IB ESS 5 Days

The following is an example of how a 5-day course might look. Our courses are as flexible as possible to meet your requirements, with other topics and skills able to be substituted into this timetable. There will be some variation between what is offered at specific centres due to habitat availability.

Welcome by staff, centre tour and introduction, pre-course meeting of FSC staff and teachers, allocation of wellies and waterproofs as appropriate.

Immersion in Ecology

A half day introductory session which is used to immerse, engage and inspire students in ecological skills and environments.  Current ecological ‘hot topics’ and synoptic links are introduced, and students are challenged to question the world around them.

Ecological Energetics

An investigation looking at energy flow and the efficiency of energy transfer within an ecosystem, either in freshwater or on the rocky shore, depending on the centre.

Biodiversity

Students will use random sampling to compare two habitats, calculate species diversity. This could be done in various habitats, including rocky shore, woodland, heathland or moorland depending on the centre visited.

Succession, carbon and water

A full day session investigating succession using systematic sampling. Students will measure abundance and distribution of species, and assess the impact of succession on the carbon and water cycles.

Individual Investigations – Personal Engagement and Exploration

Students will plan, justify and carry out their own ecological investigation for internal assessment. They will identify a research question, develop a methodology, including a trial where appropriate, carry out a risk assessment, and collect data.

Individual Investigations – Analysis and Evaluation

This session allows students time to process and analyse their own data, and research and reference their findings with the support field centre staff and resources.

Depart Midday

Detailed coverage of biological content from:

Internal Assessment

Our courses will provide students with the opportunity to develop their practical skills and knowledge and apply these successfully to independently undertake a independent investigation for internal assessment. Through first-hand experience in a variety of inspiring habitats students will be encouraged to demonstrate personal engagement with the exploration of their investigation. The course will provide a context for their research question and encourage them to apply their results to a broader environmental and/or societal context.

Maths and Statistical Skills

Our courses include a wide range of applied maths and graphical skills and, depending on the topics covered, can cover the following statistical tests: Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and the chi-squared test. Students can also calculate Simpson’s index of diversity using their own data.