THE ENGLISH SCHOOL

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT – DP BIOLOGY

TEACHERS: MARÍA PAULA APARICIO –
OLGA DURÁN – IVÁN ESCOBAR –
MATTHEW REIS
DIPLOMA PROGRAMME YEAR 1

FINAL ASSESSMENT 10th Grade

CER SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATIVE TED TALK

“The goal of science is to produce new knowledge of the natural world. Two practices
essential to achieving this objective are argument and critique. Whether it is new theories,
novel ways of collecting data, or fresh interpretations of old data, argumentation is the
means that scientists use to make their case for new ideas.

In response, other scientists attempt to identify weaknesses and limitations; this process
happens informally in laboratory meetings and symposia and formally in peer review. Over
time, ideas that survive critical examination attain consensual acceptance within the
community, and by discourse and argument, science maintains its objectivity. Critique is not,
therefore, some peripheral feature of science, but rather it is core to its practice, and without
argument and evaluation, the construction of reliable knowledge would be impossible.”

Osborne, J. "Arguing to Learn in Science: The Role of Collaborative, Critical Discourse."

Science 328.5977 (2010): 463-66. Web.

This task assesses your progress developing scientific reasoning, therefore it will
connect to some of the cross-curricular and interdisciplinary components of the IB
Biology Programme:

• NATURE OF SCIENCE: provides a comprehensive account of the nature of

science in the 21st century.

• THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE: emphasize connections between areas of

shared knowledge and link them to personal knowledge in such a way that an
individual becomes more aware of his or her own perspectives and how they
might differ from others

• INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS: group 4 students need to be aware of the

moral responsibility of scientists to ensure that scientific knowledge and data
are available to all countries on an equitable basis and that they have the
scientific capacity to use this for developing sustainable societies
PRODUCT

A TED Talk that effectively shows your argumentative skills based on scientific
evidence. The selection of information is crucial to help you structure the talk.

You would have to support or counter-argue this claim using pieces of evidence,
examples, counterexamples using valid scientific references that you can consult in
advance or during the first hour of your final assessment. The hour and a half
remaining will be intended to record on video a 7’ to 10’ talk focused on scientific
argumentation skills based on your research.

It is important you follow the CER structure. C= Claim, E= Evidence and R=

Reasoning. The reasoning is how you connect the pieces of evidence, examples,
and counterexamples with your claim. It is a conclusive statement that summarizes
all the previous discussions to give a conclusive statement regarding your claim.

The scientific references must be cited using APA style, by the end of the TED talk,
you could use a single slide to present them.

Format:

1) 7’ to 10’ video of TED talk1

2) Follow the requirements for successful speeches in TED talk format.
3) At least 3 pieces of evidence are needed to argue and counterargue.
4) A minimum of 3 reliable scientific references is expected to be used as
pieces of evidence.
5) Your TED talk performance will be based on the assessment rubric linking
Biology DP components, IB profile and Approaches to Learning (Skills)
6) The links to scientific context will be highly valued when supporting the core
argument.

CLAIM EXAMPLE:

Natural Selection is a theory. How much evidence is required to support a theory and
what sort of counter evidence is required to refute it?

1
No extension of time by any reason, the teacher will stop watching your video at minute 10.
Why a TED talk?

The TED talks are based on a single principle, to share ideas worth spreading.
According to Chris Anderson, CEO of TED, “You have something meaningful to say,
and your goal is to re-create your core idea inside your audience’s minds”.

Keys for a successful TED talk

• Focus on one major idea – Claim assessment
• Give people a reason to care – Why would that matter in the context of
science and society?
• Build your idea with familiar concepts - Take scientific vocabulary to a
common understanding

Step by step process:

1. Find an idea you want to share. Take your claim and analyze it preliminarily
from a critical perspective. What may be the approach of my TED talk?
2. Develop an unexpected and/or catchy way to state your idea. Get the
attention of your audience by selecting a suggestive title for your talk.
3. Collect anything and everything that relates to your idea. Three pieces of
scientific evidence that support or falsify your claim that can be later be used
for the final argumentative statement.
4. Start imagining how you might open and end your talk. An effective way to
begin any speech (not just a TED talk) is to grab your audience’s attention —
often with a human-interest story, a surprising statistic, an unexpected
observation, or a thought-provoking question.
5. Put the rest of your materials in a reasonable order:
a) Create a high-level outline (leave out most of the detail, just arrange the
big points or elements)
b) Write each element (story, comment, observation, fact) on a 3 x 5 card
and physically shuffle them to see different possible orders (digital slides
are also a good resource). Think about your audience, a heavy text
resource may be changed for a visual approach, use graphs, data and
images instead of text.
c) Use sound (speaking out loud) instead of writing to put your talk elements
into different sequences (Ask: Does it sound right if I tell that story first,
then give the fact? How about if I give the fact first, then tell the story?)
d) Try any other method that works for you.
6. Talk your way to a rough draft of your script. Take your outline or list of
ordered elements and talk about each item in turn. You may try a pilot
recording at this point.
7. Try out your Ted talk draft on a volunteer listener and get some feedback
8. Repeat the steps as needed

Adapted from: www.speakupforsucces.com

ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL

1. Double check electronic devices charge and internet connection are working
properly, be ready at 7:50 a.m.
2. You will be randomly assigned a claim related to scientific knowledge, linked
to DP biology cross-curricular components, that should have been shared with
you the week before the final assessment for preparation2.
3. There will be a 5 minutes reading scope. You will receive a mail at 7:55 a.m.
with the final instructions.3
4. Log in to Google Meet according to schedule from the teachers in charge. Do
not log out at any moment, in case you have questions or concerns, but leave
your mics off at all times.
5. The teacher will make a follow up call at any point of the final assessment,
and you must be available to respond, so leave your electronic device nearby.
6. Once you have structured, recorded and posted your TED talk upload the link
or video to managebac for later review.
7. The uploading time scope will be 10:00 to 10:10 a.m., period after which the
assessment would not be considered for marking.
8. Each teacher will take into consideration all aspects from the assessment
rubric and allocate a performance level following best-fit approach.
9. Later on, in class, every TED talk will be shared to receive some final
feedback from your peers.
10. Take the challenge and blow up our minds with an outstanding TED talk!

2
Each student will receive a different claim.
3
By no reason the claim will be adjusted, modified or changed.