AS Biology Completing your your coursework

Planning  This has already been completed.  Must be a clearly defined section of your final report – write it on separate pages!  Already seen most of your plans.  Difference between your plan and a method is that a plan says what you are going to do a method what you did.  There is no requirement to submit a method as well as a plan.

Implementing (8 marks) I will be marking in three skill areas here: 1. How well you used the apparatus and materials 2. How methodical and organised you were in working 3. How detailed and precise you were in your recording of results. Most of the evidence here does not come from your written work

Implementing (8 marks) 1. How well you used the apparatus and materials  All of you should get at least up to the 4 mark area for this as you handles simple apparatus with reasonable competence.  If you have used a burette with accuracy you can go beyond 4 marks – or any other more complex apparatus  You must have been seen to be working safely – broken apparatus can lose marks here!

Implementing (8 marks) 2. How methodical and organised you were in working  The 4 mark boundary here is that you do the procedures you have planned without any help from your teachers.  The 6 mark boundary is hit if I feel you have been working in an organised, methodical and safe fashion.  I did not see any one working at the 8 mark – meticulous attention to safety at all times. When handling enzymes none of you had your goggles on last lesson!  Must be clear evidence of planning for safety in your plans

Implementing (8 marks) 3. How detailed and precise you were in your recording of results.  Judgements in this area will be firmly based on the written evidence of your results  The 4 mark boundary will be awarded for results tables which have headings and units  6 marks depends on measurements made with precision and attention to detail (I did not see much of this on Friday).  For 6 marks ALL original observations must be recorded clearly and accurately in results tables and SI units must be used  At 8,marks the same applies as for 6 marks but recordings will have been repeated to ensure that the number and type of observations are accurately linked to the hypthesis.

Analysing (8 marks) The three skill areas here are: 1. Communicating information through tables, graphs, prose, annotated drawings and diagrams. 2. Recognising and commenting on trends and patterns in data 3. Conclusions drawn that show you use biological knowledge and understanding

Analysing (8 marks) 1. Communicating information through tables, graphs, prose, annotated drawings and diagrams.  4 mark start with summary tables of your results or graphs drawn to display trends in your results. Graphs must be suitably labelled with the correct choice of axis.  6 marks – looking for the most appropriate graphs been drawn to illustrate the important trends. SI units must be used on axis.  8 marks – correct use of error bars on graphs, no undue repetition, graphs used to compare trends This skill then is basically marked on your graphs!

Analysing (8 marks) 2. Recognising and commenting on trends and patterns in data  4 marks is a very basic description of the trends shown by your data  6 marks trends are recognised and commented on. Some anomalies or inconsistencies are indicated.  8 marks trends are clearly recognised and commented on. All anomalies or inconsistencies are described.

Analysing (8 marks) 3. Conclusions drawn that show you use biological knowledge and understanding  4 marks you make conclusions and explain your results using basic biological knowledge and understanding.  6 marks you make very sound explanations of your results which are clearly related to biological knowledge and understanding  8 marks, coherent, logical and comprehensive explanations of experimental results using carefully selected appropriate biological knowledge and terminology.

Evaluating (8 marks) There are two skill areas here: 1. Assess the reliability and precision of experimental data and conclusions drawn from it. 2. Evaluate the techniques used and recognise their limitations

Evaluating (8 marks) 1. Assess the reliability and precision of experimental data and conclusions drawn from it.  Starting with 4 marks there should be some discussion of the variability of the results and apparent anomalies together with some comment on how these affect your conclusions or you are expected to make some comment on the difference between the expected and actual results.  For 6 marks you use the variability /anomalies/precision of your data to assess the reliability of your conclusions.  For 8 marks you will write a full critical analysis to show an awareness of the tentative nature of the results of single investigations.

Evaluating (8 marks) 2. Evaluate the techniques used and recognise their limitations This is less about your data and more about your method!  4 marks – you explain the difficulties with your method and asses how these may have affected the result – you also suggest improvements to the method to overcome these difficulties.  6 marks – you discuss the limitations of your methods and suggest further investigations which would provide additional evidence or extend the enquiry.  8 marks – as for 6 marks but in great detail! Your proposed further investigations must provide considerable additional evidence for your conclusion.