IB Academics

(Click on photos to enlarge and view as slideshow.)

IB Academics

Prospective Students

FAQs

IB Parents

IB Staff

Exams and diplomas

CAS Opportunities

College information

Travel and leadership

Student life and events

IB versus AP

Littleton High School students are fortunate to have academic choices, as we have a very strong IB program and a wide array of Advanced Placement courses. Click here to read a brief explanation of the differences between IB and AP courses and assessments.

To view the array of AP courses, see the Lion's Lore course catalog by clicking here.

IB course sequence

For a look at the current, four-year, IB-track course sequence, including LHS graduation requirements, please click here.

LHS course guide

The Lion's Lore course catalogue for 2013-14 is available by clicking here.

Earning the IB Diploma

Students complete a variety of assessments over the course of their two years in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Assessments take a variety of forms: oral, written, group and individual, papers, experiments, and other projects. Some components are graded by the LHS IB teachers (internal assessments) and others are sent around the globe for grading by experts in their particular subject areas (external assessments).

For each of the six subject areas, students can earn a maximum of 7 points. A matrix of 3 maximum "bonus" points may be earned by completing the 150 hours of CAS (Creative, Action, Service) and the Theory of Knowledge presentation and essay, along with the 4,000-word Extended Essay.

To earn a diploma, students must gain at least 24 points (out of a possible 45).

Sixth Subjects

We offer seven different Sixth Subjects, most of which are Standard Level (SL), one-year courses. Some Sixth Subjects are offered at SL or HL (Higher Level) and stretch over two years. See Ms. Anderson, Mrs. Stulock, or the subject teachers for specifics. Click here to view a power point presentation that describes our Sixth Subjects: Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Design Technology, Chemistry, Philosophy, Psychology.

Our program

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum for 11th and 12th graders. Begun in the 1960s in Geneva, Switzerland, IB was intended to serve internationally mobile students preparing for university. Today, there are three levels of IB -- the Early Years Program, Middle Years Program, and Diploma Program -- which together serve students aged 3 to 19.

Currently in Littleton Public Schools, the only IB program is the DP at Littleton High School.

The IB curriculum focuses on international-mindedness and related traits clustered in the IB Learner Profile. As such, IB students are: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective.

Other useful links:
IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization), http://www.ibo.org/
IBARMS (The IB Association of Rocky Mountain Schools), http://www.ibarms.org/

Academic Performance Policy

Students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Littleton High School adhere to an Academic Performance Policy. To view this policy, click here.

Littleton High School students follow an Academic Integrity Policy. To view this policy, click here.

The International Baccalaureate Organization holds students to a high level of academic integrity. To view the IBO's Guide for Academic Honesty, click here.

Sugar Statistics math project

IB Math Studies students use various candies to develop

a statistics project based on variables relative to their sweets.

Literature tableaux based on a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel

SL and HL

What, exactly, are SL and HL? International Baccalaureate subjects are categorized as Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL) based on duration and amount of teacher/student contact hours. Generally, this means that SL courses are one year long and include 150 teacher-contact hours; HL courses are two years and have 240 teacher-contact hours.

At Littleton High School, some of our SL Sixth Subject courses (such as music) stretch over two school years but meet less than three times a week over those two years, for at least 150 teacher-contact hours.

To earn an IB Diploma, students MUST take AT LEAST three -- and not more than four -- HL courses. All LHS IB Diploma students take the same HL English Literature course and the same HL European/20th Century History course. For their third HL course, many students take IB Biology and some take HL Math, while others take HL Visual Arts or HL Theatre Arts.

Extended Essay

The Extended Essay is a 4,000-word research paper on a topic of the student’s choosing. Students begin this project in the spring of their junior year, do the bulk of their reading over the summer, and complete the essay in the fall of their senior year. Each student chooses an LHS teacher-advisor to work with throughout the research process. Extended Essays are sent around the world to be graded. The EE is unique in that it enables students to become original researchers in a field that interests them. Most students find the process worthwhile and beneficial in preparing them for work they’ll do in college.

IB juniors and seniors should read the Extended Essay Guide and Rubric

for details about the EE process and expectations.

Juniors begin the Extended Essay process in March each year. Throughout the spring they choose a topic and an advisor and then, in the summer, they commence researching and outlining their papers. Various drafts are due in the fall of senior year, and the final paper is due in early December. See Ms. Anderson or Mrs. Stulock for details.