Group 4 Project: Interdisciplinary Activity

B. D. Somani International School organized the fifteenth Group 4 project for the Grade 11
students on the 19th and 20th of April 2023. The ‘Group 4 Project’ is an interdisciplinary
activity in which all IB Diploma Programme science students are required to participate.

The goal is for students across the different Group 4 science subjects to analyze a common topic.

The topic selected for this year was “Agriculture”. This year’s Group 4 Project aimed to
understand the importance of agriculture in our lives and how it contributes to the world’s food supply. As part of the 2-day project, students investigated and analyzed ‘Agriculture’ from the perspective of each individual science (physics, chemistry, biology, ESS). Some of the topics investigated by the students were the impact of pollution, vertical farming, sustainable
agriculture, the importance of water, the role of fertilizers and pesticides, etc.

On the first day, students performed various experiments in each of the science disciplines
related to the common topic, ‘Agriculture’ and analyzed their data to reach meaningful
conclusions to better understand the topic. On the second day of the project, they collaborated
and consolidated their observations and subsequently organized a ‘Group 4 Project Exhibition’.

During the Group 4 Project Exhibition, the students explained various complex concepts in an
understandable manner which was impressive and a testament to their hard work and
dedication.

Throughout the two days, students were engaged at school in conducting different scientific activities which were planned in advance. The Group 4 Project aimed to develop various skills such as critical thinking and inquiry, research skills, practical skills, analysis skills, effective communication, and collaboration, and being balanced and caring individuals. The Group 4 Project provided an excellent opportunity for the students to apply their scientific knowledge to real-world issues and explore agriculture’s role in our daily lives.

This post has been co-authored by Dr. Meghna

Tribes for Good: Community Project

April 1, 2026

Through our partnership with Tribes For Good, Grade 11 student Vipanshi Agarwal designed and led a series of workshops for women with skills in beauty and makeup — combining financial literacy, confidence-building, and awareness of cruelty-free practices. What she found was that the skills were already there. What was missing was someone connecting those skills to the idea of income. This is her reflection on what it means to create impact, and what she learned when she stopped trying to teach and started listening.

Zine, Cosmetics of Capitalism – A passion project

March 31, 2026

Cosmetics of Capitalism began with two things that had always run parallel in Vipanshi’s life: a deep commitment to animal welfare and a growing curiosity about the economic systems that allow cruelty to persist. In this zine, Vipanshi Agarwal investigates the ethical and economic costs of animal testing in the cosmetics industry — an issue she argues is as much a business question as a moral one.