MYP essay year 1

1. Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science

2. 1. Topic given by the teacher
 You will be assigned an essay topic by your
teacher.
 This topic will be about a problem that can be
solved through the use of science
 For example:
a) How to stop pollution by using new sources of energy
b) How to reduce the number of people who dies in
earthquakes

3. CRITERION D: REFLECTING ON
THE IMPACTS OF SCIENCE
 MYP Essays are assessed using criterion D.
 According to criterion D, at the end of year 1, you
should be able to:
i. summarize how science is used to solve a problem
ii. describe and summarize the implications of using science
to solve that problem
iii. Use scientific language
iv. document sources of information used.

4. HOW TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM
ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL FOR
CRITERION D
 To obtain the maximum achievement level (7-8)
you must…
7-8 The student is able to:
i.summarize how science is used to solve
ii. describe and summarize the implications of using
science and its application to solve that problem. They can
be social, environmental, economic, cultural or ethical
implications.
iii. consistently use scientific language to communicate
clearly and precisely
iv. document sources completely by following the
instructions you will be given

5. 2. RESEARCH FOR YOUR ESSAY
 Find reliable sources of information and read
them carefully.
 Remember to write the sources you use, so that
you can document them later.

6. 3. ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION
USING THIS ORGANIZER OR OUTLINE
PROBLEM
Fossil fuels are not renewable sources of
energy because it takes them thousands
of years to form.
Pollution is a problema because it affects
ecosystems and health.
Implications of the solution science
gives to that problem
Related to a factor which can be:
ECONOMICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL,
ETHICAL, POLITICAL, CULTURAL,
SOCIAL
The way science gives a solution to the problem
Renewable sources of energy such as
bioethanol can be used instead of fossil
fuels
(Explain how it works….)
Advantages
Enviromental:
Renewable sources
are cleaner….
Evidence
Disadvantages
Renewable sources
are more expensive..
Jobs are created in
some countries
Evidence
Conclusion
Your ideas

7. FACTORS
Factors Economical Environmental Ethical
the implications of using
science and its application
to solve a specific problem
or issue, interacting with a
factor
Production, distribution, and
use of income, wealth, and
commodities
Circumstances, objects, or
conditions by which one is
surrounded
Process of rational inquiry to
decide on issues as right or
wrong, as applied to the
people and their actions
Cultural Political Social Moral
Patterns of knowledge,
behaviour, beliefs, shared
attitudes, values, goals and
practices that characterize
groups of people
Relates to government or
public affairs
Interactions between groups
of people involving issues
such as welfare, safety,
rights, justice or class
Principles of right or wrong
behaviour derived from a
particular society

8. 4. WRITE YOUR ESSAY
You must use the following structure:
1. Introduction
•Introduce the topic you will write about
•Hint to your main idea of a solution and mention how you will
structure your essay.
2. Main body
•Define the problem
•Explain how science tries to solve the problem (solution)
•Advantages and disadvantages of the solution that science gives to
this problem. These can be economical, environmental, ethical,
political, cultural, social (one of the factors).
•
3. Conclusion
•Review and summarize the main points of your essay.
•Give you final opinion on the matter.

9. MAIN BODY
 Define the problem
 The problem is important because ….

10. MAIN BODY
 How can science solve the problem
Some ways in which science can be used/is used to
solve this problem are...

11. MAIN BODY
 Explain the solution in depth

12. MAIN BODY
 Advantages and disadvantages of the solution to
the problem
• The advantage of using science in this way is...
• The disadvantage of this/these applications is/are...ç
o Give evidence and examples

13. MAIN BODY
 Implications of using science to solve the
problem, related to one factor given by your
teacher: economical, environmental, ethical,
political, cultural, social
• Social- defined as “of or pertaining to the life, welfare, and relations of
human beings in a community.”
• eg. Hazardous chemicals, death rates, preventions, social health
• Economical- defined as “pertaining to the production, distribution, and
use of income, wealth, and commodities.”
• eg. Jobs created, cost, production.
• Environmental- is defined as “of, relating to, or associated with the
environment.”
• eg. Living environments, ecosystems, water bodies, pollution

14.  When science is used in the way, the effects on our....
 However, failing to use this application can/might result
in...
 If we don’t...
 On the other hand it’s possible that...

15.  Examples of EVIDENCE advantages and
disadvantages
 Advantage
 Disadvantage

16. CONCLUSION
 Summarize the main points
 Give your own opinion
• Use your own thoughts
• Is it a good solution?
• Could we do something about the disadvantages?
 From this discussion/evaluation, we can see that...
 Although it might seem that...
 It is clear that the solutions aren’t as simple as one might
think because...

17. SIDE NOTES ON WRITING AN
ESSAY
 Essays are written in third-person perspective.
- No I, Me, My.
 Use pictures, tables and charts.
 You have to keep within the word limit!
 Find a title for your essay, it must be original
and interesting.
 Never copy, rewrite the information in your own
words

18. 5. DOCUMENT SOURCES :
REFERENCE LIST
 Write a list of the sources used.
 Use reliable sources. Not wikipedia, wikianswers,
yahoo answers or similar.
 When you include information from somewhere else
(videos, webs,…) you have to say where it comes from. This
is called referencing, to cite your sources.
 If you don’t use references, it is the same as pretending
that you didn’t get this information from another source
and that you generated it yourself. Whether you do it on
purpose or not, if you don’t say where your information
comes from, thisis a form of cheating, called plagiarism.

19. CITING AND REFERENCING
INSIDE YOUR ESSAY
 You must cite sources you use within the body of
your assignment and then write again details
about this sources at the end of your essay, in the
reference list.
 Citing a source in the body of the text: Quotations
(copying the exact words)
If you copy the exact words from another source, you will
need to write these words in “quotation marks”, insert a
footnote number at the end of the quotation, and provide
full details of the source in the footnote at the bottom of the
page.
Example:
“Noise is sometimes described as a form of pollution.”1
1. Avison, John. The World of Physics. Nashville: Nelson Thornes
Ltd, 1989. Print.

20.  Images
If use pictures, or diagrams (you must), insert a
footnote at the end and provide details of the
source in the footnote at the bottom of the page
and in the reference list.
o How to add a footnote in Microsoft Word.
References >> Insert footnote.(nota al pie)
PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS

21. REFERENCE LIST
 Your references section at the end of the essay should
provide full details of all your sources used.
 BOOKS
SURNAME (S), Name. (year of publication) . Title of book. Publisher, year of
publication.
Examples:
BOBBIO, Norberto. (1988) Autobiografía. Taurus
 WEBS
Surname, Name. (Year of publication). Title. Date when you read it. URL Address.
• Cisneros, F. (2008). Water and energy. October 15th, 2010.
http://www.monografias.com/trabajos-pdf4/agua-y-energia/agua-y-energia.pdf
If some of these are not available…
• CELLS ALIVE. October 15, 2010. http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/plntcell.htm

22. FORMAT
 Use a word processor, do not handwrite it
 Use a font which is easy to read. Its size will be
between 10 and 12 points.

23. FORMAT
 Spaces will be between 1 and 1,5.

24. FORMAT
 Text justified on both margins

25. FORMAT
 Numbered pages (the cover is not numbered)
 Use the template provided
 FRONT PAGE
The essay will take a cover page indicating:
1. Title (ORIGINAL,suggestive, clear, brief, understandable
and representative of the essay)
2. Name of school
3. Author's name, course and group
4. Subject
5. Name of teacher
6. Date of submission
7. Word Count