DP 1 Collaborative Science Project (2024-25)

Purpose

The Collaborative Sciences Project, outlined in the IB Sciences Guide for the first examination in 2025, aims to provide a challenge addressing real-world issues through science, fostering integration of factual, procedural, and conceptual knowledge.

This project emulates real scientific collaboration, allowing students from various science disciplines to work together on a scientific or technological problem. It aligns with course aims, particularly emphasizing problem-solving, development of skills like teamwork and leadership, and awareness of environmental and ethical implications.

The project encompasses three phases: planning, action, and evaluation.

This year we were looking at the science project in collaboration with Gorus Forest Farms .

Gorus Forest Farm, located in the Western Ghats near Pune, Maharashtra, offers a serene retreat for nature lovers, blending into lush sub-tropical forests with stunning mountain views. The farm cultivates organic Arabica coffee, spices, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, prioritizing sustainable practices without chemicals.

The students collaborated with farm personnel and sustainability experts on the following proposed research questions on February 3rd & 4th 2025.

1. Identifying different eco-zones within the coffee plantation (including habitats and ecological niches)

2. Floristic assessment of different ecosystems-zones of the coffee plantation (identification of plant species and their relative abundance).

3. Documenting the diversity of pollinators and their role in pollination of coffee flowers; identify measures to improve the diversity and abundance of pollinators.

4. Documenting soil pH, micro and macro elements, organic carbon, and physical and hydraulic characteristics of soil samples including soil structure, slope, porosity, water infiltration capacity, water holding capacity, etc. in different eco-zones of the coffee plantation.

Some reflections

The Science Collaborative Project was a unique experience giving us an opportunity to apply scientific skills learnt in classes in the field. We had to design our own experiments with the help of experts on the field, allowing us to improve our experimental design because of their guidance. This helped deepen our understanding of the scientific process and also of the farm and its ecosystem. Our group focused on determining the biodiversity of plants in the different zones of the coffee plantation. We were able to apply experimental designs, like the quadrat method, learnt in classes, to determine the biodiversity of the different zones. From the data collected, we were able to determine the zone with the most diversity, the zone with the most adult coffee plants, and the zone most suitable for coffee saplings to grow. This data will be useful for the people working on the farm as they can get a clearer understanding of what plants are growing in which zone. This was a unique way to perform experiments as we got to perform the experiment outside of school in natural conditions. The experiment also helped us work on our collaborative skills as the experiment required teamwork and collaboration to cover all the zones efficiently.

Kashish (DP-1)

Our SCP project was an enriching and novel experience that enabled us to use the scientific skills we have learned in our physics and chemistry classes to a real-world field setting in the coffee plantation in Mulshi. In our IB science classes, we have used the scientific method to investigate different concepts through experiments, IAs, and class activities. Yet, this project offered us the uncommon chance to translate our science into action, extending it outside of the classroom. We got to do fieldwork, gather data, analyze the data, and interpret it so that our conclusions would actually mean something for the plantation. We were not learning science anymore—now we were applying it to solve concrete problems. It was especially rewarding to witness how our findings could be of benefit to the plantation owner, providing him with data-driven advice to improve decision-making and optimize plantation management. Aside from the educational value, the project also promoted cooperation and teamwork among students from various scientific fields. Working together with my fellow students in a different specialization introduced me to a different thinking process and ways of science outside what I’d usually study on my own. It was intriguing, as an individual studying physics, to become interested in the fields of plant biology, ecosystem science, and sustainability of the environment, things which were unknown to me prior. This interdisciplinary project made me realize the relevance of various sciences and how they collaborate in overcoming intricate real-life problems. Second, the exercise cemented our relationships within the group since we shared tasks, brainstormed together, and benefited from each other’s expertise within a practical environment. In sum, the G4 project was not merely a scholarly exercise but a worthwhile experience that enhanced our scientific knowledge as well as cooperation skills.

Morgan (DP-1)

Human systems and economic activities	The study of how and why people construct organizations and systems; the ways in which people connect locally and globally; the distribution of power and authority.
Social organization and culture	The study of people, communities, cultures and societies in the ways in which individuals, groups and societies interact with each other.
Continuity and change through time	The study of the relationships between people and events through time; the past, its influences on the present and its implications for the future; people who have shaped the future through their actions.
Human and natural environments	The study of the distinctive features that give a place its identity; how people adapt to and alter their environment; how people experience and represent place; the impact of natural disasters on people and the built environment.
Resources and the environment	The interaction between people and the environment; the study of how humans allocate and manage resources; the positive and negative effects of this management; the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment.

Living things	The study of the characteristics, systems and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with their environment.
Earth and space	The study of planet Earth and its position in the universe, particularly its relationship with the sun; the natural phenomena and systems that shape the planet and the distinctive features that identify it; the infinite and finite resources of the planet.
Materials and matter	The study of the properties, behaviours and uses of materials, both natural and human-made; the origins of human-made materials and how they are manipulated to suit a purpose.
Forces and energy	The study of energy, its origins, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines. (IBO, 2009)

Field Trips

Athletics

Academics

Student Services

Arts

CAMPUS

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