YEAR 13 GROUP 4 (IB SCIENCES) PROJECT

The group 4 project is a collaborative activity where students from different group 4 subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and ESS) work together on a scientific or technological topic, allowing for concepts and perceptions from across the disciplines to be shared in line with aim 10 of IB sciences—that is, to “develop an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and their influence on other areas of knowledge”.
The group 4 project allows students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications of science and technology. It may also allow them to understand the limitations of scientific study, for example, the shortage of appropriate data and/or the lack of resources. The emphasis is on interdisciplinary cooperation and the processes involved in scientific investigation.
 Last Thursday, 8th October, the entire Year 13 went to Tai Tam Reservoir for the Group 4 Science Project, a collaborative activity where students from all the different sciences work together and conduct a scientific investigation.
This year, the theme was ‘Biodiversity’. The students were split up into 6 different groups, each investigating a different research question. Within each group contained students from each different science subject – Physics, Biology, Chemistry and ESS, to create a diverse and well-rounded group. The aim of the Group 4 project is to develop an understanding of the relationship between the sciences and how each is intrinsically linked to one another.
It was a perfect day for the project and all the students were eager to get their hands dirty and investigate the biodiversity around the reservoir. The students spread themselves out, occupying all corners of the allocated area. There were many interesting features present in the reservoir, from towering trees to rocky inlets to shallow streams. Everyone worked extremely co-operatively and tried their best to use scientific precaution in collecting their data. At the end of the day, the students headed back to school to analyse the data collected and begin on their presentations.
Overall, the Group 4 Project was an overwhelming success. It gave students the opportunity to work together across the sciences, leading to the sharing of information and knowledge. Most importantly, the students’ teamwork skills were put to the test, with each and every student working as hard as they could to make the most out of this invaluable experience.   Miguel Santana
 We not only had the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with other students but we also were able to investigate our research questions from different scientific perspectives. Teamwork and collaboration was crucial to the project as this allowed us to consider different skill sets and utilize these skills with little access to information. Although there were times when we had disagreements within the group due to our different scientific backgrounds, we found that we were most effective when we collaborating and combining our different perspectives which as a result gave a more thorough investigation of our questions. Overall, the group 4 project allowed us to challenge ourselves while learning more about the different sciences. It was a very enlightening and valuable experience that allowed us to see how important each science is not only on its own but even more so when used in tandem. Sophie and Melissa
Group 4 : 
http://biodiversitygroup4.weebly.com
Group 2 :
http://heszc.tumblr.com/