Internal Assessment
An Eight-Step Guide
Step Three: Variables, Apparatus, Method, and Safety
By the end of this step you will have:
✔︎ Completed your Variables section
✔︎ Created your Apparatus diagram
✔︎ Written your Method outline
✔︎ Addressed safety, ethical and environmental issues
Writing your Variables section
Creating your Apparatus diagram
Creating your Method outline
Writing your Safety, Ethical and Environmental Issues section
Actions
➜ Write your Variables section
➜ Create your Apparatus diagram
➜ Create your Method outline
➜ Write your Safety, Ethical and Environmental Issues section
Checklist
✔︎ I wrote down my independent and dependent variables and included units for them
✔︎ I wrote down my control variables
✔︎ I explained why my control variables must be controlled (Reason)
✔︎ I explained how my control variables will be controlled (Method)
✔︎ I created an Apparatus diagram
✔︎ My Apparatus diagram shows the experimental setup, not simply the pieces of equipment that I will use
✔︎ I labelled every piece of equipment on my Apparatus diagram
✔︎ I wrote down a detailed step-by-step method
✔︎ My method is concise and only includes necessary information
✔︎ I created a Safety, ethical and environmental issues section (even if my experiment has none of these issues)
✔︎ I explained how I will ensure that my experiment is safe (if applicable)
✔︎ I explained how I will ensure that my experiment is ethical (if applicable)
✔︎ I explained how I will ensure that my experiment does not harm the environment (if applicable)
Questions to ask your teacher
✤ Are the units for the independent and dependent variables correct?
✤ Are the control variables chosen correctly?
✤ Should any other control variables be included?
✤ Is the explanation about why each control variable should be controlled clear and correct (Reason)?
✤ Is the explanation about how each control variable will be controlled clear and correct (Method)?
✤ Is the Apparatus diagram clear and correct?
✤ Is the Method outline clear and detailed enough?
✤ Is the Method outline concise enough?
✤ Are all relevant safety, ethical and environmental issues clearly and correctly addressed?
Additional resources
Example IA (PDF)
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