Practical investigation in a biology context (internal)
Internal 4 credits Variables Method Reliability Biological explanation EvaluationAS 91153, 4 credits. A practical investigation with supervision. What separates a biology investigation from a physics one is the requirement to explain the result biologically AND bring in a second source — the data is only half of it.
1 Reading the notation
Every grade band has a fixed list of components — including one that is easy to miss entirely.📖 Terms the schedule grades you on
4 terms- Carry out (Achieved)
- Hypothesis, method (fair test or pattern-seeking), data collection/processing, findings, conclusion, AND a relevant finding from another source.
- In-depth (Merit)
- Valid range/measurement/control considering sampling bias and error; data showing a trend or its absence; a valid conclusion; discussion using both own findings and the other source.
- Comprehensive (Excellence)
- Justification of choices — evaluating validity of method OR reliability of data — and the conclusion explained in biological terms.
- With supervision
- The teacher sets the context and broad conditions; the student develops and completes the investigation from there.
2 Hypothesis, variables and method
Fair test or pattern-seeking — the method has to name the right components for the design chosen.What the method has to name
- AIM and a hypothesis with a biological reason.
- Variables: independent, dependent, and controlled with HOW each was controlled (fair test) — or the data, range and other key factors (pattern-seeking).
- A method reproducible enough for someone else to repeat exactly.
3 Data and the biological explanation
The biological mechanism behind the trend is what this standard is really testing. ✕Describing the graph instead of explaining it
"The rate increased and then levelled off" is a description of your own graph — the marker can see that. The mark is for the mechanism: enzyme saturation, a limiting factor, stomatal closure, denaturation. Name the biology.4 Evaluation, and the other-source requirement
Two things a rebuilt write-up must not drop: a justified evaluation, and a second source used throughout.What lifts a write-up to Excellence
- Repeats, means, and consistency between them → reliability.
- A method that measures what it claims to → validity.
- Named error sources, with their direction of effect.
- The conclusion explained in terms of biological ideas — not just re-stated.
Practice
Recall it first, then use it — testing yourself builds the memory, where rereading the notes above only feels easier.
Recall and application shuffled together — you have to work out what each item wants before you can answer it, which is the part the exam actually tests. Both kinds feed the same spacing schedule, so anything you miss comes back sooner.
Say the answer out loud before flipping — that attempt is where the learning happens, even when you get it wrong.
Exam-style only. Instant feedback, shuffled each attempt, best score saved on this device.