Identifying The Context: Your Sources in MLA Format in Your Bibliography at The End of The Document
Identifying The Context: Your Sources in MLA Format in Your Bibliography at The End of The Document
Identifying The Context: Your Sources in MLA Format in Your Bibliography at The End of The Document
This criterion assesses the extent to which you establish and explore an environmental
issue (either local or global) for an investigation and develop this to state a relevant and
focussed research question
a. Environmental Issue
b. Research Question
Very specifically, what is the problem that you will be investigating? Advice, phrase your
research question as: How does the Independent Variable affect the Dependent
Variable?
c. Hypothesis
IF (explain how you will change the thing you are testing) THEN (what you think will
happen because of the change you made) BECAUSE (the scientific reason you think it will
happen)
Identifying the context
This criterion assesses the extent to which you have developed appropriate methods to
gather data relevant to the research question. This data could be primary or secondary,
qualitative or quantitative, and may use techniques associated with both experimental or
social science methods of inquiry. There is an assessment of safety, environmental and
ethical considerations where applicable.
a. Variables
Controlled Variables Why are you controlling How will you make sure it’s
this? controlled?
1.
2.
3.
add more if needed
b. Materials
Fill out the materials you will need. If there is a specific size for it, include this below. Also
include the number of objects that you will require. Add more rows if you need to.
Material Size (if possible) Number
c. Method
Make a detailed version of your method. This should be done step by step. Add more rows
below if you need to. Your method should allow you to collect sufficient and relevant data.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
d. Risk assessment
Demonstrate that you have considered issues around safety, environment and/or ethics.
Describe the possible risk and how you mitigate the risk (prevent it from happening)
Safety risks
Environmental
risks
Ethical
considerations
Planning
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has collected, recorded, processed
and interpreted the data in ways that are relevant to the research question. The patterns
in the data are correctly interpreted to reach a valid conclusion
Fill in what the Independent and Dependent Variables are. Do not forget your UNITS!
c) Graph(s)
Create one or more graphs and insert it/them below. Make sure to have titles, labels, units
and if applicable error bars.
d) Qualitative data
Describe or show (e.g. via photos) your observations that you cannot measure (in numbers).
e) Statistical Analysis
If possible also run a statistical test to demonstrate correlation between your independent
and dependent variable.
f) Conclusion
Make a list of trends in your data that you noticed or observed during the experiment. For
each one, you have to explain what happened with scientific reasoning (use science vocabulary
& science ideas!). Record any sources you used in MLA format in your bibliography.
Trends you noticed in your data What does that mean based on scientific
reasoning
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student discusses the conclusion in the
context of the environmental issue, and carries out an evaluation of the investigation.
a. Evaluation of hypothesis
Looking at your results, do
you support or reject your
hypothesis? What makes you
say that?
Connecting your
investigation to others from
literature (make sure to add
to your bibliography), are
your findings and conclusion
in agreement (the same) or
not?
c. Evaluation of Method
Strengths
Which steps from your
method were strong and
provided you with relevant
and sufficient data?
Weaknesses
Which steps from your
method showed weakness or
could have been a sources of
error?
Improvements
Describe how you would
improve the weak steps in
the method for future
investigations.
● describe how some aspects ● evaluate the conclusion in ● evaluate the conclusion in
of the conclusion are related the context of the the context of the
to the environmental issue environmental issue but there environmental issue
● identify some strengths and are omissions ● discuss strengths,
weaknesses and limitations ● describe some strengths, weaknesses and limitations
of the method weaknesses and limitations within the method used
● suggest superficial within the method used ● suggest modifications
modifications and/or further ● suggest modifications and addressing one or more
areas of research. further areas of research. significant weaknesses with
large effect and further areas
of research.
5. Applications
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student identifies and evaluates one way to
apply the outcomes of the investigation in relation to the broader environmental issue
that was identified at the start of the project.
Application
1 2 3
6. Bibliography/Works cited
You must use appropriate in-text referencing and record your sources in MLA format.
Please follow these rules for creating your list of referenced
For the Communication criterion you do not have to write anything extra. The criterion
assesses whether the report has been presented in a way that supports effective
communication in terms of structure, coherence and clarity. The focus, process and
outcomes of the report are all well presented.
Communication
1 2 3
● The investigation has limited ● The report has structure and ● The report is well structured
structure and organization. organization but this is not and well organized.
● The report makes limited use sustained throughout the ● The report makes consistent
of appropriate terminology report. use of appropriate
and it is not concise. ● The report either makes use terminology and is concise.
● The presentation of the report of appropriate terminology or ● The report is logical and
limits the reader’s is concise. coherent.
understanding. ● The report is mainly logical
and coherent, but is difficult
to follow in parts.