To what extent is boiled tap water safe to drink?
Description
-Primary research should be done.
The Internal Assessment is scored against the following criteria:
Identifying the context (6 marks, 20%)
Planning (6 marks, 20%)
Results, analysis, and conclusion (6 marks, 20%)
Discussion and evaluation (6 marks, 20%)
Applications (3 marks, 10%)
Communication (3 marks, 10%)
With the exception of “communication”, I would recommend students use the criteria as broad organizational tools for their writing. The list below summarizes what the IB is looking for in the ESS IA, and it serves as a general outline for organizing the IA:
Identifying the context:
state a relevant, coherent and focused research question
discuss a relevant environmental issue (either local or global) that provides the context for the research question
explain the connections between the environmental issue (either local or global) and the research question.
Planning:
design a repeatable* method appropriate to the research question that allows for the collection of sufficient relevant data
justify the choice of sampling strategy used
describe the risk assessment and ethical considerations where applicable.
Results, analysis, and conclusion:
construct diagrams, charts or graphs of all relevant quantitative and/or qualitative data appropriately
analyse the data correctly and completely so that all relevant patterns are displayed
interpret trends, patterns or relationships in the data, so that a valid conclusion to the research question is deduced.
Discussion and evaluation:
evaluate the conclusion in the context of the environmental issue
discuss strengths, weaknesses and limitations within the method used
suggest modifications addressing one or more significant weaknesses with large effect and further areas of research.
Applications:
justify one potential application and/or solution to the environmental issue that has been discussed in the context, based on the findings of the study
evaluate relevant strengths, weaknesses and limitations of this solution.
Sample Solution
