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Course Descriptions
2025/26

Social Studies 9   
(Grade 9; Full Year; 1.0 credit)

This course aims to foster the development of critical thinking skills by exploring various areas within the humanities through a conceptual approach. Throughout the duration of the course, students will delve into elements of history, geography, politics, and economics, while simultaneously sharpening their research, comprehension, and communication skills. The course will delve into key concepts such as Peace and Conflict, Power and Authority, Cause & Consequence, Perspective, Change, & Continuity, which will be applied to analyze diverse case studies encompassing political and social revolutions, imperialism and development in Africa and Asia, as well as global alliances within the context of WW1 and the League of Nations. Upon completion of SS9, students will possess the necessary skills and conceptual understanding to further their study of social studies in SS10.

Historia 9
(Grade 9; Semester; .5 credit)

The primary content emphasis for this course pertains to the study of Argentine history from independence to the formation and consolidation of the Argentine State in the second half of the 19th century. Students will be exposed to the historical, political, economic, and sociological events which influenced the development of Argentina and the resulting impact on world history. In order to allow students to fully understand the relationship between cause and effect in historical events, they will work in the development of historical thinking skills: chronological reasoning, comparing and contextualizing, crafting historical arguments using historical evidence, and interpreting and synthesizing historical narrative. The subject is taught in Spanish and includes different kinds of evaluation (practical work, essays, exams, oral presentations).

Historia 9 for Spanish as a Second Language (SSL)
(Grade 9; Semester; .5 credit) 

The primary content emphasis for this course pertains to the study of Argentine history from independence to the formation and consolidation of the Argentine State in the second half of the 19th century. Students will be exposed to political, economic, and social events which influenced the formation of Argentina, as well as make connections between local events and global developments. In order to allow students to fully understand the relationship between cause and effect in historical events, they will work in the development of historical thinking skills: chronological reasoning, contextualizing, crafting historical arguments using historical evidence, and interpreting and synthesizing historical narrative. The class is taught in English and students are expected to work individually on weekly projects. 

Social Studies 10   
(Grade 10; Full Year; 1.0 credit)

In Year 10 Social Studies, students continue their exploration of the humanities with a focus on developing critical thinking skills. The course, planned in compliance with the Argentine national curriculum, encompasses various disciplines, including history, geography, politics, and economics, while emphasizing research, analysis, critique, and communication skills. Through a conceptual and skills-based approach, students engage with key concepts such as Justice, Power, Development, Cause & Consequence, Change & Continuity, Significance, Perspective. These are applied to investigate major events in the 20th and 21st centuries, with a focus on Asia and Europe. Students are expected to produce multi-perspectival interpretations and communicate their learning through various means. The course offers opportunities for the exploration of student interest through personal, rigorous research projects that prepare them for higher-level study, particularly in IB Humanities courses and the Extended Essay project. 

Historia 10
(Grade 10; Semester; .5 credit)

The subject reflects on fundamental issues of Argentine History of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. Through a journey of the political, social, economic and cultural history of Argentina in this period, students will arrive at a global understanding of the historical evolution of the country. With the use of certain conceptual tools, students will put into practice historical thinking, leading them to develop a critical perspective, in order to facilitate the analysis of the historical processes that will be studied during the subject. Likewise, work and research activities will be carried out that will deepen the proposed study. The development of comparative works with other Latin American historical realities will also be encouraged. The subject is taught in Spanish and includes different kind of evaluation (practical work, essays, exams, oral presentations).

Historia 10 for Spanish as a Second Language (SSL)
(Grade 10; Semester; .5 credit) 

Historia 10 focuses on fundamental issues of Argentine History of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, aiming to promote a global understanding of the political, social, economic and cultural history of the country. Students are expected to apply historical thinking to develop a critical perspective of topics, in order to facilitate the analysis of the events and processes that will be studied. The class is taught in English and students are expected to work individually on weekly research projects. 

IB History Standard Level (SL)
(Grades 11/12; 2 years; 2.0 credits)

IBDP History studies 20th century historical topics, exploring political, social, economic and cultural developments in the world, with a special focus on the Americas. Beyond simply gaining factual knowledge, the course helps students develop historical research skills and a nuanced understanding of multiple interpretations of history. There are six key concepts focused on in the course: change, continuity, causation, consequence, significance and perspectives. The course emphasizes critical thinking-skills through questioning sources, developing interpretations, and understanding the process of creating historical narratives. The ultimate goal of the course is for students to develop a critical understanding of the historical developments that have shaped the world region in which they live. 

The Standard Level (SL) course covers the following units: 

• Rights and Protest (popular movements): The US Civil Rights Movement (1954-1965) and Apartheid Resistance in South Africa (1948-1964)
• Themes in World History: focused on a study of 20th century Authoritarian States from the Americas (Castro's Cuba, Perón's Argentina, Pinochet's Chile) and Europe (Stalin's USSR), and the Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries.
• Inquiry-based historical investigation on a topic of the student’s choice

IB History Higher Level (HL)
(Grades 11/12; 2 years; 2.0 credits)

IBDP History studies 20th-21st century historical topics, exploring political, social, economic and cultural developments in the world, with a special focus on the Americas. Beyond simply gaining factual knowledge, the course helps students develop historical research skills and a nuanced understanding of multiple interpretations of history. There are six key concepts focused on in the course: change, continuity, causation, consequence, significance and perspectives. The course emphasizes critical thinking-skills through questioning sources, developing interpretations, and understanding the creation of historical narrative. The ultimate goal of the course is for students to develop a critical understanding of the historical developments that have shaped the world region in which they live. Content-wise, the HL course delves deeper into the History of the Americas than the SL course. While a particular focus will be on the history of Argentina and the United States, case studies will be considered for detailed study on developments in Chile, China, Korea, Vietnam, the USSR/Russia, and Cuba. A consideration of the Cold War will also examine pan-European politics in relation to the Cold War in the latter half of the century. The ultimate goal of the course is for students to develop a critical understanding of the historical developments that have shaped the world region in which they live.

The Higher Level (HL) course covers the following units:

• Inquiry-based historical investigation on a topic of the student’s choice
• Rights and Protest (popular movements): The US Civil Rights Movement (1954-1965) and Apartheid Resistance in South Africa (1948-1964)
• Themes in World History: focused on a study of 20th century Authoritarian States from the Americas (Castro's Cuba, Perón's Argentina, Pinochet's Chile) and Europe (Stalin's USSR), and the Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries
• Regional study on the Americas, including: Civil Rights and Social Movements in the Americas (post-1945), the Cold War in the Americas (1945-1981), and Political Developments in Latin America (1945-1980).

IB Economics Standard Level (SL)
(Grades 11/12; 2 years; 2.0 credits)

Economics is a dynamic social science. The study of economics is essentially about dealing with scarcity, resource allocation and the methods and processes by which choices are made in the satisfaction of human wants...the IB economics course emphasizes the economic theories of microeconomics, which deal with economic variables affecting individuals, firms and markets, and the economic theories of macroeconomics, which deal with economic variables affecting countries, governments and societies. These economic theories are not studied in a vacuum, rather, they are to be applied to real-world issues. Prominent among these issues are fluctuations in economic activity, international trade, economic development and environmental sustainability. The economics course encourages students to develop international perspectives, fosters a concern for global issues and raises students’ awareness of their own responsibilities at a local, national and international level. The aims of the IBDP Economics course are to enable students to: 

• develop an understanding of microeconomic and macroeconomic theories and concepts and their real-world application 
• develop an appreciation of the impact on individuals and societies of economic interactions between nations 
• develop an awareness of development issues facing nations as they undergo the process of change. 

IB Economics Higher Level (HL)
(Grades 11/12; 2 years; 2.0 credits)

IB Economics HL contains all of the elements of the SL description above.  Both HL and SL have the same internal assessment requirements--3 commentaries (short 3-page papers) that analyze a current event using theory learned in class. The HL course differs from the SL course in that there is more content over the two years, there is more quantitative analysis (calculations), and HL students complete an additional exam (Paper 3) where they are expected to create and justify a policy response to a real-life situation.

IB Global Politics Standard Level (SL)
(Grades 11/12; 2 years; 2.0 credits)

The SL Global Politics course explores fundamental political concepts such as power, sovereignty, international relations, human rights, justice, liberty, equality, globalization, economic and political development, sustainability, peace, and conflict in a range of contexts. It allows students to develop an understanding of the local, national, regional, international and global dimensions of political activity and processes, as well as to explore political issues affecting their own lives. The course helps students to understand abstract political concepts by grounding them in real-world examples and case studies. It also invites comparison between such examples and case studies to ensure a more global perspective. 

Throughout the course students will consider units in the basics of International Relations, Rights and Justice, Development and Sustainability and Peace and Conflict studies. While an IB course, this class is designed to be accessible to all kinds of students and those with any interest in political science, especially international relations. The course focuses on developments within the students lifetime, but historical context is also considered. 

IB Global Politics Higher Level (HL)
(Grades 11/12; 2 years; 2.0 credits)

The HL Global Politics course contains all of the elements of the SL Global Politics course above. In addition to those requirements,  students in the higher level course conduct extended inquiries around global political challenges, with an emphasis on the interconnected nature of these, the complexities and tensions for addressing them, and a solution-oriented focus that highlights possible courses of action. The higher level extension is not composed of additional prescribed content, but by a set of guiding questions that structure students’ research. Students are expected to conduct research on a variety of cases that reflect diverse contexts and relate to multiple global political challenges.  This research is assessed in the Paper 3 (HL only). This will be a stimulus-based paper linked to the HL extension inquiries around global political challenges. Students will be able to use knowledge and evidence gathered from their own researched case studies to respond to the questions. 

Estudios Culturales 1
(Grade 11; 1 quarter; .25 credits)
Estudios Culturales 1 addresses the contents of the Geography and Citizen Education subjects of the National program. It seeks to consider the concepts of geographic spaces and citizenship through the prism of Cultural Studies, an academic discipline born in the 1950s from the hands of a group of professors that managed to give academic status to a series of practices that they had been developing for a long time - to analyze and reflect on culture and the culture produced by the mass media in particular. In this class, Literature, Cinema, images (photographs, graffiti, etc.) and the mass media are used as tools for cultural analysis. The proposed perspective is interdisciplinary: fundamentals of literary theory, semiotics, sociology, anthropology, psychoanalysis, history are used and brought together to approach the study of individuals and the cultural practices that they produce and / or consume in a reflective way. This is a quarter-long subject, taught in Spanish, and assessments include practical work, essays, oral presentations.

Estudios Culturales 1 for Spanish as a Second Language (SSL)
(Grade 11; 1 quarter; .25 credits)

Estudios Culturales 1 addresses the contents of the Geography and Citizen Education subjects of the National program. It seeks to consider geographic spaces and the concept of citizenship through the prism of Cultural Studies, an academic discipline that emerged in the mid-20th century. For this we will turn to literature, cinema, images (photographs, graffiti, etc.) and the mass media. The class is taught in English, and students are expected to work individually on weekly projects. 

Estudios Culturales 2
(Grade 11; 1 quarter; .25 credits)
This course fulfills the requirements of the "Citizenship and Work" subject from the National program curriculum. It approaches the topic through the lens of cultural studies, which examines culture and cultural products from various academic perspectives such as semiotics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and history. The course begins by analyzing the concept of "work" and its different meanings and interpretations. While work is commonly understood as an activity performed to earn a living, it encompasses broader dimensions that will be explored using diverse intellectual frameworks and engaging in various activities. In a later stage of the course, the focus shifts to the relationship between work and citizenship. The course examines the concept of citizenship, its implications, and its role within a democratic society. This exploration leads to a deeper understanding of the foundations of our political system, our democratic, pluralistic, and multicultural way of life, and establishes connections with the earlier reflections on work. Additionally, the course recognizes work as an arena in which people come together and form certain types of relationships. The debate surrounding whether these relationships should be confined to the private sphere or regulated by law is also addressed, drawing on contemporary examples. This is a quarter-long subject, taught in Spanish, and assessments include practical work, essays, oral presentations.

Estudios Culturales 2 for Spanish as a Second Language (SSL)
(Grade 12; 1 quarter; .25 credits)

Estudios Culturales 2 seeks to analyze and reflect on the meaning of work/ labor as it connects with the concept of citizenship. Using analytical tools from Cultural Studies, students will explore how these concepts are impacted and shaped by notions of representation and subjectivity. The course begins by analyzing and thinking about the word "work", and the various meanings it can contain -- from the activity that a person must do to earn a living, to an area in which people converge to enter into a certain kind of relationship that can be private or regulated by law. The class is taught in English, and students are expected to work individually on weekly projects.