strand was discussed. In addition, we also learnt about the order of magnitude and have started reading about vectors. By Ishaan Gupta DP 1B

Chemistry – We began our chemistry lessons with an overview of subject guide and the subject requirements in terms of curriculum and assessments. We attempted an interesting quiz on chemical aspects of substances around us and we realized that the study of chemistry pertains to all IB learner profile attributes. We were asked to list the elements, compounds and mixtures from our surrounding as a test of our prior knowledge . We also revised the basic concepts in chemistry like formula making, balancing of chemical reactions and laws of chemical combination which took us to our first unit ‘Stoichiometry’. We learnt about inter-conversion of physical states of matter and its industrial applications in freeze drying, air-conditioning and refrigeration. We were introduced to the concept of mole through an investigation ‘The Bean Lab’ which helped us in understanding the quantitative aspects of chemistry. After strengthening our basics through simple mathematical calculations, we began with calculations involving the mole and molar masses and solved the worksheets given. The learning of mole and mathematical approach in chemistry took us to an involving knowledge question in TOK where we debated about the fact, ‘Is Knowledge in mathematics actually more certain than our knowledge in science?’ We presented our write-up for the same. By Ishaan Mohan Gupta DP1 B

Biology SL and HL -During the past two weeks in biology classes, we were busy getting to know the Diploma Program and slowly transitioning from our old curriculums. From assessment models and systems to how daily work will be conducted in DP classes, we unraveled the program and began to understand its different facets.Thereafter, we started the course content, beginning with the different sub units of molecular biology: metabolism, water, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
The latest topic we are exploring is enzymes and the factors that affect enzyme activity. Near future tasks and goals are to prepare for next week’s FA and revision of past work.
Next week, we are excited to perform our first practical using the Sensor. By Rashed Nessar DP 1B

Computer Science -The academic year started off with an introduction to Computer Science. Firstly, we discussed what Computer Science in the IBDP means after which we discussed how the assessments take place.Mostly, all of us are new to studying computers, as a science, hence starting off with the complete basics was essential. We were introduced to the very basics of how computers run which is Binary (0’s and 1’s). Thereafter, we developed upon how humans have simplified computer languages throughout the years making progress from Binary to Python. After which we started off learning the Pseudo code. We were taught what it actually is and its real life application. We were shown basic problem solving codes on the board following which we solved practice problems which ranged from easy to challenging. These learning sessions developed upon our understanding of Pseudo codes which included learning the IB specific notation imperative to examinations. By Dhruv Garg – DP1 A

Environmental Systems and Societies – We started our ESS class with an interesting activity ‘Who am I’ which helped us to explore ourselves and make a link between our previous curriculum and the DP model.
We explored our subject guide and discussed the assessment criteria, group 4 project, TOK integration and IAs format.
We also conducted a case study on Zero day- water preservation and will be presenting our thoughts via a poster.
We have started our course with the first Unit-Environmental Values and Systems.

Group 5: Mathematics

Mathematics Applications and Interpretations SL- After taking the bench marking assessment we reassessed our abilities and set our own goals keeping in mind our future goals. We revised the concept of rounding off and significant figures and learnt about the numbers and the percentage errors in real life context. By Keerat Singh Shah

Mathematics Applications and Interpretations HL The academic year started off with an icebreaker in which students introduced themselves to the class, including the teacher.
Thereafter, we were introduced to what we’ll be learning throughout the Diploma Programme and tapped into prior knowledge.Post which we moved on to the study of bounds and its real life applications. Subsequently, we learnt what logarithms is, its purpose, the various laws it follows and natural log. The students were engaged throughout as for most students the concepts were completely new and relevant to real life. By Dhruv Garg DP 1A

Mathematics Analysis & Approaches -We started our session with the crossword puzzle activity to revise math command terms and mapped all DP Math command terms to the same. We have started with our first unit of ‘Algebra’ and covered the topic sequences and series. First, went over the basics of AP and GP, after which we learnt about sigma notation and some of the laws of using sigma notation. To strengthen these topics, we also practiced some real life applications of AP & GP such as compound interest, growth and decay problems. In addition, HL students learnt about recurring sequences and series. By Ishaan Gupta DP 1B

Group 6: The Arts

Theatre – Over the past two weeks in theatre, we have been going over the subject guide. We discussed the various aspects of our way forward, expectations in terms of work, submissions and the assessments (internal and external). We have also initiated our work for the first task related to the play text, also commonly known as the director’s notebook. Theatre in context, theatre in process and presenting theatre – these are the three major verticals our entire guide is aligned with.
By Ananya Pandalai – DP1 B

Visual Art – We have begun our unit with creative composition drawing and illustration painting. We have tried to understand the different types of drawing and illustration techniques used in different paintings to create visual language and are learning ways in which compositional balance can be created by adding and creating harmony between different elements. We have started researching on artists and art movements and based on our research have started making the layout for our practical work. We are also working out on the mediums that we will use for our practical work. We are also making mind maps based on our research.

Core
TOK – In TOK classes, we were introduced to the subject of Theory of Knowledge, by understanding the significance of the subject and the importance of the different perspectives towards knowledge. We studied what the subject entails and even understood the assessment rubric, which contains the distinct components of essay writing and presentation.
In addition, we discussed the Ways of Knowing and the Areas of Knowledge, which allowed us to comprehend the subject even further. The information provided a foundation for us and assisted in conducting meaningful conversations. Using case studies, the class extended their database and made connections with the subject. After peering through multiple viewpoints on numerous concepts of the subject, we were asked to write a short essay on the topic: ‘To what extent is validation of knowledge necessary for information to be considered reliable.’ After taking into account of the claims and counterclaims, we used 2 areas of knowledge to justify our perspectives. By Samarth Chopra DP1 B

CAS -The academic year started off by sharing our ideas for CAS as to what possible activities can take place in Creativity, Activity and Service. Few engaging activities were conducted in the class for better understanding. We understood that CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by reciprocal learning through experience. A presentation was conducted in the class and we were introduced to the requirements of the CAS portfolio. By Tanmay Sehgal- DP1 A

Welcome to the blog for DP 1B “Thinking Hat for DP 1B” (2019-20)