Biology Extended Essay Exemplar: Ultra-Processed Diet and Foetal Cognitive Development | RevisionDojo
IB Biology SL Extended Essay Exemplar
To what extent does a high ultra-processed food diet affect the cognitive
development of the foetus in Homo sapiens as measured using early-year cognitive tests?
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B
Overall Score
17/28
IB Grade: C
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Criteria A: Focus and Method
5/6
0
3
6
Criteria Strands
Excellent
Topic communication and explanation
Excellent
Research question formulation and focus
Good
Methodology appropriateness and completeness
Criteria Feedback
Topic is communicated accurately and effectively with comprehensive explanations of ultraprocessed foods, maternal nutrition, and cognitive development.
Research question is clearly stated, focused, and maintained throughout the investigation.
Methodology is justified with a clear rationale for study selection and statistical test choice.
Occasional digressions into historical anecdotes reduce conciseness.
Some sections (e.g., maternal diet) lack direct linkage back to the research question.
Limited discussion of exclusion criteria and statistical assumptions (e.g., normality) in methodology.
Criteria B: Knowledge and Understanding
5/6
0
3
6
Criteria Strands
Good
Application of source material
Excellent
Use of terminology and concepts
Criteria Feedback
Terminology (e.g., β-coefficients, p-values, neural differentiation) is used accurately and consistently.
Source material is applied effectively, with primary data re-analysed and integrated into tables.
Technical details (e.g., list of additives, placenta nutrient exchange) are presented with coherence.
Much narrative remains descriptive, with limited synthesis across different studies.
A few mechanistic links (e.g., oxidative stress pathway) lack specific citations.
Stylistic inconsistencies (capitalization, symbol formatting) occasionally interrupt flow.
Criteria C: Critical Thinking
5/12
0
6
12
Criteria Strands
Moderate
Research analysis
Moderate
Discussion and evaluation
Moderate
Argument development
Criteria Feedback
Analysis is sound: t-tests are correctly performed and results tied explicitly to the research question.