AusIS IBDP Blog

  As the final term of DP 1 starts, there is a new topic for ESS. The first topic for ESS in DP 1 this term, will be Topic 4: Water. As we completed the introduction to water, we went over the basics such as the water cycle and the availability of water. Towards the end of the first chapter there is a subtopic known as ocean currents. This was a concept new to all of us ESS students so we were a little confused in the beginning. Our facilitator had an interesting idea, to allow us to present our own understanding on this topic. We had so much to cover such as the functions of ocean currents and an interesting case study on ENSO.   We all created our slides and presented our understanding. There was a difficulty between our classmates about presenting the case study because we did not really understand it. But thanks to the presentation we were able to figure it out ourselves. I believe that it was a really fun idea to have us present it ourselves, because we had to take ou...

  As the new term begins, so does a new experiment for ESS. These experiments are really fun for students as they can gain lab work experience and are beneficial because of the lab report that has to be done following it. For DP1, we are starting the chapter of Soil Systems and Society. Soil is a necessity on Earth and one of the roles is that it helps to grow plants. Our experiment was to analyze two samples of soils, garden soil and roadside soil. With these two samples we found its pH, moisture, water capacity and texture. It is important to understand these qualities in soil because when they are in a certain condition, it is the best for growing plants.   This experiment was very messy, but it was enjoyable. The students were divided into three groups and it was a new experience for everyone. Although we have done experiments before, we did not use some of the apparatus used in this experiment, so it was a new challenge for us. Equipment such as the dropper, glass rod...

Beginning on the 12th January and recurring in some days till the 26th of January, there is a huge festival in The River Turag called Ijtema. We were not aware of the festival and its audience, so on the 12th many students could not reach school due to severe traffic. Attendance was incredibly low that day with many students arriving very late. This later resulted in the school also being closed the following Sunday.   Global Warming is one of the most serious issues in the world right now and one of the main causes is fossil fuel emissions, which can be from vehicle exhaust. As an ESS student, it is worrying to see how much carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere with the excess traffic. The amount of pollution added to an already polluted Dhaka will be catastrophic long term. What is worse is that the event will also happen for another few days. The amount of pollution is horrible for the environment and may result in more school days declared as holidays due to the tra...

  It was IBDP’s first ESS (Environmental Systems and Societies) Lab work. It was quite simple. Light a paper. And light a candle. And so, they thought. As per usual, Maryam Bushra was eager to light a splint for the very first time. So, she did. The flame travelled across the matchstick quickly and nearly engulfed her finger. She exclaimed, “Allahu Akbar (God is Greater)!”, and quickly dropped the match stick onto the fireproof dish. The whole class erupted with laughter.  Already a fail. Next came her sister, Amina Bushra, ready to prove that she could successfully lit the paper on fire. Her excitement coupled with her quick hands lit the splint rapidly. Swish, sparks flew. And kissed her sister’s shoulder. Maryam jumped. The class hooted, “You tried to murder your sister!” Second fail. Now nearing the end of the experiment, it was time to blow the candle. Guess who wanted to blow it? Maryam Bushra. So, she huffed and puffed, And blew. The ash, paper and wax all blew onto Bij...