Group 4 Project:

We have a much organised structure for Group 4 Project in our school. Initially,
a teacher who is Group 4 Project Co-ordinator introduces the Group 4 Project
and gives an insight to all the students. This is followed by a couple of
brainstorming sessions where the candidates give their ideas. After this, the
science teachers generally give all the candidates a few options that are
generally different places where the project can be carried out. It could be
some place near the school or a camp site in the vicinity of the water bodies.

This is followed by division of the candidates into different teams. Generally, all
the teams have representations from all the different subjects (for e.g. each
team will have at least one candidate from Computer Science, at least one
candidate from physics, etc.).

Then visits to the place of choice are organised where each team carries out its
experiments on a common theme. Generally, the theme can be same group-
wise as well as batch wise. Once experiments, observations etc. are done by
the students, then they are given some time to collate their results within their
groups. This is done using online collaboration techniques like Google Drives,
Mind maps etc.

After this each group does their Group 4 presentation. They are questioned by
the teachers and the other groups about their research methodology and
findings.

The Computer Science elements generally in Group 4 projects are: Online

Collaboration, Mind Maps, Data Interpretation, Computational Thinking,
Making Programs to interpret results, Correlation-Regression, What if Analysis,
Making graphs, Collaborative online analysis and presentation team work, etc.

An example of a project by a group on a camp site was: Material of the tents

used, temperature inside and outside tents, Kitchen inside tents, Water bodies
pollution level on the camp site, waste disposal, scope of generating electricity
by measuring the speed of the water flow at different times of the day using
turbines, etc.

It is always interesting to see each group come with different ideas and
different research work from various perspectives.
Our students are making physics games. Our students will use Greenfoot to
create a physics game ("catapult").

The Group 4 project this year was on "oil". The subjects involved were -
Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Biology -The G4 approach on " Oil " this year was : Comparing the calorific
value of Mustard Oil and White oil and research on the health effects.

The students experimentally found out the energy value of each oil and have
done the research on the rest based on their results.

Chemistry - The students found out the Iodine number of different oil,
sunflower, Mustard oil, Olive oil and butter (oil before used for cooking and oil
after frying) which test the degree of unsaturation.

Physics - the students did an experiment to calculate the approximate value of

coefficient of viscosity.

The theme for this years Group 4 project was "Health."

The groups found and researched a specific example of how some physical
item effected health.

We split the groups up so that we had a representative from each subject;

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Comp. Sci.

One example was the effects of different types of Cola on tooth health. They
were able to get some teeth from a dentist and test: Cola (normal), Diet Cola,
Cola Zero with the control being carbonated and still water. They then
measured the physical, colour and other observable effects on the teeth.

The Computer science was brought in to produce a degredation model during

the tracking of the different effects. This group used a spreadsheet. All groups
had to produce a poster presenting their information and data. I actually think
that the CS element ended up improving the delivery of the information. Trend
graphs and other visual elements made them more understandable instead of
a lot of numbers being presented.
Our last group 4 project was designed around the topic of Mythbusters (as in
the TV show). The idea was for students to look for a popular belief and design
the experiments to test how real they are. For example one group tested the
posibility to walk on water and they tested it by using starch on the surface of
a recipient with water. The role of the CS student was mainly focused on the
generation of the graphs from the collected data and also of the presentation
of the information for the group.

The topic for this year was “Crime and Science”

The groups were split so that there was a student from each Science subject,
including now a CS student.

Students have to come up with a research question on their own and be

approved by the Science teacher (of the chosen Science of the research
question).

Some research questions that students came up with were:

“How accurate can footprint evidence be in deducing the weight and height of
a suspect?”

“How does the distance from the body, when shooting, affect the pattern in
blood spatter?”

“Can DNA be extracted from animal cells the same way it can be extracted
from plant cells?”

“Can we accurately determine the position of a body from visual analysis of

bloodstain pattern? Does it still hold true if the body is in motion?”

Etc.

Although none of the groups were focusing on Computer Science as such,

students were able to use Critical Thinking in their approach to the solutions
plus other IT tools.

If you’re interested, you may look at the results (different quality work..) in this
site:
https://sites.google.com/a/abc-net.edu.sv/group-4-project/home where
general information is given to the students about the whole process, then
follow the link Class of 2014

Waste in the school canteen.

Computer Science (CS) students roles may include:

• running a survey and displaying results on a poster with graphs/charts of
wasted meals
• posting visual aids on canteen walls that promote making good choices while
getting meals,
show what food waste causes
• arranging a video conference in a hall that is run by an expert or any advisor
who talks about
how to make less food waste in the canteen, how to choose meals properly
• run a contest for making NO FOOD WASTE slogan, and displaying the winner
slogan at the
Canteen

Distribution of plants and insects in a specific area (could involve field trip).
CS students may collaborate with primary students and science teachers while
they cover topics
related to insects, habitats, leaves and plants.
• Findings by primary students can be recorded into a database that can be
shared in public
later. Digital camera and video recorder can be used to keep visual data.
• CS students may create maps of local parks on an online map service
provider like Google
Maps and ask viewers to leave reviews/comments about plants and insects
they have seen in
the parks. Viewers may even upload public photos.
• CS students can publish a website that collects data about insects and plants
in the local
parks with the help of Web 2.0; keeps record of user inputs.
Computer Science student can contribute in following ways:

Waste in School canteen:

Wastage in school canteen comprises mainly of perishable snacks, which
cannot be stored
but a shortage will cause loss to the canteen. A computer science student can
create models based on
past records as to what should be the optimum quantity to be bought
everyday for such items. For
Example:
Demand per day: 30 40 50 60 70
No. of days each sales
Level is recorded: 24 24 36 24 12
Expected Sales(Mean)=5760/120=48
Conditional Value= profit * qty sold – loss * qty unsold
Qty Bought
30 40 50 60 70
Supply probability
30 0.20 180 100 20 -60 -140
40 0.20 180 240 160 80 0
50 0.30 180 240 300 220 140
60 0.20 180 240 300 360 280
70 0.10 180 240 300 360 420
EMV 180 212 216 178 112
Thus the quantity to be stocked to maximize profits and minimize wastage is
50.
‘what If analysis’ can be done on the data to find out the effect of different
variables on demand.
Simulation Techniques can be used.

Levels of Pollution in the Town Centre:

Students can present an air pollution monitoring system to provide alarm
messages about
increasing levels of pollution with sensor data analysis. Computing technology
can be used to
process the large volumes of data and Data analysis can be applied to
understand the detected air
pollution levels. The analyzed data can be used to track the pollution and to
give an alarm. This
monitoring system can be further used to estimate the damages caused by air
pollution.
Alternative Energy Sources:
Students can create models to produce electricity from sun, wind energy or bio
wastes.
For this they would need to Analyze Data. Computer science students can help
over here in
recording of data and analysis thereafter. Also, the project can be started in
testing mode and
simulation techniques can be used to find the probability of success. Only then
the model would
be implemented.

Distribution of Plants and Insects in a Specific area:

Students amongst themselves need to decide on various factors which they
will consider to
distribute the plants & insects for example: no. of residents, open areas, soil
composition and no. of
plants already over there in the area. Data Analysis can be done by CS students
for the group, based
on which further action can be taken. If an awareness campaign is undertaken,
CS students can help
by creating Posters, PPTs etc

Canteen waste at school.

1. Students should collect data on the abundance of waste.
2. From the data collected to do research, what kind of food has a low
demand.
3. Run a survey among students, to find out what foods and why are they not
eat.
4. The study results can be displayed in diagrams, organizational charts.
5. Describe the findings.
The data can be used for another test: a healthy diet. Which of the waste of
whole some food. Does
eating enough vegetables. In discussions about food, invite a dietician.
The results can be posted on your school website, hold pictures or posters in
the exhibition, creating
short videos on the subject.
Plant and insect distribution in a specific environment.
Best for study in the wild.
Students select a destination: forest, grassland, sand, lakeside, etc. Doing
research in your area:
1. What plants (insects) are the most common.
2. What influences their distribution.
3. How plants (insects) influences the area's climate.
After researching various models can provide information as well as the results
and conclusions:
presentation, video, movie, tables and charts, organizational charts.

The pollution level in the city center

This is particularly interesting and important topic.
Measures: pollution level measurement device.
1. Choose hours: peak and non-peak.
2. During the week, each day to measure the level of pollution in the city
center. (The test can
do and the different seasons: summer and winter).
3. The findings organize, present the results in a variety of models: tables,
charts, presentations
and drawings.
Run a survey, the number of students going to school with the machine.
Reduce emissions to highlight the day without a car.

Alternative Energy Sources

In our country, wind power is still new. Operation of the different view: that
wind turbines harm
human and animal health, the environment is climate, etc.
1. Make a study as there are plants in the country.
2. How are they distributed in the regions.
3. The surrounding population survey.
The same can be done in researching solar energy sources.
All of these projects would allow CS students to create, explore, organize
data, analyze, draw
conclusions and present them graphically to the community. During these
projects, students
are developing the existing and possibly develop a training profile properties.
After research with a few extremely scientific teachers say no more here is a
summary!

In the past they appear to collaborate on a science topic. This involved them
designing and carrying out a laboratory investigation. They use data logging
equipment and put together a model simulation to show the effects in looking
at the growth of mold on food over a week. The Computer Science members
will be ask to show data analysis and produced scientific graphics with a
detailed data analysis report.

They will also produce a database with an interface.

The HL group

Theme is ethical and global issues with disasters

This encouraged students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical

implications of science. It is also an opportunity for students to explore
scientific solutions to global questions.

The head of science decided in agreement with our IB co-ordinator to

incorporate three of the four sciences that we have: biology, chemistry,
physics, and computer science.

The topic we are debating about is very much in the news and is a current
challenge globally.

The ethics of infringing personal freedoms when preventing the spread of

ebola (ex: mandatory quarantine).

Biology and chemistry aspects are not too difficult, explaining how ebola works
and how it's similar and different to other diseases. The issue is with physics or
computer science. Right now we have statistics of ebola outbreaks and other
diseases, which can swing into either physics or computer science. The
computer science group members could illustrate a simulation the variables
and data added. Also include algorithms and identify any patterns.
The theme was the colonisation of mars.

Students developed a number of ideas and projects over two days. These
ranged from developing ways to generate oxygen, re using water as this would
be a scarce resource. Designing a dome for use in farming, space elevator to
get things on and off the surface etc. Experiments were performed to test out
ideas and prototypes were designed, designs were drawn up.

Computer Scientists would have fitted in to these projects in a number of

ways. Many of the ideas would have needed some type of control system.
These could have been specified and bits of psuedocode or real code written.
Also during the experiments monitoring software could have been written.

It might be a good idea to introduce interfacing with sensors and actuators

before students start the project as this would be very useful.

At our school there is a common practice that heterogenous groups of

(usually) 4 students are formed. The students form these groups themselves.
They must (as far as possible) include a student from each of the Group 4
subjects.

Then these groups must find a problem, scenario, etc. that they will be working
on. These problems, scenarios, themes must be somehow connected to
the Energy. So the Energy is the main theme since all of the subjects (scientific
areas) can be somehow related to that theme. This is basically the only
limitation (to the one, how the groups of students must be formed).

Here is the list of the titles for past two years:

 Nuclear energy/reaction Chernobyl

 Release of methane from permafrost as a result of global warming
 Optimization of energy for an average household
 Solar energy (photovoltaics & photosynthesis)
 Biomass as an energy source
 Flying and energy
 The efficiency of different types of fuels
 Nuclear and chemical pollution - detection and effects
 Geosequestration (CO2 capture and storage)
 Energy efficient homes
 Examining the impacts of power plant failure: Chernobyl
 Using osmotic potential to produce energy
 To complete the Group 4 Project, students at my school have been
required to either conduct separate experiments in each of the three
sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics ( - these were the only Group 4
subjects that were offered up until the last academic year) or work towards
a common goal that could be discussed from different scientific viewpoints;
Examples:

One year the students and their science teachers visited Schinias National Park
(: “A wetland, a coastal pine forest, a freshwater spring, a peninsula, a hill and
a magnificent bay.”). Here students were divided into three groups and asked
in turn to complete each of three experiments/investigations involving:

Identifying and cataloguing the animal and plant species they

encountered (Biology)

Measuring water and soil pH (Chemistry)

(I have not been able to contact Physics teacher)(Physics)

Last year students were again divided into three groups and asked to build as
tall a structure as they could using cardboard paper, tape and paperclips and
capable of supporting 1kg of chocolate. The winning group were rewarded
with the chocolate after they had discussed their structure from the point of
view of:

Biology: Human musculoskeletal system

Physics: Interacting forces

Chemistry: Molecular structures

Our group 4 projects are run by the science department and completed in the
first year of the course. All of the projects tend to be of the same structure.
Identify a problem, investigate using some form of data logging, present the
results and draw conclusions. The project my student did last year was to
identify the best place to study in the school. The data collected included noise
level and temperature as well as questionnaires and observed behaviour in a
variety of locations. Around the school we have a number of quiet/silent study
halls, the library, and informal study halls where more talking is allowed.
However the conclusions drawn did not identify the silent study hall to be most
beneficial, as although the noise levels were low, it was cold, with no natural
lighting.