PERSONIFYING HISTORY IN IB

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September 7, 2022

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Notre Dame Prep seniors taking International Baccalaureate History HL Year 2 bring history to life as they truly become "global citizens," a central tenet of IB pedagogy.

In 2017, the International Baccalaureate organization made some changes to its approach to one of its signature courses at the Diploma Program level. The idea essentially was to help learners taking IB History to more clearly connect subject content to wider global themes in an environment that promotes concept-based learning and enables a more active, student-centered approach. 

Consistent with IB's overall pedagogy, the course adjustment also was made to more consistently promote independent thought, thereby strengthening understanding and achievement.

New content in the history class included the selection of one prescribed subject from a choice of: military leaders; conquest and its impact; the move to global war; rights and protest; and conflict and intervention.

The new approach was designed so that developing big picture, trans-disciplinary skills remained more of a priority in the new syllabus guide. In IB History, this means creating a solid link between factual content, cross-disciplinary concepts and skills.

This semester, students in Dave Osiecki's IB History HL class have begun their second year of the course with a "historical meet and greet," in which each student adopts the personas of historical figures such as Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, as well as common citizens of the eras and cultures they studied last year. 

Katrina Sagert, an English teacher in the upper school and International Baccalaureate Diploma Program coordinator, said the seniors in Osiecki's class wore name tags this week to identify their personas and spent class time rotating to new partners and conversing in character. 

"Activities like this that bring history to life truly are the hallmarks of an IB History course," she added. 

She also said the course promotes the intercultural awareness and understanding that are necessary for global citizens, also a major component of the IB philosophy. 

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.

About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.