MATHEMATICS SL & PORTFOLIO TASK TYPE I HL

INVESTIGATION

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 is clearly stated and contains no

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION

ambiguity
develops from an initial problem contains multi-solution paths,

that is, the potential to choose different courses of action from a range of options
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Questions before starting

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION

What is the purpose of the task? ( introduce a

topic, reinforce mathematical meaning or take the place of a revision exercise)

What part of the syllabus does this assess? What prior knowledge is required to complete

the task successfully?

What skills should be reviewed? What skills are expected to be developed
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through the task?

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION ESSENTIAL SKILLS TO BE ASSESSED

vProduce a strategy vGenerate data vRecognize patterns or

structures vSearch for further cases

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

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Criterion A

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION
NOTATION

Limit the use of computer/calculator notation , the use of ^, * , E09 , etc is inappropriate Avoid careless misuse of some terminology (e.g. equation instead of expression) Give proper attention to notation, approximation signs should be used where appropriate

Criterion B

COMMUNICATION

Begin with an introduction to the task Make the work easy to read and follow , the written presentation should flow smoothly Avoid the Question-and-Answer format Use comments and annotations accompanied the steps and results Label all graphs (particularly those which have been obtained from technology) Do not relegate tables to the appendix Do not make your work excessively long (12-15 pages max) Avoid repetition (do not abuse of cut-and paste technique) End the task with the conclusions

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 Criterion D

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

Avoid quoting results from Internet sources but explore and investigate on your own Informal explanation with some mathematical basis must be presented Formal explanation is sufficient for C5, D4

IMPORTANT (In Criteria C and D)

Validate the general statement (including values from different number sets) Analise the scope and limitations of your general formula as well as the quality of the explanation offered Explain and critically interpret the model and the methods to adapt the model to new situations

Criterion EUSE OF TECHNOLOGY

Use graphs which truly enhance the presentation of the work Technology must be resourceful; extending the analytical approach and contributing significantly to the development of the task

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Some highlights

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION

Clear introductions Looks and reads like a textbook: structured

sections as chapters

Concise, easy to understand data Clear calculations Tables logically presented with explanations

on the same page

Explanation boxes
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Lowlights

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION

No visuals Data table not explained Explanations of graphs precede the graphs Poorly handwritten Only one mathematical operation All graphs put at end Separate sections Sources of Error,
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etc. dont give smooth flow.

Some tips

MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION

Work through all problems with pencil and

calculator before writing it up right in to the first question

Write a brief introduction rather than jumping Set a tone of readability Pretend that you are writing a chapter in a

textbook a cohesive piece of mathematical writing with graphs/tables within the context
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EXAMPLE OF A TASK (including teachers comments) [An introduction would be helpful here. Criterion B.]

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[Please explain the significance of this table. Are the values exact? Criterion B.]

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[Is this exact enough? Criterion B.] [On the y axis the label should be term value or tn. Criterion B.]

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[You assume the Fibonacci sequence is known. A brief description of it would be a good [It would be clearer idea. Criterion B.] here one or two more steps explaining how you get to tn+1. Criterion B.]

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[Is it the fraction below?]

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[How are you getting from tn to

[By not developing tn = 2 + 1/ tn+1 you have missed tn+1 = (2a + b)/a. There is some work missing here. Criterion B.]

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[You have established a general statement and tested validity, but this is poorly communicated. Criterion B rather than criterion C applies.]

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[You have not graphed other examples . Criterion [Are there E.] limitations on k? Where is the

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