Exam Preparation 1

Exam preparation 1: page 1

Exam preparation 1

Focus on the 6 mark ‘Investigation planning question’

This is 6 marks you can all get with a bit of practice!!!

6. Design an investigation you could carry out to find the effect of different air temperatures on the rate of sweating in humans.

Include full experimental details in your account

Look at the mark scheme below and then try to write a model answer, get a friend to mark it using the same scheme – did you miss anything, get a second person to check the mark and see if they agree.

For these questions you always need to include the following (CORMS)

C – CHANGE: state the Independent variable (what you will change and values of it)
O - ORGANISM: what organisms will be involved and what similarities do they need to have e.g. same sex, age, health, etc
R - REPEAT: ALWAYS REPEAT (this improves RELIABILITY)
M1 - MEASURE: what do you plan to measure? e.g. growth, length, temperature weight size etc. (i.e. your dependent variable)

M2 – How you’re going to measure it – e.g.use a quadrat, measure using a ruler
S1 - SAME Standard: what do you need to keep the same? e.g. time, diet, oxygen, light intensities pH etc – in order to make it a fair test!

S2

THE MARK SCHEME FOR THIS QUESTION IS BELOW

Question 6 – EXAMINERS REPORT

“This was answered very well, with a significant number of candidates gaining full marks. Most candidates gained at least 3 or 4 marks. It is clear that ‘CORMS’, from feedback meetings and the previous reports is being used well. A few candidates forget to give examples of fair testing.”

Now practice this one (you can use the mark scheme for this first attempt)

18) Design and experiment you could carry out to find out how temperature affects the rate of decomposition of plant leaves

Remember this old chestnut from the MOCK!

7. Limpets are animals that live on rocks found by the sea. They are attached to the rocks and do not move very much. A picture of a limpet attached to a rock is shown below.

Design an investigation to find out if distance from the sea affects the population size of limpets found on the rocks.

How is it marked!

(C) – different distances / near or far from sea;

Organism (O) controlled variables to do with the organism

same species;

Repeats (R) (1)

Measure/Dependent variable (M) (max 2)

quadrat;

count / number / amount / how many / eq;

SAME (S) – Controlled variables to do with the methodology

same time / season / weather / eq;

same rock (type) / aspect / beach;

Ignore pollution / predation

So as with all investigations if you state the Independent variable (what you change), the dependent variable and how it will be measured you get three marks and talk about repeating you will get four marks – then you also need to add controlled variables what will you keep the same in order to make it a fair test – mention at least one to do with the organism and two others.

“Bobs your uncle, 6 marks in the bag!”

Now try these without a mark scheme, “you ain’t gonna have one in the exam!”

Check your answers with Mr. E when all 4 are done!