Criteria for The New Internal AsSESSMENT
More information to come.. The file below is the criteria itself.
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Disclaimer:
The opposite button has an archive of past student papers. These are not assigned a mark and may not achieve high marks but they are examples. You are able to get an idea of what to do. Any plagiarism from past student work will not be accepted. All work submitted, goes through Turnitin. All prior student work is stored on Turnitin, so attempts to copy these papers will be caught. |
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Structure notes:
The structure of your IA should be roughly similar to this for clarity and flow of the paper. This is a very simple guide but should help support your understanding of the criteria.
1. Research question:
4. Methodology:
The structure of your IA should be roughly similar to this for clarity and flow of the paper. This is a very simple guide but should help support your understanding of the criteria.
1. Research question:
- Develop a research question relevant to the topic you're studying.
- Ensure that your research question has measurable variables
- Rationale for your study
- Environmental issue
- Context of the environmental issue in relation to research question
4. Methodology:
- Variables & control
- sampling technique with justification to rationalize the sampling
- Step by step method of data collection
- Materials and apparatus
- Analysis of the data demonstrating some data manipulation
- Graphical representation of the data
- Statements making connections with the data and the research question
- Conclusion answering the hypothesis with data to support
- Evaluation of the conclusion in context to the environmental issue.
- Application of the results to a broader environmental issue.
- States the strengths and weaknesses of the method
- Suggests improvements for accuracy
Possible IA investigations
- Water pollution and Lemna growth
- Investigate the growth of duckweed (Lemna) over time, given different conditions. Possible suggestions are: water type or a pollutant common in water bodies—oil, heavy metals, pesticides and fertilizers.
- Photosynthesis
- Investigate the effect of one factor of your choice on photosynthetic rates of Elodea. The teacher may give the general set-up for gathering the rate of photosynthesis. The student can be assessed on the design of the factor to be changed.
- Investigate the effect of one factor of your choice on photosynthetic rates of Elodea. The teacher may give the general set-up for gathering the rate of photosynthesis. The student can be assessed on the design of the factor to be changed.
- Zonation
- After a preliminary field visit to a particular ecosystem, investigate the presence or absence of zonation patterns.
- Productivity
- Investigate changes in productivity in different habitats of an ecosystem that you have visited. Measurements of productivity may have been taught by the teacher. The planning criterion can be assessed by the application of the
techniques to the habitats.
- Investigate changes in productivity in different habitats of an ecosystem that you have visited. Measurements of productivity may have been taught by the teacher. The planning criterion can be assessed by the application of the
- Environmental gradient
- Use a sampling method to quantify the pattern and measure changes in an abiotic factor that is considered responsible for the gradient.
- Use a sampling method to quantify the pattern and measure changes in an abiotic factor that is considered responsible for the gradient.
- Population growth curves
- Design an investigation that will look at a limiting factor on plant, animal or fungi growth (for example, flour weevils, duckweed (Lemna), yeast).
- Succession
- Investigate succession in an ecosystem of your choice. You could use your sampling skills to determine if the differences seen can be attributed to succession by comparing findings with literature regarding species expected in
the area. - Note: This is only practicable if youare near abandoned fields, or that have access to fields whose history of clearing is known.]
- Investigate succession in an ecosystem of your choice. You could use your sampling skills to determine if the differences seen can be attributed to succession by comparing findings with literature regarding species expected in
- Soil
- Plan an investigation into one of these aspects of soil: (a) compaction, (b) soil conditioners, (c) wind reduction techniques or (d) organic content levels, or (e) moisture levels.
- Plan an investigation into one of these aspects of soil: (a) compaction, (b) soil conditioners, (c) wind reduction techniques or (d) organic content levels, or (e) moisture levels.
- Erosion due to run-off
- Plan and carry out an investigation into the factors that affect sediment load in run-off.
- Plan and carry out an investigation into the factors that affect sediment load in run-off.
- Diversity indices
- Investigate differences in diversity for two or more different habitats.
- Investigate differences in diversity for two or more different habitats.
- Acid rain
- Design an experiment to measure the effect of acid rain on either plants or building materials.
- Design an experiment to measure the effect of acid rain on either plants or building materials.