Internal assessment requirements

What is it about?  IA consists of one individual scientific investigation  Internally assessed, externally moderated by the IB  10 hours  6 to 12 pages long  23 points  Starts today, due on december

How is it evaluated? Internal assessment rubric Exploration: 25% of the 1st partial grade Data collection and processing: 25% of the 2nd partial grade First draft with conclusion and evaluation: 25% of the 3rd partial grade Final draft: 50% of the quimester exam

What type of investigations?  a hands-on laboratory investigation  using a spreadsheet for analysis and modelling  extracting data from a database and analysing it graphically  producing a hybrid of spreadsheet/database work with a traditional hands-on investigation  using a simulation provided it is interactive and open-ended.

What is the objective? Although the requirements for IA are Centered on the investigation, the different types of practical activities that a student may engage in serve other purposes, including:  illustrating, teaching and reinforcing theoretical concepts  developing an appreciation of the essential hands-on nature of much scientific work  developing an appreciation of scientists’ use of secondary data from databases  developing an appreciation of scientists’ use of modelling  developing an appreciation of the benefits and limitations of scientific methodology.

Let´s get started… Brainstorming… What contents of Biology called my atention? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Example: the use of DIFFERENT ORGANIC fertilizers in tomato growth

Research questions  Formulate questions that include a dependent and an independent variable  Example:  What fertilizer (COW HUMUS, RABIT HUMUS, OR HORSE HUMUS) IMPROVES MOST THE PRODUCTIVITY OF TOMATO PLANTS? The Independent variable is: HUMUS fertilizerS OF DIFFERENT SOURCES The dependent variable IS: PRODUCTIVITY OF TOMATO PLANTS MEASURED IN biomass (%)  What other research questions are possible?

Now it´s your turn…  Possible research questions: 1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 Selecting your question is the most important part of the internal assessment  The question should be:  Interesting  Creative  Open and able to generate a conflict  Allow the possibility to find sources with diffferent opinions  Insentivate curiosity and imagination

Once you have a research question…  Think of how you would answer this research question through experimenting or using a database.  You may need to do some research to answer this… find several reliable sources, not only from Internet.

Lab design: components  Title:  Includes the dependent (responding) and independent (manipulated) variables, not in the form of a question, use words such as: effect of, efficiency of, time of…  Introduction  5 paragraph essay  ackground information – research related to your subject  Justification of your reasons to make the research  Description of your dependent variable (what you will be measuring)  Description of your independent variable (what you will be varying)  What are your expectations  Cited sources (must, at least three sources)

Lab design: components  Research question: must mention the dependent (responding) and independent (manipulated) variable  Variables: in the form of a data table Manipulative variables (independent) Responding variables (dependent) Control (what am I going to compare against?) Constants INCLUDE UNITS What are you varying? INCLUDE UNITS, HOW IS IT MEASURED? What are you measuring? INCLUDE UNITS10, WITH DETAILS OF HOW EACH IS CONTROLLED

 Materials:  Listed with units and errors Procedures :  Numbered  Detailed  considers all the variables  Includes safety and ethics  Includes a data table of results (how data will be collected)

 Remember your due date  Finish it up before the due date, remember that you will have many quizzes and projects during that week.  If it is ready, please turn it in today. If presented until Friday 18, I will print it for you.