describing the components of the IB Diploma chemistry course as .... 4 Subject
teams report findings to the group, emphasizing links to the other teams' studies,
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Teaching and learning IB chemistry Whether you are a teacher or a student, you can feel both privileged and excited to be part of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and its Diploma programme. This model of education is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world and is already a preferred choice for many universities. It is easy to see why the programme has gained such respect when one appreciates its philosophical roots. The IB Diploma furthers the education of the whole person, not just by requiring knowledge and skills but also by engendering personal attributes and states of being to create lifelong learners. This approach is encapsulated in a document available from the IBO called the IB learner profile. While this document initially seems to be aimed at students, it is clear that the best IB teachers are those who consider themselves also to be lifelong learners, so the IB learner profile is also personally useful to teachers. If you are a teacher who is new to IB, then prepare to be a learner, too.
28.1 To all IB learners – both teachers and students This chapter is designed to help students and teachers new to IB Diploma chemistry to develop an overview of the course and appreciate the necessary approaches for success. It enables you to visualize what the IB Diploma experience will entail and helps you to make the most of it by: N
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briefly summarizing the philosophy and approach of the IB Diploma programme and the place of IB Diploma chemistry within it describing the components of the IB Diploma chemistry course as experienced by students and teachers providing straightforward practical advice to ensure your success.
The sections below are intentionally brief and to the point. Further details of procedures can be obtained directly from the IBO via the school’s IB coordinator.
What distinguishes the IB chemistry approach? Perhaps more than with other pre-university chemistry courses, you will get the distinct impression this course is one important component within a much greater scheme, the IB Diploma. This philosophy of integration binds all aspects of the programme. Chemistry will not stand alone but will be an important vehicle for exploring and developing the various aspects of the IB learner profile. There will be a clearly international aspect to your study in that it will consider global issues as well as local case studies. Central to all subjects will be the work done on the IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, which creates a philosophical backdrop against which to discuss issues raised within the chemistry course. Specific reference to TOK issues have been included within the chapters of this book to ensure that you make these links. For example, within Chapter 14, students are reminded that chemical models, such as hybridization, are simply descriptions that fit the facts. They are used because they are useful and predictive, not because chemists know them to be true. This broadening and often trans-disciplinary influence, together with the IBO’s periodic syllabus review cycle (usually seven years), ensures that the syllabus is both contemporary and relevant by including important issues of the time. This is illustrated by the inclusion of nanotechnology in the Chemistry in industry and technology option and climate change in the Environmental chemistry option. This course is not just a matter of knowing some chemical theory. You will find that developing informed viewpoints, especially on environmental issues, engaging in discussion and evaluating hypotheses and experimental evidence are all inherent in the approach needed for success at IB Diploma Chemistry (Figure 28.1). You will also need to appreciate that definite, clear answers are not always possible, for example in assessing the hazards related to the future use of nanotechnology. That’s what makes it so much fun for both students and teachers.
1008 TEACHING AND LEARNING IB CHEMISTRY
Figure 28.1 IB students at United World College of South East Asia engaged in discussion
What will I experience as a student or teacher of IB Diploma chemistry? Whether you are a student or teacher, you will discover that the IB way is one of partnership. Teachers and students share the experience in an open and constructive approach in which all are aware of the learning outcomes expected and modes of assessment employed. The principles embodied in the Assessment for Learning initiative can be put to good use in IB Diploma chemistry. The initiative maintains that students should work together with teachers and each other to focus on a continuous progress cycle of setting and reviewing specific learning targets on the path towards their final assessment. As an indication of this, the internal assessment of practical skills allows students to be made fully aware of the assessment criteria applied and then assesses students based on their best scores for each skill, as opposed to an average of all scores over the course. Your more tangible experience of IB Diploma chemistry will include: N
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theory – developing knowledge and understanding of chemical facts and principles as dictated by the syllabus practical – developing the methodological (practical) skills needed to be successful in the internal assessment of practical work Group 4 Project – engaging in collaborative, constructivist research with other science students extended essay (perhaps) – engaging in an independent research project on a chemical topic (see Chapter 29 for more information on the extended essay).
The most successful IB chemistry courses are those where these elements are integrated as far as is practically possible.
What will each of those components involve? Studying chemical theory towards sitting the external examination
This exciting syllabus leads you to an understanding of chemistry at both the microscopic level, for example atomic structure and bonding, and the macroscopic (bulk) level, for example equilibrium and kinetics. The subject matter is divided into: N
the Core syllabus – this is studied by all students to provide both breadth and depth of understanding
To all IB learners – both teachers and students 1009
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the Additional Higher Level (AHL) syllabus – this is studied only by Higher Level (HL) students to give further depth two Options topics – these are studied in great depth. All seven options are available to both Standard Level and Higher Level students, organized so that a core unit of Standard material can be followed by Additional Higher Level (AHL) material in each case.
The IB chemistry subject guide available from the IBO provides excellent guidance and includes an extremely detailed syllabus with assessment statements, time allocations and teachers’ notes, which are useful to both teacher and students throughout the course. The assessment statements in particular give a clear reference for the material which will be assessed in the final examinations. Once understood, these statements act as a valuable checklist during examination preparations. Students who cover the syllabus closely and understand it well will be successful; obvious, but all too often forgotten. Students who are determined not to let weekly uncertainties pass them by, but instead develop a routine of reviewing recent material and asking for help so that they understand as they proceed, are guaranteed success. The chapters of this book are designed to follow the syllabus very closely and have examination-style questions at the end of every chapter. Students can expect to be tested periodically by their teacher, using examples of IB questions to check understanding and to enable them to gain practice at the various styles of question. Past IB exam papers can be obtained from the IBO.
Developing methodological (practical) skills towards internal assessment (IA)
Alongside the syllabus content, students are required to develop methodological (practical) skills which will be assessed formatively and then summatively for the final assessment (Figure 28.2). This work leads to the internal assessment (IA) component of the course which contributes 24% towards the final grade. The work will involve a mixture of open-ended and closed laboratory experiments to assess students on the IB Group 4 (science) internal assessment criteria, given for assessment of the skills of: N N N N N
designing (planning) an investigation collecting, processing and presenting raw data concluding and evaluating manipulation (carrying out an investigation competently and safely) personal skills (perseverance, ethical work, team work and reflection).
Personal skills will only be assessed during the Group 4 Project.
Figure 28.2 IB chemistry students on task in practical work at the United World College of South East Asia
1010 TEACHING AND LEARNING IB CHEMISTRY Each student is expected to spend a certain amount of time on practical work (regardless of the number of practical activities performed). Currently this is 60 hours for Higher Level students and 40 hours for Standard Level students. This time includes all active practical work but not the time to write the reports. Standard Level and Higher Level students are assessed in exactly the same way and to the same level, the only difference being the amount of time spent. The school’s practical scheme of work should be designed to spread the practical activities over the main part of the course and involve the majority of the syllabus topics, including the options. It is a good idea to start by developing each skill separately using dedicated practical activities (they can be regarded as practices, but still contribute to the time spent on practical work). In this respect, ‘designing an investigation’ may not be the best skill to begin with as it is the one that most students find the hardest. The more familiar skills of ‘manipulation’ and ‘data collection and processing’ are a good introduction to using the assessment criteria. Once the skills have been developed and students are confident, more demanding practical activities will allow students to score well. Not all skills will be assessed for each practical. One practical activity might be used to assess manipulation, data collection, data processing and presentation (for example, determining the concentration of ethanoic acid (by per cent volume) in white vinegar by titration with sodium hydroxide solution – an activity which can be given as a prescribed procedure). A different practical activity might be used to assess planning, conclusion and evaluation (for example, an investigation into electroplating – for which students would be asked to generate their own research question, etc.). Eventually, by the end of the course, a small number of scores (currently, the best two for each skill) will be used in calculating the summative (final) grade. This means that, as a student, you will probably be assessed many more times than minimally necessary. In essence, you can ‘mess up’ on some practical activities and still do well if you improve during the course. To drive this improvement, as a student, you should expect to: N N N
be aware of which skills are being assessed during each practical activity be given the assessment criteria to work towards be given specific feedback on ways of getting improved scores in future.
This allows a formative approach in which students can learn from their mistakes by receiving specific feedback from teachers. To this end, teachers are encouraged to include criteria-specific comments and grade(s) on students’ work, both for the student’s benefit and to aid the IB moderator. Examples of such comments might be: N N
‘Design skills, Aspect 2 is partially completed – you did not control temperature’. ‘Data collection and processing skills, Aspect 1 is partially complete – you did not include random uncertainties in your temperature measurements.’
Students should try to keep a record of their own grades, set themselves specific targets and review and track their own progress. However, all evidence of the completion of the required number of hours of student practical work (marked practical reports with student instruction sheets attached) must be kept securely in the student’s practical portfolio, which may later be required for moderation purposes by the IBO. Teachers may prefer to keep these safely locked away in school. Similarly, a record of all internal assessment scores must be kept by the teacher from the very beginning of the course. The IB will require the final internal assessment grades and moderation samples 1–2 months before the IB examinations begin; therefore, schools will normally complete and internally moderate practical work around 2–3 months before. Further details of the current internal assessment procedures, skills and assessment criteria can be found in the current chemistry subject guide available from the IBO and in the procedures manual for the IB Diploma coordinator.
To all IB learners – both teachers and students 1011
The Group 4 (science) Project
A typical organization plan for the Group 4 Project is as follows: 1 Group 4 students from all subjects brainstorm together to select a theme for study (e.g. science in sport). 2 The group generates individual research questions to be studied by the individual subject teams comprising biologists, chemists, physicists or students studying environmental systems and societies. These research questions should be interlinked in some way under the overall theme (e.g. ‘physiological response to exercise at different altitudes’ for biologists, ‘reflective properties of different sports clothing material’ for physicists and ‘determining the concentration of salt in a sports drink’ for chemists). 3 Subject teams work on their individual investigations over a number of days. 4 Subject teams report findings to the group, emphasizing links to the other teams’ studies, often brought together in a group presentation or display (Figure 28.3).
Figure 28.3 Students of the United World College of South East Asia collecting data as part of their Group 4 Project, to be presented later for peer review
Group 4 Projects are often carried out midway through the course, after students have developed their methodological skills and become familiar with a range of practical techniques but before the pressures of finalizing coursework and preparing for external examinations.
1012 TEACHING AND LEARNING IB CHEMISTRY
The extended essay
Each IB Diploma student is required to carry out an individual piece of research in a chosen subject area, such as chemistry, working under the guidance of a teacher supervisor. This culminates in the production of a 4000-word essay. It is an opportunity to follow an area of personal interest, which might well be related to the student’s plans for tertiary education. Students who choose to write the extended essay in chemistry must first ensure that the topic is clearly chemical. For example, although a title such as ‘A survey of people’s attitudes to the future use of carbon-based nanotechnology devices’, is clearly related to nanotechnology issues, the overall essay is more likely to be sociological rather than chemical. Secondly, the essay should be based on a practical investigation, rather than a literature survey, in order to gain a good grade. A description of the development of inhibitors of HIV replication, while eminently worthwhile in itself, would not allow for scoring on the chemical components of the extended essay assessment criteria. The study must start with a well-focused research question and a realistic plan generated by the student. It must use either novel techniques of the student’s own design or modified standard practical procedures that can be applied to the particular study. Undertaking a simple, well-known textbook investigation will not gain a good grade. For example, ‘Determining the concentration of diluted battery acid by titration with standardized sodium hydroxide solution’ is unlikely to yield the opportunities needed. A more suitable research question might be ‘Determining which first-row transition metal ion is most strongly adsorbed by human hair’. Another important (though not chemical) element in the final grade is the student’s ability to present the essay clearly and in accordance with the conventions for research papers (for example, referencing). The IBO produces guidance documents listing general and subject-specific assessment criteria which all students should have access to before planning their extended essay. Many students find extended essays in chemistry very attractive and rewarding, although some also find that the nature of practical work can be excessively time consuming unless the research question is chosen very carefully indeed. Often students may design and perform a trial run of the project and find that it does not generate suitable raw data. For this reason, many schools encourage those students opting for science extended essays to begin planning their research earlier than peers choosing other subject areas. (See Chapter 29 for more information on the extended essay.)
How will the course be assessed? The final grade awarded for IB Diploma chemistry (7 highest, 1 lowest) will be based on the internal assessment of practical work (24%) and on the final external examinations (76%). The final examinations currently include multiple-choice questions, data analysis questions, shortanswer questions and extended-response questions. There will be one paper (Paper 3) dedicated to the option topics, which includes data analysis and shorter answer questions (often not very short in practice, and requiring in-depth understanding). Students who practise past examination questions and are then given model answers or mark schemes become familiar with the format; this becomes a major contributor to their success. In addition, an emphasis on thorough understanding of the option topics and the provision of detailed answers often leads to students gaining the higher grades. The extended essay is graded separately on a scale from A (excellent) to E (elementary). (It is worth noting here that a new ruling from the IBO means that an essay gaining a grade E will result in the student failing the diploma.)
To new IB teachers 1013
28.2 To new IB teachers This section is designed to provide further guidance to teachers who are new to IB Diploma chemistry. It assumes that the previous section has already been assimilated. You are probably very keen to obtain all the important details of syllabus, internal assessment procedures and external examinations, and start planning your course. In this section, we will first look at ways of obtaining the detailed information needed and then at ideas for developing an IB Diploma chemistry course appropriate for your particular circumstances.
How do I find out more about IB chemistry now and in the future? You will quickly come to understand that the IBO is a dynamic organization which continually evolves according to a regular development review cycle. As such, it is important that you are familiar with ways of finding out more now and of keeping informed in the future: N
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The first point of contact for subject teachers within a school is the school’s IB coordinator, who will probably act as the sole route of communication with the IBO. He or she will obtain all the necessary documents and will also receive periodic coordinator notes, which will include news about developments in Group 4 subjects, including chemistry. The main document to refer to first is the IB chemistry subject guide. This specifies all current details about the subject. To underline their commitment to lifelong learning and continuing professional development, the IBO organizes regular regional IB conferences which include IB subject workshops. These are extremely useful for teachers new to the IB and are advertised in the IB coordinator notes. The IBO provides excellent online help through its online curriculum centre (OCC) which includes all IB documentation, subject forums and resource-sharing facilities. Access details are obtainable from your IB coordinator. Schools new to IB often make links with an established IB school nearby. Contacting experienced IB chemistry teachers can often prove to be very useful indeed.
How should we organize and deliver the chemistry course in our school? Schools all over the world operate different course-delivery models as dictated by local circumstances such as size of cohort or responsibility to another course (e.g. their national curriculum). The IB requires that IB Diploma chemistry students complete 240 hours of study for Higher Level and 150 hours of study for Standard Level. This includes all theory and practical work. How these hours are organized is for each school to decide.
The delivery model
Different schools organize these hours in different ways. The main difference is with regard to the degree of integration (Higher Level students with Standard Level; theory work with practical) deemed desirable or possible. By far the preferred model is to have Higher Level and Standard Level students timetabled separately over a 2-year course within laboratories so that practical work can be integrated seamlessly within the relevant theory. This is the model favoured by the IB. If this describes your circumstance, then you are on a good footing. Some schools are unable to arrange for this. Other delivery models include: N N
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the theory delivered in classrooms with a separate, weekly laboratory-based practical session. both Higher Level and Standard Level students timetabled together to cover the Core material with Higher Level students attending an extra lesson covering the AHL material. All of the options can also be covered this way since they involve a shared Standard/Higher section followed by an Additional Higher Level section. The Core syllabus, Standard options material and 40 hours of internal assessment covered in year 1 so that Standard Level students sit the examination at the end of the first year while
1014 TEACHING AND LEARNING IB CHEMISTRY Higher Level students continue into year 2 to cover the AHL material, complete the option topics and finish their internal assessment work.
The options
Once the delivery model has been decided on, the next important decision is to select the option topics from those on offer by the IB (if your model allows for this). Options can be chosen: N N N
by the teacher by consensus among students, following which all students study the chosen options by students individually, who then work independently on these options.
In most schools, the teacher decides on the two options to be studied and delivers the material in a similar way to all other sections of the syllabus. The more aware students will be quick to point out that, since they are to be examined on both options in Paper 3, the options do, in fact, become entirely non-optional for the student.
The scheme of work
Once the options have been chosen, the scheme of work and teaching order can be developed. The IB chemistry syllabus has not been designed as a scheme of work. Each chemistry team will wish to develop a scheme of work that suits them. There are clear links, and a certain linearity in understanding, among the syllabus areas which would probably lead many teachers to start with atomic structure or quantitative chemistry and then proceed to bonding and periodicity. It would, however, be a mistake to expose students who are new to IB to an initial topic which feels unfamiliar, such as equilibrium, for example. However, this topic should be taught before acids and bases and the Higher Level oxidation and reduction. Measurement and data processing should be taught early to allow students to have the necessary skills for assessed practical work. Many teachers leave organic chemistry to the second year of the diploma, but it could be usefully introduced into the first year. Table 28.1 shows two examples of a sequence in which the chapters of this book might be studied, one for Standard Level students and one for Higher Level students. These are in no way prescriptive – each chemistry team will wish to pioneer an individual approach, and to modify this in the light of experience. Another common approach to the studying of Higher Level chemistry is to teach the Standard Level topics and then to teach the Higher Level topics. In this approach the majority topics are taught twice, once at an introductory level and then at a more advanced level.
Table 28.1 Two teaching schemes for IB Diploma chemistry
A scheme for teaching Standard Level students IB Diploma chemistry
A scheme for teaching Higher Level students IB Diploma chemistry
2
Atomic structure
2/12
Atomic structure
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Measurement and data processing
11
Measurement and data processing
1
Quantitative chemistry
1
Quantitative chemistry
4
Bonding
4/14
Bonding
3
Periodicity
3/13
Periodicity
5
Energetics
5/15
Energetics
6
Kinetics
6/16
Kinetics
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Equilibrium
7/17
Equilibrium
8
Acids and bases
8/18
Acids and bases
9
Oxidation and reduction
9/19
Oxidation and reduction
10
Organic chemistry
10/20
Organic chemistry
Option C: Chemistry in industry and technology
Option G: Further organic chemistry
Option D: Medicines and drugs
Option A: Modern analytical chemistry
Now it is just a matter of finding eager students to engage in learning.
