HL Biology IA-2 ideas, need some advice?

[ABC123456]

Our HL Bio teacher last year retired, so this year our teacher is new. I don't exactly trust what he says about things related to IB because I am not sure if he knows what he's talking about. Many times during lessons he doesn't really know. So I was wondering if I could get some advice on whether these two labs would make good IAs or not.

1.

Testing Laughing and Shouting/Crying on Blood Pressure: Basically I was going to find audio clips of people laughing and of people crying. I would have 2 groups, one for laughing, one for crying. I would test their regular blood pressure first, and then test it after they have listened to the clips, and see if there's a difference. Is this a valid IA?

2.

This IA would have to deal with photosynthesis. I was planning on using Elodea. My question is, I found some websites that sort of outline a lab you can do, however it doesn't state specifically how to do it and what the results are, just guidelines on how to do the lab. If I did this lab, would it count as "cheating" to IB?

I'm kind of stressed, because my teacher says that he wants IAs by next monday 2/14, and I am trying to do 2 IAs in one week.

I'm also very afraid that he will not have experience grading IAs and then our grades will be very poor, and I will not get my diploma!

[Mahuta ♥]

Ok.

1:

I wouldn't go for something like that because there's a high chance of error and uncontrolled variables that should be controlled and so you wont have a fair test. Things you can't control: the person's mood that day, what they ate (could effect blood pressure), what kind of things would they laugh about, different people may not find the same things funny. You would get no change in blood pression for someone who didn't find a clip funny, and another person with very high change because they gave the predicted reaction. If you are going to find the average between those two, it's not a fair test at all. Nevertheless, I was told the IB loves mistakes because it helps you A LOT in the evalution, but for a reaction like this, the hypothesis is noway going to be near to the conclusion. This is what I think.

2:

It wouldn't be cheating because they aren't the only people that did that experiment and yours doesn't have to be original. So yeah you can use that, just make sure you don't copy out the whole thing .

Grading:

It doesn't really depend on the teacher. If your teacher's grading is very bad, it will be so with all the IAs, and since the IB moderates a sample, they will grade your class up if he was too harsh. Your diploma doesn't depend on the teachers!

[dexter]

1. I love that idea, never thought of it before, very creative! As Maha said, too many factors so No.

2.It is not cheating, print out the paper. Jot down notes, make your own sentences. Sometimes sites give a sheet with is blank, and tell you to fill in by collecting data, that is effective. I used an equation for chemistry i found online.

Edited February 8, 2010 by dexter

[ABC123456]

Ok.

1:

I wouldn't go for something like that because there's a high chance of error and uncontrolled variables that should be controlled and so you wont have a fair test. Things you can't control: the person's mood that day, what they ate (could effect blood pressure), what kind of things would they laugh about, different people may not find the same things funny. You would get no change in blood pression for someone who didn't find a clip funny, and another person with very high change because they gave the predicted reaction. If you are going to find the average between those two, it's not a fair test at all. Nevertheless, I was told the IB loves mistakes because it helps you A LOT in the evalution, but for a reaction like this, the hypothesis is noway going to be near to the conclusion. This is what I think.

2:

It wouldn't be cheating because they aren't the only people that did that experiment and yours doesn't have to be original. So yeah you can use that, just make sure you don't copy out the whole thing .

Grading:

It doesn't really depend on the teacher. If your teacher's grading is very bad, it will be so with all the IAs, and since the IB moderates a sample, they will grade your class up if he was too harsh. Your diploma doesn't depend on the teachers!

Thanks for the help! Well problem is I am not afraid he will grade too harshly, I am afraid he will grade too leniently. Or just be inaccurate. Oh well. I will just have to hope and study tons. I know IAs are 24% of our IB grade for Biology, but if I were to do poorly, would it have a massive effect on my overall grade?