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Exploring the IB Geography syllabus provides a clear view of the skills and knowledge you'll acquire throughout the course. Join us as we unpack the key concepts of the syllabus, giving you a better understanding of what to expect on your learning journey.
IB Geography Syllabus + Topics
The IB Geography syllabus is made up of three components:
- Core topics
- Option topics
- HL extension (for HL students only)
Core
For the core component, both SL and HL students explore three units.
Unit 1: Changing Population
In this unit, students explore the following topics:
- Population and economic development patterns
- Changing populations and places
- Challenges and opportunities
Unit 2: Climate change – vulnerability and resilience
In this unit, students explore the following topics:
- Causes of global climate change
- Consequences of global climate changes
- Responding to global climate change
Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security
In this unit, students explore the following topics:
- Global trends in consumption
- Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption
- Resource stewardship
Options
In the option topics component of the IB Geography syllabus, SL students select two topics, while HL students choose three from the following list:
Option A: Freshwater
In this topic, you will explore the following:
- Drainage basin hydrology and geomorphology
- Flooding and flood mitigation
- Water quality and water scarcity
- Water management futures
Option B: Oceans and coastal margins
In this topic, you will explore the following:
- Ocean-atmosphere interactions
- Interactions between oceans and coastal place
- Managing coastal margins
- Ocean management futures
Option C: Extreme enviornments
In this topic, you will learn about the following:
- The characteristics of extreme environments
- Physical processes and landscapes
- Managing extreme environments
- Extreme environments futures
Option D: Geophysical hazards
In this topic, you will learn about the following:
- Geophysical systems
- Geophysical hazard risks
- Hazard risk and vulnerability
- Future, resilience, and adaptations
Option E: Leisure, tourism and sport
In this topic, you will learn about the following:
- Changing leisure patterns
- Tourism and sport at the local and national scale
- Tourism and sport at the international scale
- Managing tourism and sport for the future
Option F: Food and health
In this topic, you will learn about the following:
- Measuring food and health
- Food systems and spread of diseases
- Stakeholders in food and health
- Future health and food security and sustainability
Option G: Urban environments
In this topic, you will explore the following:
- The variety of urban environments
- Changing urban systems
- Urban environmental and social stresses
- Building sustainable urban systems for the future
HL Extension
HL students also study the follwing units:
Unit 4: Power, places, and networks
In this unit, you will explore the following:
- Global interactions and global power
- Global networks and flows
- Human and physical influences on global interactions
Unit 5: Human development and diversity
In this unit, you will explore the following:
- Development opportunities
- Changing identities and cultures
- Local responses to global interactions
Unit 6: Global risks and resilience
In this unit, you will explore the following:
- Geopolitical and economic risks
- Environmental risks
- Local and global resilience
We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.
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