Internal Assessment 2016 IB Chemistry Year 2 HL

Internal Assessment The IA investigation allows a student to carry out an inquiry on a topic of their own choice. The investigation aims to: Develop research and writing skills Foster a journey of intellectual discovery Foster creativity Provide students with an opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge Provide students with an opportunity to pursue a topic of personal interest Reinforce Chemistry concepts and principles Develop an appreciation for how scientists’ use of data and models, Develop an appreciation for the benefits and limitations of science. Make local and/or global connections

What is the IA? The IA in the group 4 sciences is a single investigation or exploration on a topic of the student’s choice. It is marked out of 24 points but counts for 20% of the total IB Chemistry grade. The requirements and assessment criteria at SL and HL are the same.

How is it graded? The teacher marks the IA using the published criteria and submits the marks to the IB for moderation. Moderation is the principal tool used to ensure marking reliability in internally assessed work that has been marked by the teacher.If there is a difference in the interpretation of the criteria an adjustment is made to the teachers marks by the IB Assessment Center. This is based on the differences between the marks awarded by the teacher and the marks of the moderator. As a result the marks for all students in the class may be lowered, raised or remain the same.

How do I choose a topic? Choosing a topic of interest is not something you will just decide on over night. It will take thoughtful consideration. Some triggers could be Reflect at the end of each topic you have studied and record these reflections for future reference. What particular concept, idea, lesson, application, experiment sparked your interest / curiosity? What else would you like to know? Keep a record / journal of practical investigations you have enjoyed, questions you have, or something of interest you saw online. Are you interested in learning more? Development of a topic / idea you has explored during the Group 4 project. Once you have a topic that interests you, carry out some background research. Find 3 helpful and informative websites, videos, animations about the chemistry related to the topic.

Personal Engagement The personal engagement criteria assesses the extent to which you engage with your topic and make it your own. Personal engagement reveals itself in different ways and may include addressing personal interests or showing evidence of independent thinking, creativity or initiative in the designing, implementation or presentation of the investigation (IBO, 2013)

Personal Engagement To score the maximum of two marks the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: Show clear evidence of significant independent thinking or creativity. Demonstrate personal significance, interest or curiosity in the choice of research question or topic under investigation. Provide evidence of personal input and initiative in the design, implementation or presentation.

Exploration To score the maximum of six marks for Exploration the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: Identify the topic and describe a relevant and fully focused research question. Contain entirely appropriate and relevant background information that enhances the scientific context of the investigation. Use highly appropriate methodology to address the research question that takes into account all, or nearly all, of the factors that have a significant influence on the relevance, reliability and sufficiency of the data collected. Show full awareness of any significant environmental, ethical and safety issues that are relevant to the methodology used, if appropriate.

Research question For example, consider a student whose favorite desert is ice cream and jelly. He was interested in the dye’s used to color the jelly and wondered whether different brands used the same dye . The type of thought processes that he went through to arrive first for the topic of the essay and then a sharply focused research question are shown below. Notice how it took six attempts to get a focused question. Chemical analysis of jelly – far too broad. This is a topic not a research question Analysis of red dyes in strawberry jelly – Not fully focused. Analysis of red dyes in strawberry jelly crystal using chromatography – getting better; nearly there. The analysis of the red dye in different brands of strawberry jelly crystals using paper chromatography – Topic is relevant and fully focused

Exploration After the research question comes: Background Information Methodology Environmental, ethical and safety concerns

Analysis To score the maximum of six marks for Analysis the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: Include sufficient relevant quantitative and qualitative raw data that is able to support a detailed and valid conclusion to the research question. Show that the recorded data has been sufficiently processed in an appropriate and accurate manner so that a conclusion can be drawn which is fully consistent with the experimental data. Show clearly the impact of the uncertainties associated with measured data on the processed results and how they affect the conclusion.

Analysis Quantitative and qualitative data Processing of data Overall uncertainty

Evaluation To score the maximum of six marks for Evaluation the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: Present a detailed conclusion that is consistent with the facts presented and is completely relevant to the research question. Justify the conclusion by relevant comparison to the accepted scientific context. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the investigation and the methodology used. This should include limitations associated with the data and sources of error and show a clear understanding of the factors affecting the validity of the conclusion. Discuss relevant and realistic ways in which the investigation might be improved and extended.

Evaluation Conclusion Strengths and weaknesses Improvements and extensions

Communication To score the maximum of four marks for Communication the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: Be written and presented clearly so that any errors do not hinder the understanding of the focus, process and outcomes. Be well structured so that the necessary information relating to focus, process and outcomes is presented coherently. Be concise and relevant so that the focus, process and outcomes can be readily understood. Use correct chemical terminology and conventions and attribute all sources in a recognized manner.

Good Resources http://ibchemistryinvestigation.curiouscurie.com/?page_id=659