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ScotlandEnvironmental Science

Skills of Scientific Inquiry, Fieldwork and the Assignment

2 dot points across 2 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What fieldwork and data-handling skills does the course test alongside the science?

Skills of scientific inquiry and fieldwork: sampling techniques (quadrats and transects), measuring abiotic factors, identifying variables, presenting and processing data, drawing conclusions, and evaluating reliability and validity.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on fieldwork and the skills of scientific inquiry, covering sampling techniques such as quadrats and transects, measuring abiotic factors, identifying variables and controls, presenting and processing data, drawing valid conclusions, and evaluating reliability and validity.
12 min answer →

What is the National 5 Environmental Science assignment, and how does it gain its marks?

The National 5 Environmental Science assignment: an externally marked report on a candidate-chosen investigation with an underpinning environmental science focus, its structure and how it rewards the skills of scientific inquiry.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science overview of the assignment, covering what the report is, the controlled conditions, the sections from aim to evaluation, how it uses experimental and research data, and how it rewards the same inquiry skills as the question paper.
10 min answer →