Tuesday, October 26, 2010

October 27, 2010

1) In the LE Review Guide, read pages 22-23 and complete the Review Questions #23-41 on pages 23-25 in your sourcebook. Due on Friday, October 29, 2010.

2) BIOBUS form and $5 due ASAP. This is a mandatory lab session therefore ALL students must participate.

Friday, October 22, 2010

October 22, 2010

1) Making Connections Lab Part A and Part B - due on Monday, October 25th. This includes fully complete Part A (data tables, histogram, and questions 1-12) and Part B (typed up lab report).

Lab Report must include (refer to pages 7/8 of the lab packet):
Organization of the Final Report
When you are finished, organize your data and determine what the data “tells you.” Also, review what you did and think about whether or not some procedures should have been done differently to give you more reliable results. Your final report should be word processed, in complete sentences, and have the following sections:
•Title- Use your notes from the previous section.
Question
•Hypothesis- Use your notes from the previous section.
•Methods and Materials- Describe the materials (what you used) and procedures (what you did) in your experiment. This may be done in the form of a list, a paragraph, or a combination of both. Use your notes from the previous section to guide you in this. (Refer to Guidelines 4 and 6.) Be sure to identify the dependent and independent variables.
•Data Collected- Include your completed data table(s) and, if appropriate, a graph or graphs to summarize the data for easier understanding of what you found.
•Discussion and Conclusions- These will relate back of the title and hypothesis for the investigation. Be sure to note whether your data supports or does not support your hypothesis. You also need to include an explanation of how or why this conclusion follows from the data you collected.
•Suggestions for Improvement- Discuss any possible sources of error that may make your data less reliable. Include a discussion of controlling the variables when investigations involve human subjects. State three additional variable that may have influenced the outcome of your experiment.
•Suggestions for Further Research- Nearly any experiment that is done produces new questions that could be answered with new investigations. Include two suggestions for other investigations that could be done or additional data that needs to be collected to further support your findings or to answer any new questions that came up during the experiment.

EXAMPLE OF A DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION:
If an individual did not exercise their clothespin squeezing rate would be higher than someone who exercised because their muscles would be relaxed and rested and thus would have the required energy to squeeze the clothespin more times in a minute. The data collected supported the hypothesis. The data collected from Austin shows that he squeezed the clothespin 100 times with no exercise and only 65 times after exercise. The experimental group who didn't exercise showed an increased clothespin squeezing rate as compared to the control group with no exercise. This was further supported in our data as Karla squeezed the clothespin 95 times without exercise and only 60 times with exercise. Therefore, our experimental data proves that clothespin squeezing rate is increased without exercise.

2) BIOBUS FORM and $5 due ASAP. You are receiving homework credit for getting this in. Remember this is a mandatory lab session occurring on November 4th.

3) INTREPID Consent Form and Photo Release Form due by Monday, October 25th. The trip is on Thursday, October 28th.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

October 19, 2010

1) Making Connections Lab Part A and Part B - due on Monday, October 25th. This includes fully complete Part A (data tables, histogram, and questions 1-12) and Part B (typed up lab report).

Lab Report must include (refer to pages 7/8 of the lab packet):
Organization of the Final Report
When you are finished, organize your data and determine what the data “tells you.” Also, review what you did and think about whether or not some procedures should have been done differently to give you more reliable results. Your final report should be word processed, in complete sentences, and have the following sections:
Title- Use your notes from the previous section.
Question
Hypothesis- Use your notes from the previous section.
Methods and Materials- Describe the materials (what you used) and procedures (what you did) in your experiment. This may be done in the form of a list, a paragraph, or a combination of both. Use your notes from the previous section to guide you in this. (Refer to Guidelines 4 and 6.) Be sure to identify the dependent and independent variables.
Data Collected- Include your completed data table(s) and, if appropriate, a graph or graphs to summarize the data for easier understanding of what you found.
Discussion and Conclusions- These will relate back of the title and hypothesis for the investigation. Be sure to note whether your data supports or does not support your hypothesis. You also need to include an explanation of how or why this conclusion follows from the data you collected.
Suggestions for Improvement- Discuss any possible sources of error that may make your data less reliable. Include a discussion of controlling the variables when investigations involve human subjects. State three additional variable that may have influenced the outcome of your experiment.
Suggestions for Further Research- Nearly any experiment that is done produces new questions that could be answered with new investigations. Include two suggestions for other investigations that could be done or additional data that needs to be collected to further support your findings or to answer any new questions that came up during the experiment.

EXAMPLE OF A DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION:
If an individual did not exercise their clothespin squeezing rate would be higher than someone who exercised because their muscles would be relaxed and rested and thus would have the required energy to squeeze the clothespin more times in a minute. The data collected supported the hypothesis. The data collected from Austin shows that he squeezed the clothespin 100 times with no exercise and only 65 times after exercise. The experimental group who didn't exercise showed an increased clothespin squeezing rate as compared to the control group with no exercise. This was further supported in our data as Karla squeezed the clothespin 95 times without exercise and only 60 times with exercise. Therefore, our experimental data proves that clothespin squeezing rate is increased without exercise.

2) BIOBUS FORM and $5 due ASAP. You are receiving homework credit for getting this in. Remember this is a mandatory lab session.

3) Making Connections Lab quiz on Friday (most likely).

Thursday, October 14, 2010

October 15, 2010

1) If you have not handed in your $5 and Biobus form - please do so on Monday during Advisory.

2) Making Connections Lab Review Questions handout - due on Monday at the start of class. It will be collected as homework.

3) Making Connections Lab: Write a first draft of your report in your sourcebook using the guidelines on the last page of the lab packet (see below for guidelines). Bring a draft to class on Thursday. You will have time in class to finish, make adjustments, and begin to gather data if your group is ready.

Guidelines for Designing a Controlled Experiment


Scientist follow certain guidelines when they conduct and report on a controlled experiment. These are provided below. As you work through this section to design your experiment, make notes as you go along. Your notes will become the outline for your investigation, and you can use them to prepare a final version at the end.

1. Determine the question you are trying to answer. The question should be directly related to what you want to find out. For example, if you want to know whether or not light intensity affects tomato seed germination (the emergence of a plant from the seed), you might ask, “Does light intensity affect tomato seed germination?” Write in your notes the question you will be attempting to answer.

2. Formulate the hypothesis you will be testing with your experiment. The hypothesis is a tentative statement about the expected relationship between the variables. This statement must be written in a way that allows the relationship to be tested. If often suggests that there is a connection between two factors. For example, “Light intensity will influence the germination of tomato seeds.” Write in your notes the hypothesis you will be testing.

3. Formulate a title for your investigation. A title addresses specifically what is being investigated. The title should be a statement in the form of “The effect of …..on…” You should specify the organism(s) you are using as well. For example, “The effect of light intensity on seed germination in tomato plants.” Write the title of your experiment in your notes.

4. Plan the design of your experiment. In the planning of your experiment, consider each of the following. Make notes of your ideas to use later.
a. You need to decide what data you will collect. The dependent variable is the one you measure. In this investigation, the number of times the clothespin can be squeezed in a minute is the dependent variable.
b. What is to be you independent variable – the one you will vary to see how it may affect the dependent variable? In this investigation, you might make the independent variable the subject’s level of activity just before each of the trials during which you measure that subject’s clothespin-squeezing rate.
c. To do a fair test (controlled experiment) and obtain a valid conclusion, you must keep all but the independent variable constant. What other variables will it be important to keep constant to obtain meaningful data? What is your control?
d. Decide how many individuals you will test, how many trials you will conduct with each, and the conditions to which they will be subjected. In this case, you need to determine how many people you will test and what you will have them do.
e. Make note of safety precautions that will be necessary.

Write out the steps of your experimental design in your notes.

5. Design one or more data tables that you will use to record the data as it is collected. Your data table(s) should also have sections for summarizing or averaging the data, as appropriate. Your data table(s) must be designed and finalized before you begin the experiment. Sketch in your notes the data table(s) you plan to use. Be sure to include appropriate headings and units.

6. Write out the steps you will follow to conduct your experiment.

October 14, 2010

1) If you have not handed in your $5 and Biobus form, please do so on Monday during Advisory.

2)Making Connections Lab: Write a first draft of your report in your sourcebook using the guidelines on the last page of the lab packet (see below for guidelines). This must be fully ready in order to collect data.

Guidelines for Designing a Controlled Experiment


Scientist follow certain guidelines when they conduct and report on a controlled experiment. These are provided below. As you work through this section to design your experiment, make notes as you go along. Your notes will become the outline for your investigation, and you can use them to prepare a final version at the end.

1. Determine the question you are trying to answer. The question should be directly related to what you want to find out. For example, if you want to know whether or not light intensity affects tomato seed germination (the emergence of a plant from the seed), you might ask, “Does light intensity affect tomato seed germination?” Write in your notes the question you will be attempting to answer.

2. Formulate the hypothesis you will be testing with your experiment. The hypothesis is a tentative statement about the expected relationship between the variables. This statement must be written in a way that allows the relationship to be tested. If often suggests that there is a connection between two factors. For example, “Light intensity will influence the germination of tomato seeds.” Write in your notes the hypothesis you will be testing.

3. Formulate a title for your investigation. A title addresses specifically what is being investigated. The title should be a statement in the form of “The effect of …..on…” You should specify the organism(s) you are using as well. For example, “The effect of light intensity on seed germination in tomato plants.” Write the title of your experiment in your notes.

4. Plan the design of your experiment. In the planning of your experiment, consider each of the following. Make notes of your ideas to use later.
a. You need to decide what data you will collect. The dependent variable is the one you measure. In this investigation, the number of times the clothespin can be squeezed in a minute is the dependent variable.
b. What is to be you independent variable – the one you will vary to see how it may affect the dependent variable? In this investigation, you might make the independent variable the subject’s level of activity just before each of the trials during which you measure that subject’s clothespin-squeezing rate.
c. To do a fair test (controlled experiment) and obtain a valid conclusion, you must keep all but the independent variable constant. What other variables will it be important to keep constant to obtain meaningful data? What is your control?
d. Decide how many individuals you will test, how many trials you will conduct with each, and the conditions to which they will be subjected. In this case, you need to determine how many people you will test and what you will have them do.
e. Make note of safety precautions that will be necessary.

Write out the steps of your experimental design in your notes.

5. Design one or more data tables that you will use to record the data as it is collected. Your data table(s) should also have sections for summarizing or averaging the data, as appropriate. Your data table(s) must be designed and finalized before you begin the experiment. Sketch in your notes the data table(s) you plan to use. Be sure to include appropriate headings and units.

6. Write out the steps you will follow to conduct your experiment.

Monday, October 11, 2010

October 12, 2010

1) Biobus Form & $5 due by October 14th.

2) Making Connections Lab: Write a first draft of your report in your sourcebook using the guidelines on the last page of the lab packet (see below for guidelines). Bring a draft to class on Thursday. You will have time in class to finish, make adjustments, and begin to gather data if your group is ready.

Guidelines for Designing a Controlled Experiment


Scientist follow certain guidelines when they conduct and report on a controlled experiment. These are provided below. As you work through this section to design your experiment, make notes as you go along. Your notes will become the outline for your investigation, and you can use them to prepare a final version at the end.

1. Determine the question you are trying to answer. The question should be directly related to what you want to find out. For example, if you want to know whether or not light intensity affects tomato seed germination (the emergence of a plant from the seed), you might ask, “Does light intensity affect tomato seed germination?” Write in your notes the question you will be attempting to answer.

2. Formulate the hypothesis you will be testing with your experiment. The hypothesis is a tentative statement about the expected relationship between the variables. This statement must be written in a way that allows the relationship to be tested. If often suggests that there is a connection between two factors. For example, “Light intensity will influence the germination of tomato seeds.” Write in your notes the hypothesis you will be testing.

3. Formulate a title for your investigation. A title addresses specifically what is being investigated. The title should be a statement in the form of “The effect of …..on…” You should specify the organism(s) you are using as well. For example, “The effect of light intensity on seed germination in tomato plants.” Write the title of your experiment in your notes.

4. Plan the design of your experiment. In the planning of your experiment, consider each of the following. Make notes of your ideas to use later.
a. You need to decide what data you will collect. The dependent variable is the one you measure. In this investigation, the number of times the clothespin can be squeezed in a minute is the dependent variable.
b. What is to be you independent variable – the one you will vary to see how it may affect the dependent variable? In this investigation, you might make the independent variable the subject’s level of activity just before each of the trials during which you measure that subject’s clothespin-squeezing rate.
c. To do a fair test (controlled experiment) and obtain a valid conclusion, you must keep all but the independent variable constant. What other variables will it be important to keep constant to obtain meaningful data? What is your control?
d. Decide how many individuals you will test, how many trials you will conduct with each, and the conditions to which they will be subjected. In this case, you need to determine how many people you will test and what you will have them do.
e. Make note of safety precautions that will be necessary.

Write out the steps of your experimental design in your notes.

5. Design one or more data tables that you will use to record the data as it is collected. Your data table(s) should also have sections for summarizing or averaging the data, as appropriate. Your data table(s) must be designed and finalized before you begin the experiment. Sketch in your notes the data table(s) you plan to use. Be sure to include appropriate headings and units.

6. Write out the steps you will follow to conduct your experiment.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Monday, October 4, 2010

October 4, 2010

1) Test on October 5, 2010 on Experimental Design, Scientific Method and Graphing.

2) Biobus form and $5 due by October 14th.