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Subjects in the Upper Secondary Level
German
In the gymnasiale Oberstufe, German is taught as a four-hour basic course during the introductory phase, and in the qualification phase, it is taught either as a five-hour advanced course or continued as a three-hour basic course.
In addition to the content prescribed in the curriculum, work is carried out at extracurricular locations, such as projects with authors and the Weser-Kurier; we also attend theater performances and participate in creative writing competitions.
In the introductory phase (E-Phase), the language skills already achieved in the lower secondary level are expanded. Through engagement with literature and theoretical texts, a conscious and nuanced use of language is encouraged. Our topics include non-fiction analysis, as well as the analysis and interpretation of short stories, poems, dramas, and novels. Gradually, students are prepared both in terms of content and methodology for the mandatory central Abitur topics. In this process, students learn the fundamentals to analyze and interpret challenging texts (non-fiction, literary texts, political speeches). Furthermore, we critically examine the topic of media and media consumption. Cultural general education is also promoted by providing an overview of literary epochs and allowing students to reflect on their own language use based on communication models.
Mathematics
Mathematics remains a mandatory core subject in the upper secondary level and must be taken until the Abitur, either as an advanced course in the math profile or as a basic course. Here, weaker students are supported and high-performing students are challenged. Every year, the Mathematics department offers a math camp for the 13th grade. This enables particularly intensive preparation for the Abitur examination. Pedagogically, the focus in the upper secondary level also remains on action- and problem-oriented teaching.
Thematically, we concentrate on analysis in the introductory phase (E-Phase, 11th grade). It is a central topic in mathematics and primarily deals with differential and integral calculus.
In Qualification Phase 1 (Q1, 12th grade), analytical geometry follows, which primarily deals with vectors, lines, planes, and matrices. Another main topic is stochastics, which consists of probability theory and statistics. Q2 (13th grade) begins with integral calculus, focusing on area and volume calculations. Additionally, the previously mentioned topics are further deepened.
Ongoing projects include: Kangaroo of Mathematics and the Mathematics Olympiad.
Foreign Languages
English
English as a universal “lingua franca” is indispensable and unrivaled in the course of globalization and technological advancement. Achieving the highest possible language proficiency in this language is of great importance almost everywhere, whether in school, university, or professional life. Therefore, we place great value on practicing all four fundamental skills (Speaking, Listening, Mediation, and Writing) in a versatile manner. In the upper secondary level, English is initially taught as a four-hour basic course in the introductory phase. From the qualification phase until the Abitur, students learn for either three hours per week in the basic course or five hours in the advanced course (English profile or elective advanced course) on topics related to regional studies and intercultural issues, media, humanity, and society – the range is very broad, as is the use of media and literature: we analyze non-fiction texts, interpret fictional texts and films, and occasionally visit the theater.
Spanish
Spanish, as one of the most important and widely spoken languages in Europe and around the world, opens up new cultural horizons and opportunities for communication. In our upper secondary level, Spanish is offered as a beginner’s course (four hours) or an advanced course (three hours): Our lessons convey essential everyday vocabulary and cover regional aspects of Spain and Latin America, such as migration from Africa to Spain or from Mexico to the USA, as well as historical or tourism-related topics. We practice dialogues and role-plays, read texts and books, listen to music, and also engage with topics such as social media and youth language.
A study trip to Spain during the introductory or qualification phase offers our students the opportunity to get to know the country and culture and to apply their acquired language skills in real everyday situations.
Arts
Performing Arts
The subject of Performing Arts is offered in the upper secondary level as a fixed (German profile) or elective basic course. We work interdisciplinarily: we analyze and interpret various dramas and other text genres and deal with the history of theater. In the process, students get to know different stage forms and engage with theoretical approaches to theater. We watch productions and analyze them.
In practice, we experiment with theatrical means and forms of representation, do voice training, and work on physical presence in facial expressions, gestures, use of space, and interaction. Students create text versions and learn the basics of character work, which they implement practically in their own productions before an audience. For this purpose, they design stage sets, posters, and program booklets, and sometimes even create the music themselves.
In this way, students get to know theater as an art form that offers a great deal: it provokes thought, provides impulses, asks questions, expresses criticism, and reflects reality in various forms.
Art
In the upper secondary level, art lessons combine theoretical knowledge with students’ own artistic practice. Students engage with art-historical contexts and transfer these insights into their own work.
The focus is on works from high culture and everyday life – from classical artworks to modern visual worlds, design, and media. Trips to museums complement the art lessons. In this way, students develop a broad understanding of art and its significance.
At the same time, they have the opportunity to find and further develop their own artistic expression. They work both precisely and under guidance as well as freely and experimentally.
A component of the lessons is also the curation and presentation of one’s own work in exhibitions. Thus, students experience art not only in the classroom but also in public.
Music
Music at GSO is fun! Music with us is unique, emotionally diverse, varied, and invites you to try things out and experiment. In this way, music brings us to both small and large stages.
Music lessons in the gymnasiale Oberstufe are taught as a three-hour basic course and a five-hour advanced course. Regardless of whether it is a basic or advanced course: one hour of it can be freely chosen as a practical course.
There are workshops for our choir, our big bands, for songs, music on the computer, and technology. Naturally, cooperation with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, which is based in our building, also plays a major role in music lessons.
Sciences
Biology
An important goal of biology lessons from grade 9 and in the upper secondary level is to provide learners with an understanding of the complexity of the habitats surrounding them, while also establishing and developing an emotional connection to living nature and its biodiversity. The GSO location offers ideal conditions for this, as several ecosystems are within walking distance or reachable by bicycle: the Wümmewiesen, the Bultensee, and the Blockland. With the help of an in-house cargo bike, research materials can also be transported into the field. Through cooperation with local environmental associations, such as TNU and NordwestNatur, learners gain insights not only into ecosystems but also into practical nature conservation work. Another goal of the lessons is to achieve self-understanding and self-competence through an understanding of the organ systems of the human body, and to act in a health-conscious manner as well as to take on social responsibility. Here, the question of our biological origin is also addressed, both evolutionarily and genetically. A central task of biology lessons in times of Artificial Intelligence and fake news is also to make scientific procedures, methods, and empirical data evaluation comprehensible. Recognizing scientifically verifiable statements is a core competence for adolescents who face the challenge of developing reasoned arguments from a wealth of media information and thus being able to participate in social discourse.
Chemistry
In the subject of Chemistry, material phenomena that occur in the students’ daily lives are made tangible and reflected upon at the particle level. In the process, students are sensitized to chemical-scientific ways of thinking and working. In the science practice rooms, experimental opportunities are created to generate material insights and link them with subject-specific knowledge. When appropriate, thematically relevant excursions and projects are carried out.
Physics
The subject of Physics in the upper secondary level deepens the understanding of fundamental natural laws and shows how they shape our world in everyday life. This is not just about applying formulas, but about recognizing, explaining, and critically questioning physical relationships.
Students encounter many contents daily, often without noticing it immediately: movements and forces in road traffic, energy conversions in household appliances, the transmission of information via radio and light, or the play of colors in a rainbow. Furthermore, physics helps in understanding modern technologies, such as smartphones or heat pumps, and how they function. Thus, the subject of Physics forms a bridge between known fundamentals and future-oriented technologies.
A central component of the lessons is scientific work. Students plan experiments, perform measurements, and evaluate their results. In doing so, they learn to use models, apply mathematical methods, and present their findings in a comprehensible manner. This promotes analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, the conscious perception of the world, and the classification of technical developments.
Social Sciences
Geography
The subject of Geography deals with the relationship between humans and space – that is, how people use, shape, and change their living environment.
The goal of the lessons is to understand and critically reflect on the complex relationships between natural conditions and human action.
In the introductory phase (E-Phase), the focus is on physical geography. Topics such as the structure of the earth, volcanism, climate and vegetation zones, as well as the use of various natural areas – such as agricultural use in arid regions – are central. At the same time, content from lower secondary level (Sekundarstufe I) is repeated and deepened to create a solid foundation of knowledge.
In the qualification phase (Q1 and Q2), global issues increasingly come into focus. Learners deal with topics such as globalization, sustainability, tourism, and urban development. In the process, both the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly interconnected world are highlighted.
Methodologically, students work with maps, diagrams, statistics, and models. Different spatial examples and current problems promote geographical thinking and the ability to develop solution strategies for future questions – so that people can continue to live well on our earth tomorrow.
History
History opens up social developments over time, makes causes, consequences, and perspectives visible, and promotes orientation competence in a complex present.
In the introductory phase, the fundamentals of source studies and scientific work with historical sources are taught: students analyze and contextualize German and sometimes English-language sources, develop their own questions, and train central analysis, judgment, and presentation skills.
From the qualification phase onwards, the courses work on specific topics of modern and contemporary history, which are based on the requirements of the Bremen central Abitur and change every two years. Excursions – also in combination with course trips – deepen the content on-site and incorporate collaborations with museums, memorial and learning sites, archives, and, if applicable, universities.
A variety of working forms (individual, partner, and group work, projects, presentations, debates) as well as analog and digital materials (textbook according to the framework plan, source readers, digital tools, and archives) are used in the classroom. Performance assessment is carried out in accordance with the regulations for the gymnasiale Oberstufe on the basis of exams, term papers or projects, oral participation, and portfolios. Exam-oriented formats such as material-based exams and historical essays systematically prepare students for the central Abitur.
The overarching goal of the subject is the education of enlightened, critically thinking young people who know historical developments, draw parallels to the present, participate in discussions in a well-founded manner, and understand complex factual relationships.
Computer Science
We offer Computer Science as an advanced course in the upper secondary level. It is taught for four hours in the introductory phase (E-Phase, 11th grade) and, like all advanced courses, for five hours from the qualification phase onwards. Topics include, for example, coding theory: How do I store text and images? In the E-Phase, we program simple games using Snap!, a block-based language. In the Q-Phase, we deal with Python. Most AI models are programmed with this language. Furthermore, we address questions of technical computer science (how does a processor calculate, how can it calculate with circuits?), theoretical computer science (how do automata work?), databases, artificial intelligence, and cryptology.
A permanent project in which our students consistently perform excellently is the Bremen Big Data Challenge, organized by three outstanding institutes of the University of Bremen: ZARM, CSL, and Mevis Fraunhofer.
Politics
The subject of Politics aims primarily to strengthen students’ judgment and action competence. Students learn to orient themselves in complex political, social, and economic contexts and to participate actively in public life. The lessons are not just about knowledge, but about understanding democratic structures and analyzing and assessing problems at regional, national, and international levels. The goal is to enable them to participate actively in democracy. This includes, for example, being able to understand and further develop democratic values.
Politics lessons deal with social action aimed at power and its use. In the process, it is examined how the interests of groups or states are asserted and how conflicts can be resolved. The subject is divided into three areas: conditions, content, and processes of politics.
A prerequisite for the subject is an interest in political contexts as well as current social and political events in Bremen, Germany, Europe, and worldwide.
The subject of Politics at GSO is taught over three years from the E-Phase to Q2 as a three-hour basic course. The subject is attached to the Biology and Mathematics profiles. Additionally, Politics can be chosen as an elective course.
For many years, GSO students have organized political discussion events with interesting guests. For example, there are regular discussion rounds with representatives of various parties in the context of state, federal, and European elections.
Economics
In this subject, our students acquire fundamental and in-depth knowledge of economic relationships. Topics such as the market economy, supply and demand, companies, globalization, as well as monetary and economic policy are covered. The goal is to understand and critically classify economic processes.
The subject is offered as both a basic course and an advanced course. The basic course comprises three weekly hours and conveys the most important basic content, while the advanced course, with five weekly hours, allows for a more intensive and detailed examination of economic issues.
In addition to regular lessons, the courses also participate in various projects. These include, for example, the “Econo=Me competition” and “The Stock Market Game.” Here, students learn about trading securities in a practical way. The offer is supplemented by excursions, such as a trip to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main, where insights into the monetary policy of the Eurozone can be gained.
Sports
Sports in the introductory phase (E-Phase) takes place in a weekly double period within the profile group. It serves, on the one hand, as preparation for the sports course system in the qualification phase. On the other hand, students expand and consolidate the basic motor skills learned in the lower secondary level. This approach is intended to accommodate the different starting levels of the students and thus enable them to successfully complete the qualification phase. In terms of content, this is done through exemplary teaching units of possible sports that are offered in the course system during the qualification phase (Q-Phase, grades 12 and 13).
In the Q-Phase, students choose two sports courses for each school year. Each of these focuses on one sport. The courses are offered across grade levels, allowing for a diverse range of options. The classification of sports is based on movement fields: 1. Running, jumping, throwing, putting; 2. Games; 3. Movement on and with equipment; and 4. Rhythmic and dance-like movement design.
Advanced Sports Course
Those who choose Sports as an advanced course receive an additional two hours of theory instruction starting from the E-Phase. This deals with four thematic fields: Introduction to training theory, Sports and health, Athletic movement sequences, and Planning and implementation of a sporting competition. In the Q-Phase, three hours of practice from the movement fields follow, along with two hours of theory on the topics of Realization of one’s own sporting actions, Individual sporting action in a social context, and Sports in a social context. Both theory and practice are tested in the Abitur.