Finding the Perfect Topic for Your IB Math Internal Assessment

Introduction

Choosing a suitable topic for your IB Math Internal Assessment (IA) is a crucial step in ensuring your success. With proper guidance and a clear understanding of your strengths, you can select a topic that aligns with your interests and academic abilities. This article will guide you through the process of finding the right topic and provide valuable resources to help you get started.

Seeking Expert Guidance

“Start by contacting your IB coordinator or your assigned IA mentor-teacher for tailored advice. They can provide invaluable insights and answer any questions you have.”

Reaching out to the right individuals can greatly enhance your understanding of the assessment criteria and help you refine your topic choice. They can offer personalized suggestions and answer any specific questions you may have.

Exploring Beyond Correlation

“Something other than correlation. I have been teaching Studies for 19 years - this topic is too easy and hard to do well on. Now it is possible to make a good assessment using correlation but you need other techniques for verification as well as depth read the criteria.”

While correlation is a common and important topic in IB Math Studies, there are several alternatives that can add depth and uniqueness to your IA. Consider topics involving regression analysis, optimization, and statistical models. These topics require a deeper understanding and can make your IA more engaging and innovative.

Personal Engagement and Interest

“Why not reflect and choose a topic you enjoy - and then research?”

Selecting a topic that aligns with your interests can significantly enhance your motivation and the quality of your work. Choose something that excites you, such as income and crime rates, GDP per capita and obesity, or the traveling salesman problem. This personal engagement will make the research and writing process more enjoyable and less daunting.

High-Level Topics and Inspiration

“Good luck!”

To get ideas, look at the HL (Higher Level) options and choose a theme that interests you. For example, the travelling salesman problem is a compelling topic that many have explored successfully.

Alternatively, you can explore college-level coursebooks like the Further Mathematics Coursebook, which can provide a wealth of ideas and topics that might interest you.

Next Steps

“Well I guess a good place to start is the Further Mathematics coursebook or any other college-level coursebook. You can take a peek at the more difficult topics that are out there and try to see if any of them fits your interest.”

Once you have a list of ideas, evaluate yourself as a mathematician and determine which topics you are good at and which ones you find interesting. From there, you can formulate a topic you can work on effectively. Remember, the key is to choose a topic you can thoroughly explore and analyze within the given constraints of the IA.

Resources for Further Ideas

Explore the following resources to get more ideas and inspiration:

IB Mathematics SL and HL Resources: These resources provide a wide range of topics and sample assessments that can help you get started. Online Forums and Communities: Engage with other IB students and teachers through online forums and communities. Websites like IB Help and Reddit’s r/IBMath can be incredibly helpful. Previous IA Samples: Review past IA samples to understand what works and what doesn’t. This will give you a clearer idea of the expectations and requirements for your own assessment.

By following these steps and using these resources, you will be well on your way to selecting a topic that not only meets the criteria for your IB Math IA but also reflects your personal interests and strengths.