In class: Read ® Discuss ® Collect data
1. Every person at the lab bench should read the directions and warnings quietly.
2. Discuss with the other members of your group the best answers to the following questions:
· What science topic does this activity relate to?
· What is your hypothesis/prediction?
· What are your manipulated, responding, and controlled variables?
· What units will you use to measure your manipulated and responding variables?
· What type of data table do you need? (Paired data, or comparison)
3. List materials used.
4. Collect data and record it on your data table.
5. Adjust your procedures and start over if you discover a flaw in your original plan.
6. Write down your procedures
At home: Analyze data ® Reach conclusion ® suggest improvements
1. Analyze the data using graphs and/or calculations.
2. Compare your analysis to the original hypothesis and decide if the data supports it or not.
3. Write a conclusion statement. You must always do three things in your conclusion:
· Clearly state whether the hypothesis should be accepted or rejected.
· Give a reason why the hypothesis should be accepted or rejected.
· Use data to support your conclusion.
4. Suggest either a better way to collect the data, or how to improve the experimental controls.
It is important that you explain why these improvements are needed.
Title:
(identify the question that your hypothesis will address)
Hypothesis/prediction
(if possible, use the “if, then, because” format)
(list only the ones used in your procedures)
(identify, give units)
Responding Variable
(identify, give units)
(identify, explain why it is needed)
(Use numbered steps, be sure that someone could read these and duplicate your experiment)
(use columns, label columns, include units)
(Include graph if appropriate. Show calculations if needed.)
(Support or reject hypothesis, explain why, use data to support conclusion)
(Suggest either a better way to collect the data, or how to improve the experimental controls.)