IB Biology:

Background Information
___ Provide some context and significance for the investigation (why are you investigating this topic?)
___ Provide appropriate and relevant information to enhance understanding of the concept
___ Define key terms
___ Outline key scientific processes or concepts
___ Outline all the chemicals, why they were selected and also their uses/safety issues

Personal Engagement
___ Justify your choice of research question - why did you choose this topic?
___ Explain how research question/topic has personal significance or interest to you
___ Explain how you took initiative during the design, implementation and presentation of this investigation

Research Question & Hypothesis

___ Write a clear and fully focused research question (it must include your dependent and independent variables)
___ Clearly state your hypothesis (prediction of what you will find)
___ Explain your hypothesis. Why do you think this will happen?
___ Support your hypothesis with research

Variables
___ State the independent variable (variable that was changed) – include units and ± uncertainties
___ State how you are going to change/manipulate your independent variable
___ If applicable, state the control for the experiment
___ State the dependent variable (variable that was measured) – include units and ± uncertainties
___ State how you are going to measure your dependent variable
___ List all of the controlled variables in a table (see example below)
Controlled Variable How will it be controlled? Why it is important to control this variable?

Height of the lamp The height of the lamp will be By keeping the height of the lamp controlled, the light
measured to 10.0 +/- 0.1 cm intensity will remain constant for all trials during the
above the beaker using a 15cm photosynthesis experiment, and thus the results of the
ruler. experiment will be due to the manipulation of the
independent variable.

Volume of sodium 125.00 ml +/- 0.01 will be Sodium bicarbonate is the source of CO2 for the Elodea
bicarbonate solution measured using a 150 ml plant, so the amount of solution must be equal for all trials.
graduated cylinder for each trial.

Size of the beaker 200 ml beakers will be used for The size of the beaker will ensure that the same length of
all trials of this experiment. the Elodea will be submerged under the solution.
Materials
___ List all of the materials needed for the experiment using bullet points
___ The quantity and size of all of the materials is listed (5, 150 ml beakers)

Safety
___ Mention any safety, ethical or environmental considerations

Procedure (past tense – passive form)

___ Write a detailed procedure in numbered steps in the same order that they should be performed
___ Every step is included even though they may be obvious (i.e. zeroing the balance)
___ Each material has been accounted for in detail (size of beaker, volume of solution, units of electronics)
___ State how many trials will be performed at each range/interval of data (5x5 minimum)
___ Could someone read this procedure and easily repeat it
___ The data gathered enables the aim, the research question or the hypotheses to be adequately addressed.
___ State how you will use the data (what statistical tests will you use? And why.)

Raw Data Tables

___ A table with all of the quantitative raw data (data you collected) and class data (if applicable)
___ The table has a detailed title and headers for each column and/or row
___ All data has uncertainties (i.e. 22°C ± 1)
___ The uncertainties are all justified.
___ All units are included in the header (do NOT write the unit in each cell of your table)
___ All data has the same precision (you should NOT have one measurement as 22°C and another 23.78°C)

___ A table with the qualitative data you found (color, change in size etc.)
___ Include images (figure #) of the equipment set-up and the experiment itself

Processed Data Table

___ State and explain any anomalies (data that did not fit with the trend you see)
___ Describe how you are processing the data and why you chose to do that
___ Process the data correctly and completely (an average is insufficient)
___ Include one complete sample calculation for each different calculation that was not completed by excel
___ Perform additional statistical analysis (ttest, correlation, Chi-square)
___ Processed data has the same precision as the raw data
___ State all of the technology that was used (Excel, calculators etc.)
___ Describe the trend or pattern you see in the data (Analysis)
___ State in words what you found but do NOT explain it

Presenting/Graphing Data
___ Plot the processed data in a suitable graph (DO NOT GRAPH RAW DATA)
___ Ensure independent variable is on the x-axis and dependent variable is on the y-axis
___ Title your graph and both axes (including the units and uncertainty)
___ Add error bars to the graph (if applicable)
___ Describe to reason for including error bars and wat they mean
___ Add a trend-line to the graph (if applicable)
___ Add a figure number and title underneath/above your graph (Fig 1. A scatter plot showing…)
___ Describe the trend or pattern you see in the data (Analysis)
___ State in words what you found but do NOT explain it
Conclusion
___ Restate your research question and hypothesis (The purpose of this lab was to…)
___ State an appropriate and reasonable conclusion based on your results that answers your research question
___ Summarize your findings using actual numbers and referring to tables and graphs
___ Explain and justify your results using correct biological terms
___ Include other sources (internet, books etc) that also support what you found
___ Compare your results to accepted scientific concepts
___ If your results don’t support the generally accepted truth, explain this limitation and suggest reasons why
your results differ from the norm
___ Accept or reject and modify your hypothesis
___ Do NOT use the word “prove”

Evaluation
Problem (Sources of Error/Limitations)
___ Mention the main weaknesses in the procedural design of the experiment (did you control for all your controlled
variables? Were all the materials working correctly?)
___ Consider sources of human error, random error, instrumental error, measurement error, replicate size, trial number,
etc.( as applicable)
___ Evaluate limitations of your data (quantity, quality, accuracy, precision)
___ All significant sources of error/limitations have been recorded

Explanation of Problem (How did the source of error/limitations affect your results?)
___ State how those weaknesses affected your results
___ State whether or not the weaknesses and limitations were serious enough to undermine the conclusion

Improvement (How to modify/improve/extend this experiment?)

___ Suggest how each source of error can be specifically modified to improve the accuracy of the results

Explanation of the improvement

___ Explain how the improvements will be achieved. They must be realistic and relevant.

Problem 1:
Explanation of problem:
Improvement:
Explanation of the improvement:

Problem 2:
Explanation of problem:
Improvement:
Explanation of the improvement:
OR

Strengths and Extensions (paragraph under table)

___ State and explain the strengths of this experiment
___ Suggest at least one possible extension for this experiment
Presentation Structure and Format
___ Research question as the title
___ Submitted in Times New Roman 12pt font
___ Page numbers on the bottom right corner
___ Correct headers are bolded (the same headers as the IA checklist)
___ Spell checked
___ Checked for proper grammar
___ Scientific writing is clear and concise
___ Correct use of scientific vocabulary
___ MAXIMUM 3000words (otherwise you will lose marks)

Works Cited
___ Sources are listed in alphabetical order