Understanding how the detailed syllabus works

The detailed syllabus is the most important version of the syllabus when it comes to teaching. As an example, I have added my own labels to part of Topic 3 (taken from page 42 of the IB Chemistry Subject Guide) to illustrate exactly how the detailed syllabus is laid out and the information it provides.

At the beginning of each sub-topic the essential idea underpinning the sub-topic is stated. The 'Essential idea' reflects an interpretation of the concept inherent in the sub-topic consistent with the public understanding of science.

Each sub-topic is numbered sequentially based on the main topic. The section on “Nature of science” follows on immediately after the name of the sub-topic. This gives specific examples which illustrate some of the aspects of nature of science within the context of the sub-topic. To help teachers (and students) in their understanding of how these examples fit into the overall themes included in the nature of science, links are provided to specific references in the “Nature of Science” section of the guide.

Below the overarching theme of Nature of Science there are two columns. The first column (on the left-hand side) covers “Understandings”. This lists the main general ideas that are covered in the sub-topic. Underneath this, the section on “Applications and skills” outlines the specific applications and skills to be developed. In some of the sub-topics the "Applications and skills" section includes references to areas where mandatory experiments should be performed.

The last heading of the left-hand side, called "Guidance", gives information about the limits and constraints and the depth of treatment required for teachers and examiners (i.e. what examples to use, what depth to teach the topic to, and sometimes what does not need to be included).

The contents of the “Nature of Science” section above the two columns and all the contents of the first (left-hand) column are all legitimate items for assessment. In addition, some assessment of international-mindedness in science, from the content of the second (right-hand) column, may take place as in the previous (pre-2014) programme.

The second column on the right-hand side gives suggestions to teachers and students about relevant references to:

• International-mindedness.
   
• Examples of some theory of knowledge questions (see the published 2013 Theory of knowledge guide). These can be used to help students prepare for thinking about and writing their prescribed TOK essay.
   
• Utilization or “Links”. This section, where it is included, provides some examples of how the sub-topic may be linked to other parts of the chemistry syllabus, to other Diploma subjects and/or to real-life applications.
   
• Aims. This section gives examples of how some of the ten specific Group 4 aims are being addressed in the subtopic.

"TOK", "Utilization" and "Aims" will not be assessed. They help to set the sub-topic into context and could provide a useful source of ideas for IA projects.

The detailed syllabus certainly does what it says on the tin - it is very detailed and it means you have a very clear idea of exactly what you need to cover in your teaching. Remember there is nothing to stop you teaching material that is not on the syllabus - it simply means that it will not be examined. It is also important to state that the syllabus is complete - no prior knowledge of chemistry is assumed. You may think that a chemistry student at this level should know how to test for the presence of sulfate ions in solution but as it is not on the syllabus it cannot be examined. For the most part the syllabus is clear and unambiguous but there are just a few places where there are problems of clarity and indeed delivery. These should not worry you when you are starting out but I have listed and discussed them under the relevant sub-topics in Teaching each topic & sub-topic in the  Core & AHL section of this site.  

I think it is helpful to also give your students a copy of the detailed syllabus. It is possibly not a good idea right at the beginning of the course (you do not want to put them off!) but sometime during their first year is probably the best time. Some teachers just put the whole detailed syllabus as it is on the school’s intranet or simply give their students a hard copy. Others cut and paste the detailed syllabus until it follows their own teaching sequence - this means you can also leave out the three options they are not covering which makes it more manageable. Whichever way you give it to them, students can use it when they come to revise/review. They will find it invaluable when you claim to have completely covered a whole topic or option in your teaching as they can check that they have actually come across everything and hopefully know and understand the contents listed for each sub-topic.