Making your Higher assignment…
flow
(practice assignment from 2023)
1. THE INTRODUCTION SECTION
Firstly, your title. Make sure it is relevant to what your assignment is about AND NOT
REPEATING YOUR AIM! Also include subheadings throughout. 1 mark
Second, your aim(s): basically what are you exploring and trying to find out? Make sure
your aim is relevant to both sources of information in your assignment. Sometimes it is
better to write this aim last. 1 mark
Finally, your knowledge and understanding of
In the real assignment you are
chemistry: this is the point where you advise the allows “excerpts” from
reader why the article you are writing is worth textbooks to help you write
reading … i.e. the relevance to the environment this. I’d recommend the SQA
/ society. You MUST show off your IN DEPTH support notes, write it in your
knowledge and understanding of higher level own words and memorise it for
the day of assignment writing.
chemistry in this section and the chemistry must
be relevant to the assignment. 3 marks
2. THE EVIDENCE SECTION
Think: “Have I mentioned what
Risk Assessment & Method:
I analysing for? What I am
Write a brief method (like 2 sentences), measuring? What technique I
mentioning your variables and measurements. am using in a sentence?”
Include a safety statement. 1 mark
Experimental Data
Do you have enough experiment data
(enough for a graph)? Presented in a table
Data processing: with headings?
2 marks
Convert the data collected into more useful
data by doing a chemical calculation (from your
databook), for example n=cv. You only need to 1 mark
write one sample calculation, and then do the
Second Source:
others without writing the working.
Another source of data, i.e. form
internet or textbook. Cut out and stick in,
or copy exactly word for word. Should be
For the final assignment, if calculations able to compare with your results.
are not your strong suit, you might want Write a citation (at the end of the
to think about experiments with simple document).
2 marks
calculations…
3. THE GRAPH
Graph: You should plot a graph of your experimental results. If this is a comparison of
different products (i.e. vitamin C in fruit juices), you should probably be plotting a bar
graph. If it is a series of variables to explore a trend, you should probably be drawing a
scatter graph with a line of best fit. Marks are for choosing an appropriate format,
appropriate scale, labels and units, and accuracy of plot.
4 marks
4. THE ANALYSIS SECTION
Analysis: Compare your experimental data to your literature source. This has to be
an in-depth comparison, i.e a discussion about differences in the gradients of lines
in a line graph, or calculating the differences in values.
1 mark
Conclusion: One mark for a conclusion. This conclusion must answer your aim. If
you indicated that you were going to calculate something in your aim, you should
show calculated values in your conclusion. If you indicated that you were going to
carry out a comparison in your aim, you need to show that comparison in your
conclusion! 1 mark
You could discuss sources
Evaluation: Basically you need to think: of error in your experiment
• What went well in the experiment? and how you could reduce
• Why did it go well (accurate equipment etc) these sources of error. Or
• What is the effect on the results. how you minimised errors
in the first place. Talking
OR …Then do this 3 times! about “human error will
• What did not go well? NOT get you marks!!!
• Why did it not go well?
• How could it be improved?
• What would the effect be on the results? 3 marks
Structure & Presentation: Basically, read it over – are the references at the VERY
end? Does it flow nicely, have you got all your units in? Is it clear and concise and
lacking waffle? Number your pages (this is part of the title mark)!