Internal Assessment

Purpose of internal assessment

Internal assessment is an integral part of the course and is a compulsory component for both SL and HL students. It enables students to demonstrate the application of their skills and knowledge, and to pursue their personal interests, without the time limitations and other constraints that are associated with examination papers. The internal assessment should, as far as possible, be woven into normal practice and classroom teaching, and not be a separate activity conducted after a course has been taught.

The internal assessment requirements at SL and at HL are the same. The time allowed is 20 hours, and the weightings are 25% at SL and 20% at HL. Students are required to undertake fieldwork collecting primary information and produce one written report that is based on a fieldwork question.

Source for most of the information found on this page

Useful links for a Geography IA

Useful Links for the trip:

Unfortunately, the school won't give me the budget for laser sediment counters. So here is the plan:

Research Question:

To what extent is sand dune formation in Shimoda, Izu Peninsula, affected by aeolian processes, acidity, human and environmental conditions?

(or in simpler terms: How can sand dunes form on destructive beaches?)

Hypotheses

  1. The physical characteristics of the beach will allow sand dune formation
    • long and wide
    • low gradient and high tidal range
    • lithology
  2. There will be strong onshore winds
    • Speed
    • Transport (litoral drift)
  3. There will be plentiful supply of sand with the right grain size
    • Litoral drift supply
    • Sediment size and type
  4. There will be vegetation to colonize the dunes (Psammosere)
    • Vegetation height (higher as you move away from shore)
    • % cover
  5. The Ph of the sand will decrease as you move away from shore
  6. There will be limited human activity on the dunes

Methods of Data Collection

  1. The physical characteristics of the beach will allow sand dune formation
    • Beach profile
    • Lithology
  2. There will be strong onshore winds
    • Wind speed
    • Wind Direction
  3. There will be plentiful supply of sand with the right grain size
    • Littoral Drift
    • Saltation
  4. There will be vegetation to colonize the dunes (Psammosere)
    • Vegetation cover
    • Vegetation height
  5. The acidity of the sand will allow for plant colonization (more acidic as you move away from shore)
    • Ph
  6. There will be limited human activity on the dunes
    • Management strategy observation
    • Land use observations

Methodology

Introduction (300 words)

Criterion A: Fieldwork question and geographic context

Comment briefly on the geographic context:

  • Explaining why and where the fieldwork investigation is to be carried out.
    • include relevant spatial, physical, socio‑economic conditions and other background information, concepts or characteristics
  • include a student generated map of the research area and/or the locations used in the fieldwork investigation
    • All places mentioned in your text should be labeled on the map
  • State the area(s) of the syllabus to which the study relates, which geographic inquiry topic or sub-topic in the syllabus:
    • Syllabus content part 1, Geographic themes, Option B: Oceans and their coastal margins, sub-topic 2, interactions between oceans and coastal places (The role of coastal processes, wind and vegetation in sand dune development) Do not cut and paste!
  • This criterion assesses the focus and geographic context of the fieldwork and to what extent the link between the fieldwork question and the geographic context (that is, material in the syllabus, a relevant syllabus topic or geographical theory) is made clear.

Criterion B (300 words)

Methodology

  • Describe the methods used to collect information. The description may include technologies employed, sampling techniques, time, location and circumstances of information collection where relevant.
  • The methods must be justified and must enable a sufficient quality and quantity of primary data to be produced to allow the fieldwork question to be investigated.
  • Use as many annotated pictures as possible to explain your method and save on word count
  • This criterion assesses the description, justification and appropriateness of the method or methods including sampling and surveying techniques, primary or secondary data collection as appropriate used to investigate the question formulated.

Criterion C and D: (500 + 850 words)

Quality and treatment of information collected and Written Analysis

The treatment and display of material and the written analysis must be integrated within this section.

  • Display the information collected using the most appropriate techniques. These techniques must be the most effective way of representing the type of information collected and must be well used.
    • Techniques may include statistical tests (including confidence limits), graphs, diagrams, maps, annotated photographs and images, matrices and field sketches.
  • This criterion assesses the quality of information and data collected and its suitability for analysis in criterion D, whether it is appropriate and a sufficient range of techniques have been used for the presentation of information, and whether the presentation follows accepted conventions (that is, the numbering, labelling, and annotating of tables, graphs and diagrams).

Useful links for Geography Skills

Written analysis

Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the fieldwork investigation by

  • interpreting and explaining the information you have collected in relation to the fieldwork question.
    • This includes recognizing any trends and spatial patterns found in the information collected.
    • Where appropriate, an attempt should be made to identify and explain any anomalies.
  • Do not answer the research question. Instead, analyze wether each hypotheses have been proven or not

This criterion assesses the quality of the analysis of the results, referring to:

    • links to the question and hypotheses formulated
    • geographic context (that is, secondary sources: geographical theory, the syllabus, or the relevant syllabus topic)
    • information collected
    • statistics used (descriptive techniques—that is, graphs, charts, histograms and so on; as well as statistical techniques—that is, correlations, regression, and so on)
    • illustrative material.

Criterion E: 200 words

Conclusion

  • Summarize the findings of your fieldwork investigation.
  • There should be a clear, concise statement answering the fieldwork question. It is acceptable for the conclusion to state that the findings do not match the your preliminary judgment or prediction.
  • This criterion assesses the ability of the student to summarize the findings of the fieldwork investigation and draw a supported conclusion.

Criterion F: 300 words

Evaluation

  • Review your investigative methodology, including methods of collecting primary information.
    • Consider any factors that may have affected the validity of the data, including personal bias and unpredicted external circumstances such as the weather.
    • Do not evaluate the execution of data collection, just the method.
  • Suggest specific and plausible ways in which the study might have been improved and could be extended in the future.

This criterion assesses the student’s ability to review the investigative methodology, by weighing up the strengths and/or weaknesses of the chosen method, and suggest improvements.