IB Group 4 Project
At Ivanhoe Grammar School students have the choice to study the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB). The IB Diploma, by its very nature, is an international program taught in many countries and is readily recognised by universities overseas. With an emphasis on international-mindedness the program suits motivated and independent learners.
Recently, Year 11 students studying the IB Diploma took part in the group 4 project, which is compulsory for all IB science students. This project ran over three days with the emphasis being on the process and collaboration between students.
This project is a collaborative activity that involves students working together on a scientific or technological topic. The project was broken up into three stages, planning, action and evaluation. All the students involved thoroughly enjoyed working as a group, with topics bringing science and magic together with some really fascinating outcomes.
We were able to hear from two of the Year 11 students who participated in the project, Jethro and Henry, who gave some real insights into what it is like studying the IB Diploma and the group 4 project.
Year 11 student Jethro
What was the group 4 Project like?
A lot of fun. We had a Harry Potter themed project, which made it interesting. Also a good chance to learn about things that don’t get covered in regular classes.
What topic did you have and what findings did you come up with?
We focused on the Knight Bus, a magical bus in the third movie of the Harry Potter franchise. I focused on the chemistry aspect of the bus’s fuel. I learnt about engines and nitrous oxide used in illegal car races, so it was very interesting. It’s also a good chance to learn about things that are useful to know but aren’t taught in class. I really enjoyed the group 4 project – it was a lot of fun.
What is the best thing about studying IB?
I really like the collaboration aspect of IB. Since there isn’t any competition, you work together and share ideas for most projects and assignments. This helps form a really tight community within the IB cohort.
Year 11 student Henry
What was the group 4 project like?
The group 4 project was a really enjoyable process, allowing us to intermingle the diametrically opposed worlds of science and magic. It forced us to use our imagination with science to determine the ways something as strange as a wand could exist and function, linking imagination and science – a link we don’t always make.
What topic did you have and what findings did you come up with?
My group researched the mermaids and the Black lake they reside in near the school, Hogwarts. We examined the pH of the lake water and what effects this had on shaping the physical characteristics of the creature. In addition, we researched the physiological association between dolphins mermaids may have and their internal structure, like how they breathe and reproduce. Finally, the physics component of our project was the manner in which the mermaids generated movement and the travelling of the sound waves involved in their speech – something beautiful underwater, but a scream above. Ultimately, it was a project that challenged and invigorated me, forcing me to interact with people from other faculties and develop a genuine product.
What is the best thing about studying IB?
I think that IB promotes, above all, an intimate cohort that allows for friendships beyond previous parameters and this makes collaboration and group work so much easier.
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