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The Group 4 Project is a collaborative investigation for all Group 4 students. IBDP Year 11
students participated in this Group 4 project held in April 2022. Students from different
Group 4 subjects worked collaboratively in teams to solve local and global environmental
issues through primary and secondary research under a central theme. The theme for the
Class of IB 2023's Group 4 Project was 'Our Environment'. The complexity of the chosen
theme made it open to the interpretation of each group, who were eventually able to
combat and explore issues like soil degradation, flooding, water contamination, and non-
biodegradable waste. The purpose of this project was to integrate the Group 4 sciences
(Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, and Sports Exercise Health Science) in an
interdisciplinary approach to resolve prevalent environmental problems and address
issues of personal, local, and global significance.
The Group 4 project was spread over three days, where Day 1 was used for the
introduction and planning of the projects, Day 2 for data collection, and Day 3 for the
completion of data collection and their presentations. Students were divided into eleven
groups of 8-11 students in each group who took different sciences at both Higher and
Standard levels so each group could integrate different approaches into their
investigation.
The planning stage was split into two phases: ideation and preparation. After being
introduced to the Group 4 Project and this year's theme, the students were given an
opportunity to brainstorm so that they may decide upon an environmental issue they
wished to pursue. After ideation, they were encouraged to explore creative solutions to
solve their chosen issue that were practical and interesting while also integrating all the
sciences in an interdisciplinary manner. Both primary and secondary data were
incorporated to help execute the investigations. Following the ideation of their solutions,
the students were then required to make a list of apparatus and materials they would
need to carry out their respective data collection. Upon reflecting on this specific aspect of
the process, students acquired organisational skills to pre-plan procedure and data
collection, as well as evaluate the feasibility of their solutions before putting it into effect.
This was followed by the action stage. On Day 2, each team was given access to the school
laboratories to collect their data. Under the guidance of the Science Department teachers
and the Lab Technicians, the students worked to conduct a range of investigations that
helped them explore new lab procedures and apparatus, including UV radiation
chambers, colorimeters, pH and electrical probes. This allowed students to apply their
scientific learnings from the classroom to a real-world context.
Finally, the groups were given Day 3 to work on their displays, which included a
powerpoint presentation, a chart, and oral presentations. On this final day, the Group 4
Project was carried out in the form of an exhibition in the auditorium, where teachers and
students of other grades were able to interact with Grade 11 students and learn more
about their investigations. Each group was given a whiteboard and a desk to display their
work, including any simulations, diagrams, or models that were built. They were
approached by a team of teachers who then evaluated their work and gave them
constructive feedback on the possible future scope of their work. All the Grade 11
students were extremely satisfied by the end-results of their investigations and were
excited to learn more about the work of their peers. They were able to learn and apply
new concepts from other sciences that enabled them to understand the interconnected
nature of science, thereby fulfilling the project's aim and serving as testimony of their
commendable collaboration and progress as IB learners.
The investigations done by eleven teams of students were as follows:
Team 1: “LET IT RAIN OVER US”
Team 2: “ENERGY CONTENTS OF BIOFUELS”
Team 3: “STOP BEING SALTY”
Team 4: “UNMASKING THE TRUTH”
Team 5: “S(P)OIL”
Team 6: “Aiding The Recycling Dilemma”
Team 7: “Demystifying Desalination”
Team 8: “XYLEM FILTERS”
Team 9: “Filter Fresh”
Team 10: “LET'S MAKE WATER GREYT AGAIN!”
Team 11: “PURIFYING THE MITHI RIVER”
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GROUP 4 PROJECT “A good support system is integral in paving the
way for a healthy life.”
Diya Piramal
Angel Xpress
Foundation
The Angel Xpress Foundation is a non-profit organization
that believes that every child deserves the opportunity to
discover their true potential by creating opportunities for
educated adults and students to teach and mentor
underprivileged learners. By working with this
organization, we taught a group of 12-15 students from
grades 6-7, the subjects of English, Mathematics, Health
and Sanitation, Science, and Social Science. Due to the
COVID restrictions, we could not work with the children
physically, so we conducted weekly virtual lessons with
them every Friday. We tried to use our time with the
children to help them draw parallels to situations in the
real world. Besides academics, we kept reiterating the
importance of sustainable living.
Our experience with AXF on the online platform allowed us
to incorporate visual aids in Zoom whiteboards, online
crosswords, games, and video presentations. One of the
most significant aims of our team was to ensure that
learning occurred in a fun and enriching environment. We Advitya
included various games to give the students a break from
the academics and build a good rapport with them to Advitya is an organisation and creative centre for those with Down's
ensure future learning is more interactive and inclusive. We syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and other conditions. Since the
implemented a reflective learning method wherein we August of 2000, Advitya has aimed to improve the lives of these people
asked the students to reflect on their learnings after each by building their confidence through vocational training, providing their
session to ensure they fully comprehended what they were families with support and spreading awareness about this cause.
taught. Midway through our term, we began asking the Our role at Advitya involves planning weekly sessions to help promote
students to share particular topics of interest or difficulty, educational learning along with recreation amongst the students at
thereby focusing on these topics in the following lessons to Advitya. The sessions target a variety of skills including but not limited to
clarify basic concepts. Towards the end of 2021, we also basic mathematics, art, dance, and memory.
introduced the concept of New Year's Resolutions to the Every week we follow a similar process to make sure that we can prepare
children and asked them to set goals for themselves for for and execute our sessions successfully. The sessions are planned 2-3
the upcoming year. We regularly checked in with days in advance so the NGO can make the necessary arrangements. The
individual students and their progress with their selected work is divided so all of us are ready with the necessary resources like
goals, be it drawing, exercising, reading, or dancing. PPTs on the day of the session. Although we initially divided work based
Thus, through this enriching journey, we were able to on our strengths, in the second semester we all explored out new
engender a lasting impact on the students' lives. activities and learned new things!
Through our time with Advitya we have been able to conduct different
We may not be angels but we tried our best to be angels activities of varying complexity with the students. We have played ‘odd or
in their lives. even’ to build understanding of basic mathematics, ‘guess the
animal/person/object’ and memory games for general skill-building, and
vocabulary. We have also conducted activities for general wellness through
yoga, music, dance, and art and craft. Possibly our most engaging sessions
were the festival themed ones. We celebrated Holi, Christmas, Republic
Day, World Disability Day, and Diwali with the students. During these
sessions we made festive arts and crafts like Christmas trees for Christmas
and ‘pichkaris’ for Holi, conducted fun themed quiz on freedom fighters
and sung patriotic songs for Republic day.
WHAT WE TEACH? Working with the students at Advitya has been an enriching process for all
of us and has inculcated important skills such as communication,
Age group What we teach
organisation, adaptability, teamwork, creativity, and planning. Although
Grade 3 to Grade 7 • English we did face a few challenges at the beginning with communication gaps
• Maths and time management, we soon got more comfortable with the students
and sessions flowed smoother and were more enjoyable! Reflecting as a
Grade 8 to Grade 10 • School curriculum group was therefore extremely important and useful for us, especially at
• Career and Academic counselling
the beginning. Through reflection we were able to identify our strengths
and weaknesses, identify activities the students enjoyed, and therefore
Grade 11 and Grade 12 • School curriculum
•Career and Academic counselling plan for our next session better. We have loved all the time we've spent
with our students at Advitya, but for us, the best part has been all the fun
Grade 5 onwards • Spoken English (one on one) we have had dancing, doing crafts, and playing together!
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