CBA 1 Extended Experimental Investigation
Over a three-week period you will make a scientific hypothesis, plan and conduct an experimental investigation to test your hypothesis, generate and analyse primary data, and reflect on the process, with support and guidance from your teacher.
The Extended Experimental Investigation (EEI) gives you the opportunity to research a question about some science-related phenomena. The development of inquiry, collaborative, practical, recording and reporting skills will be central here. You will need to pose questions and make predictions, work with others, design and conduct experiments, generate and record primary data, and process and analyse the data to make valid conclusions.
You will then need to communicate the method used, data recorded, findings, and reflections on the investigation.
The EEI comprises of four areas of activity: questioning and predicting, planning and conducting, processing and analysing, and reflecting and reporting. You are encouraged, but not required, to collaborate with your classmates during the experimental stage. For example you could carry out the experiment with a partner.
The communication/reporting aspect must be an individual piece of work. You may share results with your partner from the experiment but they must be presented in your own way with your own analysis and conclusions.
The report can be presented in many different ways, for example you may complete a written report (by hand or typed), you may present your EEI as a powerpoint, you could produce a poster (but this will need to include significant detail) or you could produce a podcast/video.
However you produce the report you will need to check that you have covered all of the features of quality (see below) for the level you are aiming for.
Features of Quality
These are the criteria used to assess your CBA.
To ensure that you achieve the level that you are hoping for make sure that your CBA includes ALL the Features of Quality necessary for that level.
Click this link to see the Features of Quality .
Explanation of the levels:
- Yet to meet expectations - this is a piece of work that does not include enough detail to fully meet the Features of Quality. Perhaps the student has made a good attempt, but the task has not been grasped clearly or there are significant gaps in content.
- In line with expectations - this a piece of work that reflects most of the Features of Quality for the CBA well. It shows a good understanding of the task in hand and is free from significant error. The work is generally competent and accurate.
- Above expectations - this is a piece of work that reflects all of the Features of Quality for the CBA very well. The student shows a clear understanding of how to complete each area of activity of the investigation, and the work is precise and detailed. On the whole the work is of a high standard.
- Exceptional - this is a piece of work that reflects the Features of Quality for the CBA to a very high standard. While not necessarily perfect, the strengths of the work far outstrip its flaws, which are minor. Work which is assessed as being exceptional would be far above the standard expected at JC level.
The Scientific method
The process involved for carrying out a properly scientific investigation is the Scientific Method. You did some work on this in your Starting Science booklet at the beginning of 1st Year. The following link goes through the process in more detail and provides further links with more detailed help on carrying out the various parts of the 6 step process.
The Scientific Method
Examples of student work
The following anonymous examples of student work have been provided to let you see what is expected to achieve work that is regarded as ' In Line with Expectations ' or ' Above Expectations '. The work has notes added to it by a teacher to explain what has been included and where it could be improved.
In Line with Expectations
- Physics Experiment (heat loss) - powerpoint
- Physics Experiment (rolling a ball) - powerpoint
- Physics Experiment (ball drop) - hand written report
- Physics Experiment (egg drop) - hand written report
- Chemistry Experiment (dissolving) - poster style
- Chemistry Experiment (oxidation) - powerpoint
Above Expectations
- Biology Experiment (UV beads) - typed report
- Biology Experiment (lactic acid) - poster style
- Chemistry Experiment (rates of reaction) - hand written report
Carrying out the CBA
The Extended Experimental Investigation is carried out in your Science lessons over a 3 week period. All experimental work and reporting must be completed during this time.
The CBA is divided up into 4 activities which will all contribute to the achievement made:
- Questioning and predicting
- Planning and conducting
- Processing and analysing
- Reflecting and reporting
These steps are not necessarily carried out in the order listed above and any activity may be gone over again at any stage as you carry out the investigation.
Questioning and Predicting
For this part of the investigation you may work individually or in small groups. However each student in the group must contribute to the work.
- Choose the topic
- Decide the research question
- Collect information on the background theory related to the research question
- Refine the question to help with the justification of your hypothesis/prediction
- Record the sources of information
- Write the hypothesis/prediction
Planning and Conducting
For this part of the investigation students you work individually or in groups. Each student in your group must contribute to the collection of data.
- Hands-on experience in the laboratory to plan and refine experimental design
- Decide what equipment and materials will be necessary
- Assess any possible risks
- Write individual Investigation Plans and submit to your teacher for approval
link to the template for your Investigation Plan
- Conduct the investigation
- Record all data as well as problems and changes to method used during any preliminary trials and during final experiments
Processing and Analysing
For this part of the investigation you must work individually.
- Analyse your own data
- Perform any necessary calculations
- Consider how to best represent and analyse your data i.e. tables, graphs, diagrams
- Identify patterns and relationships in the data
- Explain any anomalous data (data that doesn't fit the pattern)
- Describe the relationships between the variables
- Draw conclusions
- Consider if your hypothesis or prediction has or has not been supported and state why
Reflecting and Reporting
You may work individually or in a group to reflect on your work but anything you include in your report must be written by you. You should critically discuss various aspects of your investigation, such as:
- The design of the experiment and possible improvements
- The limitations of your data
- Any possible theoretical or practical implications of their findings
- Further related investigations that you might conduct and why
Completing the Experiment Report
You must work individually to complete the report of your investigation, using the information/data you have recorded and any research you done throughout the investigation. You may report your research and findings in a format of your choice. If a typed or hand-written report is the format you choose then the total length of the report would typically be in the 400 - 600 words range (excluding tables, graphs, reference list and research records), but this should not be regarded minimum or maximum amount - any length report can be submitted. However when planning the content of your report you should be familiar with the Features of Quality which will be used to judge the level of achievement which you will be awarded for your work.
Finished CBA checklist
Click the link to access the checklist
How to succeed in your Junior Cycle Science CBA 1
Conor is a science teacher and in this guide, he shares his tips and tricks for the Junior Cycle Science CBA 1.
Introduction
The first Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA 1) for Junior Cycle Science is called the Extended Experimental Investigation (E.E.I.). Over three weeks, you will follow the scientific method to form a hypothesis on a question you have developed. You will then plan and conduct an experimental investigation to test your hypothesis. From this experiment, you will generate and analyse primary data and reflect on the process with support from your teacher. The E.I.I. has four sections:
Questioning and predicting
Planning and conducting
Processing and analysing
Reflecting and reporting
Your report can be completed in various ways. For example, you could complete a written report (by hand or typed), submit a PowerPoint or produce a poster (remembering that this will need to include significant detail). You could also make a podcast or video.
When completing your report, you will need to make sure that you have covered all of the Features of Quality for the level of achievement you aim to receive for your E.I.I. The report you submit will be graded into one of four levels of achievement, called descriptors (outlined below).
Descriptors
Your teacher will use a document entitled Features of Quality to decide the level of achievement your report receives. There are four different levels of achievement:
Teacher breakdown
This describes a piece of work that discusses all of the Features of Quality for the CBA to a very high standard. Your CBA does not need to be perfect but the strengths of the work far outweigh its weaknesses, which are minor. You suggest improvements clearly.
This describes a piece of work that discusses the Features of Quality for the CBA very well. You have shown a clear understanding of how to complete each area of the investigation and your work contains a lot of detail. Feedback from your teacher includes comments on small sections of your report that need further attention or polishing but on the whole, your work is of a high standard.
This describes a piece of work that reflects most of the Features of Quality for the CBA well. You have shown a good understanding of the task and your work is free from significant errors. Feedback from your teacher includes comments on sections of your report that need further attention or correction but your work is generally competent and accurate.
This describes a piece of work that falls short of the demands of the CBA and its Features of Quality. You have made a good attempt but you might not have grasped the task clearly or have left out large sections of the report. Feedback from your teacher includes comments on the fundamental errors that need to be addressed.
Scientific terminology
Have a look at some important definitions below, followed by examples of using this terminology in experiments.
A group of students want to investigate if water is needed for the growth of cress seedlings. The students place cotton wool in the base of two Petri dishes. 5cm 3 of water is added to the cotton wool in Dish A and no water is added to the cotton wool in Dish B. Five cress seeds are added to both Dish A and Dish B. The students will then observe the growth of the cress seeds in both dishes for two weeks.
A group of students want to investigate if the same amount of jelly will melt faster in one block or in smaller pieces. The students will place a 10-gram solid block of jelly in Beaker A. They will break up another 10 grams of jelly to make smaller pieces of jelly and these will be placed in Beaker B. Both beakers are the same make and size. The students place both beakers over a Bunsen burner and time how long it takes the jelly in each beaker to melt.
Scientific method
Carry out the following steps for your scientific method:
Identify a question to investigate.
Carry out background research.
Form a hypothesis.
Test the hypothesis.
Analyse the results.
Form a conclusion.
Deciding on a question to investigate
You may find deciding on a question to investigate challenging. It might take some time as you must come up with a question that is original and easily investigated. The most interesting questions come from things that you like to do in your spare time. For example, think of your hobbies, sports or chores at home when trying to decide on a question to investigate with an experiment. You can use Google or look at newspapers and magazine articles for inspiration too. The best thing to do is get a sheet of A4 paper and brainstorm ideas. Ask your partner(s), classmates, friends, teacher and parents to help you decide on the best question to investigate for your CBA.
Use the following questions to help you decide if the question you have chosen would be suitable for an experimental investigation:
Would you be able to carry out the experiment in the laboratory?
Would you have enough time to complete the investigation?
Would you have access to all of the materials/equipment needed?
Would you be able to collect data from your experiment?
Would you be able to create a fair test?
Would the investigation be safe to carry out in a laboratory?
Is your experimental question original? If not, could you change it slightly to make it more original?
Sample questions
Check out these sample questions to get you thinking about your CBA:
Which indigestion remedy is best at neutralising excess stomach acid?
What type of drinking cup can best retain the heat of a hot liquid?
How do fruit juices compare with each other in vitamin C content?
Which fabric keeps you warm longer?
How do household substances compare with commercial flower food to prolong the life of cut flowers in a container of water?
How does the voltage produced between two different metals depend on the type of metals used when placed in a fruit or vegetable?
How do light and temperature affect the uptake of water by a plant?
What pH changes take place during the neutralisation reaction between an acid and a base?
How does the angle between a solar cell and the light source affect its output?
What is the frequency of several named plants in a local habitat?
How does the weight of a block of wood affect the force needed to keep it moving at constant speed?
If some seeds were placed in a hot press and other seeds were placed in a fridge before sowing, what effect would this have on (i) the speed of germination and (ii) the percentage of seeds that germinate?
Which brand of antacid is best at neutralising stomach acid?
Does changing the temperature of a tennis ball affect how high it bounces?
Does the shape of an ice cube affect how fast/slow it melts?
Does temperature affect your ability to squeeze a soft ball?
Does the incline of a ramp affect how fast a toy car will travel?
Do different sizes or masses of a ball affect how quickly it will roll?
Does the temperature of water affect how quickly salt dissolves?
Report checklist
There are many elements to include in your report. Feel free to use the template below to help you keep track:
Useful links
Click here to download a report template
Teaching chemistry, maths and science at Temple Carrig School, Greystones, Conor has experience correcting exams and helps Studyclix with our content around science and maths.
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