Experimental Record Ideas
On this page, we are curating ideas that you can play with to create a fun experimental programme that develops the skills needed for the internal assessment and the external assessments.
Teacher only boxThis is a work in progress, and links will be added as we release new activities. If you have ideas for this table, please let us know, and we will share your wisdom.
| Idea | Type of Activity | Link to Activity (when available) |
|---|---|---|
Topic 1 | ||
| Value Surveys | Survey | Value Surveys |
| Who am I? | Systems Thinking | 1.1 Understanding Who We Are? |
| Change over time graphs (smoking/lead) | Systems Thinking | |
| Candles as a system | Experimental | 1.2 Burning Candle as a System |
| Modelling Systems | Experimental | Controlled Experiments and Modelling a System |
| Drawing a System | Modelling | 1.2 Drawing A Local System |
| Emerging Systems | Experimental | 1.2 Measuring Change in an Emerging System |
| Modelling Feedback | Modelling | Modelling Feedback |
| Tipping points | Modelling | Investigating Tipping Points |
| Environmental Indicators | Experimental | Environmental Indicators |
| Survey on Doughnut Economics/Circular Economy | Survey | |
Topic 2 | ||
| Simulations - predator-prey | Simulation | 2.1 Predator-Prey Interactions Activity |
| Simulations - population growth - Yellowstone Wolves | Secondary data | 2.1 Yellowstone National Park Wolves |
| Simulations - population growth - Bees and Yeast | Secondary data | 2.1 Modelling Population Growth |
| Biomagnification | Modelling | 2.2 Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification |
| Microplastics | Secondary data | Microplastics Data Analysis |
| Microplastics | Fieldwork | |
| Energy in Biomass | Experimental | |
| Photosynthesis | Experimental | Investigating Photosynthesis |
| Dry Mass | Experimental | |
| Primary Productivity | Experimental | Measuring Productivity |
| Secondary Productivity | Secondary Data | |
| Simpson's Reciprocal Diversity Index | Fieldwork/modelling | |
| Lincoln Index | Modelling/fieldwork | |
| Cladistics (HL only) | Modelling | HL 2.1 Caminalcules and Evolutionary Relationships |
| Ecological studies - spatial and temporal change | Fieldwork | |
| Transects and Quadrats | Fieldwork/modelling | Determining Numbers - "How Many?" |
| Zonation | Fieldwork/secondary data | |
| Succession | Fieldwork/secondary data | |
Topic 3 | ||
| Natural Selection | Simulation | |
| Survey on Zoos | Survey | |
| Species richness | Fieldwork/secondary data | |
Topic 4 | ||
| Transpiration | Experimental | |
| Biotic Indices | Fieldwork/secondary data | 4.4 Indicator Species and Biotic Indices |
| Water temperature and oxygen concentration | secondary data | Water Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen |
| Values and access to water | Survey | |
| Water consumption | Experimental/survey | |
| Growth rate of algae/duckweed with NO3 | experimental | |
| erosion and water turbidity | experimental | |
| Biological oxygen demand | experimental | 4.4 Biological Oxygen Demand |
| Properties of water | experimental | Exploring the Properties of Water |
| tragedy of the commons - fishing | simulation | |
Topic 5 | ||
| Properties of soil | experimental | |
| carbon in soil | experimental | 5.1 Practical: Using dry combustion to measure soil carbon |
| Nutrient Testing of two soils | experimental | |
| Soil runoff | experimental | |
| cigarette/heavy metal pollution | experimental | |
| salinisation on plant growth/germination | experimental | 5.1 Investigating Effect of Salinisation on Seed Germination and Growth |
| Opinions on plant based diets | survey | |
| Food intake analysis | secondary data | |
| Feeding on different trophic levels | secondary data | 5.2 Impact of Feeding on Different Trophic Levels |
| Buffering capacity of different soils/soil conditioners | experimental | |
Topic 6 | ||
| Coral bleaching and temperature | secondary data | |
| albedo | experimental | Investigating Albedo |
| Greenhouse gas radiative forcing | experimental | |
| Opinions on climate change | survey | |
| ocean acidification | experimental | |
| temperature change and sea level rise | secondary data | |
| temperature change and storm intensity | secondary data | |
| ozone depletion (UV) on plant growth | experimental | |
Topic 7 | ||
| Views on natural capital | survey | Views on Natural Capital |
| plastic recycling | experimental | |
| UV and plastic degradation | experimental | |
| Use of water bottles | survey | |
| food waste | experimental | |
| Measuring your solid domestic waste production | experimental | |
| Bidegradability | experiemental | Biodegradability |
Topic 8 | ||
| Human population dynamics | secondary data | 8.1 Investigating Human Population Dynamics |
| Monitoring air pollution | fieldwork/secondary data | |
| Impact of acid deposition on seed growth | experimental | |
| Air temperature and green spaces | experimental/secondary data | Data-based activity - Topic 8.2 - Urban green spaces |
| car exhaust monitoring | experimental | |
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