IB Environmental Systems & Societies Extended Essay on Water Pollution
Instructions:
Criteria
D: knowledge and understanding of the topic studied
Students are expected to have a sound knowledge and understanding of environmental systems and societies, as detailed in the current Environmental systems and societies guide. For many topics, this knowledge will need to be supplemented through independent study. Ultimately, the student should possess sufficient knowledge of the topic to handle the issues and arguments effectively. To score highly on this criterion, a student would also need to show clear and perceptive links between their own study and the body of theoretical knowledge associated with this subject.
E: reasoned argument
There should be a clear step-by-step logical argument linking the raw data to the final conclusions. Each step or proposition on the way should be defended against any plausible alternatives and potential criticisms with clear evidence. Personal opinions are acceptable, but again should be convincingly substantiated by the available evidence. The argument must directly answer the research question in the precise way that it has been formulated.
F: application of analytical and evaluative skills appropriate to the subject
Analytical skills can be demonstrated in the selection, manipulation and presentation of quantitative or qualitative data gathered from either primary or secondary sources. They will be most obviously apparent in the employment of such things as graphical representations, mathematical manipulations or flow diagrams. Analytical skills may also be evident in the student’s ability to select specific data from sources, identifying their relevance and relationships to one another, and reorganizing them into an effective verbal argument. Evaluative skills will be apparent in the students’ reflections on the reliability and validity of the data gathered, and their subsequent interpretations. For essays concerned largely with collecting primary data, this will involve discussing inadequacies in the experimental design, the validity of assumptions made, limitations of the investigation, and any systematic errors and how they might have been avoided. For essays concerned largely with collecting secondary data, similar considerations should be applied to the sources that were accessed.
H: conclusion
It is highly recommended that this aspect of the essay is given a separate section with its own heading. It should contain a brief, concise statement of the conclusion that is in direct response to the research question or hypothesis. This should not involve new information or arguments, but should be a summary of what can be concluded from, and is supported by, the evidence and argument already presented. In addition to the concluding statement, students should identify outstanding gaps in their research or new questions that have emerged and deserve further attention.
-The extended essay is half complete, the evaluation, comments on data and the conclusion is missing. I want all to be completed. I have introduction, background information, procedure and data only.
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Referencing Requirements:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ipc/weedinfo/hydrilla.htm
http://www.nobanis.org/files/factsheets/Elodea.pdf
http://pollution-plants.blogspot.com/2008/02/water-pollution-and-plants.html