Math SL Internal Assessment Project

[victoriapower]

Hi everyone

For my very first IA I have to write a 10pg paper on any math topic. There are so many topics out there and how do I just pick one?!

Thanks!

[Emmi]

Are you sure this is a SL math IA? For SL math you are given two tasks from that session's IA set, a Type 1 (mathematical investigation) and Type 2 (mathematical modelling) and you respond to the task. Do you mean math studies IA, where you pick two variables you believe are related to each other and do a statistical analysis? Either way your "IA" task isn't an IA and if this is what your teacher will be sending into IB then your class will score miserably.

But in any case if you have this math research project just pick a topic that interests you and go from there.

[kim luffy]

I agree with Emy Glau-ski. That sounds like a Maths Studies IA to me. If that's the case, then you have a variety of topics to choose from. Choose something that'll interest you and with which you can actually get a hold of the data needed.

You can search around the Maths Studies sub-forum and look at the various ideas some people have come up. I'm not saying to copy what they're doing but to review what they did so that you can have an idea of what to do.

[ChocolateDrop]

I think she's refering to the change to the Maths SL IA called "the exploration". It's basically an individual peice of mathematical investigation which the student comes up with.

I suggest you treat it like a mini Maths EE. Find an area of maths that you partically like and narrow it down to a topic/ aspect. Then you can make it into a question or just a focus.

For example

Find an area of maths: recreational mathematics/ mathematical modelling

Find a topic/ aspect: Rubik's cube

Question/ focus: Combinations of a Rubik's cube

I haven't checked this website out, but it's 'supposed' to have suggested ideas: www.pearsonbacconline.com

If you have the newest maths course companion book, it's meant to have a whole chapter providing help for the exploration.

http://www.ibo.org/r...sityGuide.e.pdf

http://assets.pearso...llabus 2012.pdf

Edited November 14, 2012 by ChocolateDrop

[fufufuufufufufuuu]

I'm quite confused here. isnt it very unoriginal to do on rubik's cube? there's a lot of source on internet, and probably a lot of people have done researches on it. how do we differentiate our maths exploration with others to avoid plagiarism?

[ChocolateDrop]

I'm quite confused here. isnt it very unoriginal to do on rubik's cube? there's a lot of source on internet, and probably a lot of people have done researches on it. how do we differentiate our maths exploration with others to avoid plagiarism?

If you have resources to back up your exploration, then chances are it won't be original because someone would have already explored an aspect of your topic. This is okay, they're hardly expecting you to create a piece of maths.

In the previous Maths SL/ HL portfolios there would be broad topic with identical bullet points which thousands of students around the world would do. Similar/ identical topic names is not the issue, but identical content is. Like other in other IAs there is bound to be students with similar/ identical titles eg english you'd probably get numerous IAs exploring the symbolism/ certain theme in a particular book or in physics there will always be design IAs investigating the effect of release height on the size of a crater. This doesn't automatically make these IAs plagerized. However if the content is identical to the very last detail then there's a problem.

Maths is a language, and although it has set rules for things we do not structure our mathematical works in the same manner. Some people use different formulas or ways to tackle certain problems this should b reflected in their work. It's more a look on how you as an individual approach a topic mathematically. But at the same time if you feel it might be easier for you not to plagerize by picking a topic that you feel is less used, then go for it.

Here's some sample explorations to look at: http://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/Group5/d_5_matsl_tsm_1205_1/html/content/exist/rest/app/tsm.xql@doc=d_5_matsl_tsm_1205_1_e&part=2&chapter=2.html

[IBTutorOnline]

Agreed with the points made above. 'Originality', per se, won't be a factor in the success of these new format mathematical explorations (have a look at the grading criterion if you want to know what examiners will be looking for). I guarantee you that hundreds, if not thousands, of students will end up doing explorations on card game mathematics, or mathematics in nature, or the golden ratio. Some of these will score highly, others will not. Plagiarism will not be an issue as long as you are not copying somebodies words as your own.

With regards to your Rubik's cube idea, I guarantee you that with some hard work and effort you can write an excellent mathematical exploration on the topic. It all depends on how you structure your paper, and what route you decide to take.

Just because there are a lot of resources out there dealing with Rubik's cube mathematics does not mean your exploration will suffer. If you choose your sources wisely and structure your work in a clear manner, you can score top marks.