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TIPS: Environmental Systems and Societies.


saudade

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I've been looking for tips for this subject. For example: How to get above 5 in ESS when you don't even understand what you're teacher is talking about in class.

And yes, I am that desperate. Help, please. HELP.

So, please, any tips for ESS. This topic is open for everyone who took ESS for their group 3.

Edited by Celia Alexandra
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Hey there,

I admit it can be challenging if the teacher isn't that great, but there are quite a few places to go to:

- the ESS course companion is quite useful...you can try to go through it and teach yourself i guess? it's not too difficult and if you have doubts then just ask the teacher

- online websites, like:

http://blogs.spsk12.net/1068/ib-environmental-systems-watering-hole/ (this one has powerpoint presentations)

http://sciencebitz.com (this one is REALLY useful)

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/IB_Environmental_Systems_and_Societies

- be up to date with current environmental issues, so you can use them as examples

http://www.theguardian.com/environment (a very useful website!!)

-practice from ess past papers

Hope this helped! ;)

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ESS was one of my favorite subjects this year, mainly due to a good teacher,

but what I would suggest if your teacher isn't helpful is:

  • Work from the IB syllabus. This is probably the most useful way to take notes for any IB subject because that's basically exactly what they will question you on. Write out each syllabus point, and then the corresponding notes from the textbook.
  • I found the Cambridge ESS textbook (2nd ed) to be most useful as it followed the syllabus mostly point-by-point and summarised it, so it wasn't so long to read.
  • Once you've understood, memorised the information, do past papers/questions. They are all similar in the type of questions they ask and you can learn a lot from your mistakes and reading the markscheme.

I hope this helps! It really isn't too hard of a subject, compared to others. :)

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We had a new syllabus this year (2013) and it followed that. I'm not sure if the syllabus is the same for you but this year, it changed for us too so possibly?

Not too sure sorry!

Oh yeah be sure to use the syllabus as your guide and be sure to pay attention in class. Maybe, ask your friends/teacher for help? Just remember procrastination can make it more difficult to get a good grade.

Good Luck and sorry I don't take ESS but this advice applies to pretty much all subjects.

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  • 1 year later...

Here's what i'd do (I do not take ESS but it tends to help in every subject). 

 

After you complete a unit, and prior to the test. Make a review guide (sheet) with everything you have learnt, including the book information, as well as your colleagues and other fellow members of this forum. This will help you to keep yourself organized and when it comes to the final exam you will have a full review sheet with every topic covered in the ESS syllibus. Hope this helps. 

 

Best of luck. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The previous replies gave good advice. Also just remember that ESS is very simple if you use common sense. A lot of it makes sense - remembering specific details can be the challenging part. I recommend making flashcards of heavy concepts, like the pollution areas. It'll help to get the facts down, but a great deal of questions that can be easily answered without a whole lot of studying (e.g. preventing water pollution). There are tons of videos on Youtube to help if your teacher doesn't do a good job of explaining. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I also recommend you to memorize a few case studies for each of the topics. November 2014 exams asked for a couple of these, especially in the extended response essay questions (paper 2), so it might be useful to copy a couple out of your course companion and know them by heart or to look a couple up.

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  • 1 month later...

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