Course Outline
Global politics is an exciting new addition to the individuals and societies subject group of the Diploma Programme (DP) and is the newest Group 3 subject at Island School. This pre-IB course explores the fundamental political concepts of Global Politics, such as power, equality, sustainability and peace, in a range of contexts and through a variety of approaches. It introduces students an understanding of the local, national, international and global dimensions of political activity, as well as allowing them the opportunity to explore political issues affecting their own lives. By the end of this course, students should be able to understand the unique approach that global politics takes to analysing the contemporary world.
1. What is global politics?
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This first session introduces students to the basic structure of the IBDP global politics course and discusses why it is important to study global politics. We also examine some of the key concepts of the course, as well as define what political issues are.
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2. How is the course assessed?
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Our next session explores how the Global Politics course is assessed. We examine how the Paper 1 and 2 exams are structured, before considering the Engagement Activity (EA) and HL extension videos. We end by discussing the benefits of taking the EE in GP.
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3. How can we analyse global politics?
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Global politics takes a unique analytical approach. Knowing how to deploy a conceptual-lense when studying politics is a key part of this. This lesson examines how these concepts, levels of analysis, perspectives, and theories can all be used to study and explore global politics.
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4. What political issues do I care about?
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Global politics is a hugely varied area of study and political issues can be found at all levels of society. Sometimes, this level of complexity can be confusing. This lesson therefore gives students the chance to reflect upon the issues and challenges that truly motivate them.
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5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal?
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The outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic has had far reaching impacts not just on human health and economies, but also on the structure and distribution of power in the world. Understanding how this crisis might change the world is a key task of political analysts.
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8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
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Having explored what global politics is and how it can help us understand the world, this lesson finishes our pre-IB course by exploring ways in which students can prepare for their IBDP programme, as well as to look at future career and study opportunities with GP.
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