JMSS-style practice task | Year 9–10 science reasoning | 400–600 word scientific response
Data interpretationCause and effectEvaluationRecommendationRead the scenario, background information, image prompt, data table, and graph. Then write a 400–600 word scientific response. Your response should explain the issue, interpret the data, evaluate possible solutions, discuss limitations, and make a justified recommendation.
Essay question: “Using the scenario, background information, image, table, and graph, write a scientific response that explains the main problem, analyses the evidence, evaluates possible solutions, and recommends the best course of action. Support your answer with data.”
The Victorian Government is encouraging more electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce transport emissions. A Melbourne council is planning new EV charging stations near shopping centres, schools, and train stations. However, councillors are concerned that rapid growth in EVs could create a future waste problem if old lithium-ion batteries are not collected, reused, or recycled safely.
You are a student science adviser. Your task is to decide whether the council should support EV expansion only, or whether it should also invest in battery collection, second-life battery storage, and recycling partnerships.
Electric vehicles use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. During discharge, lithium ions move through an electrolyte from the negative electrode to the positive electrode, while electrons travel through the external circuit to power the motor. Charging reverses this process.
EVs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially when charged using renewable electricity. However, battery production requires mined materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese. If batteries are sent to landfill, valuable materials are lost and damaged batteries may cause fires. A circular economy aims to keep materials in use for longer through repair, reuse, second-life applications, and recycling.
Some EV batteries can be repurposed after vehicle use because they may still hold about 70–80% of their original capacity. They may no longer be ideal for driving range, but they can still store electricity from solar panels or support local microgrids.
Data note: The global EV battery deployment values below are modelled classroom data based on IEA Global EV Outlook trends. The 2025 value is anchored to the IEA statement that EV battery deployment reached about 1.2 TWh in 2025, nearly 30% higher than 2024 and more than seven times greater than 2020. Australian waste and recycling figures are based on CSIRO and Australian Government reporting.
| Year | Global EV battery deployment (TWh) | Approx. increase from previous listed year | Science reasoning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.17 | — | Early rapid growth phase; 2025 is over seven times this level. |
| 2021 | 0.29 | +0.12 | Demand rises as EV adoption increases. |
| 2022 | 0.50 | +0.21 | Battery manufacturing and mineral demand accelerate. |
| 2023 | 0.70 | +0.20 | More EVs means more future end-of-life batteries. |
| 2024 | 0.93 | +0.23 | Estimated from 2025 being almost 30% higher than 2024. |
| 2025 | 1.20 | +0.27 | IEA reports about 1.2 TWh global EV battery deployment. |
| Evidence | Value | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Australia’s lithium-ion battery waste produced each year | About 3,300 tonnes | CSIRO, updated 2025 |
| Australia’s lithium-ion battery recycling rate in 2021 | About 10% | Australian Government National Battery Strategy citing CSIRO, 2022 |
| Lead-acid battery recycling rate in Australia in 2021 | About 99% | Australian Government National Battery Strategy, 2024 |
| Projected Australian lithium battery waste by 2035 | About 137,000 tonnes per year | Australian Government National Battery Strategy citing McKell, 2022 |
| Potential recovery of lithium-ion battery components | Up to about 95% | CSIRO, updated 2025 |
Write 400–600 words. Your essay must:
Before writing, ask yourself:
| Criterion | Marks | What strong responses include |
|---|---|---|
| A. Understanding of the scientific issue | 15 | Clear explanation of EV batteries, emissions benefits, resource demand, waste, and safety risks. |
| B. Data interpretation | 20 | Accurate trend analysis, correct use of numbers, and evidence-based claims. |
| C. Scientific reasoning | 20 | Logical cause-and-effect links between EV growth, battery demand, mining, recycling, and waste reduction. |
| D. Evaluation and limitations | 15 | Discussion of uncertainty, limitations, alternative explanations, and risks of overgeneralising. |
| E. Recommendation or conclusion | 10 | Clear recommendation linked to the scenario and supported by evidence. |
| F. Structure and clarity | 10 | Organised paragraphs, clear introduction and conclusion, smooth flow. |
| G. Scientific vocabulary and expression | 10 | Accurate terms such as lithium-ion, electrolyte, end-of-life, circular economy, greenhouse gases, capacity, recycling, and repurposing. |
| Electric vehicle (EV) | A vehicle powered partly or fully by electricity stored in a battery. |
| Lithium-ion battery | A rechargeable battery that moves lithium ions between electrodes during charging and discharging. |
| Electrolyte | A chemical medium that allows ions to move inside a battery. |
| End-of-life battery | A battery that no longer meets its original performance requirements. |
| Second-life battery | A used battery repurposed for another task, such as storing solar energy. |
| Circular economy | A system that reduces waste by reusing, repairing, recycling, and recovering materials. |
| Thermal runaway | A dangerous chain reaction where a battery overheats and may catch fire. |
| TWh | Terawatt-hour, a large unit of energy equal to one trillion watt-hours. |
Thesis / main argument:
Three pieces of data I will use:
Limitations and recommendation: