Field work in the DP presents a unique opportunity to actively apply classroom learning. Our grade 12 geography, biology and environmental systems and societies (ESS) students spent a week on Tioman island (Malaysia) in September to do just this.

The purpose of the trip was to investigate a range of different ecosystems and the impact of human disturbances on them. It provided students with the opportunity to carry out the sampling techniques studied in the classroom, and to put these skills into practice in the field. Students hiked through primary and secondary rainforests, freshwater streams and mangroves, and snorkeled across the Tioman coral reef. 

The trip also allowed students to complete their IA (internal assessment), a core requirement of the DP. Students’ IA topics are diverse and ranged from the ‘impact of humans on the biodiversity of freshwater organisms’, ‘frequency of waving in fiddler crabs in the mangroves’, ‘comparison of biodiversity in primary and secondary rainforests’ and ‘the effects of disturbance on the re-opening time of mimosa’.

While the week was challenging physically, it was also rewarding. It was full of new experiences and allowed students to to connect and apply their knowledge and understandings in a real-world context.