• Notebook

    Keep an organized notebook of all work.

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    Appearance

  • Neatness

    Legibility

    Organization

  • How will you organize your notebook so all requirements are easy to find?

     

    Table of Contents

    Labeled Sections

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    • Daily Work

  • Keep all daily work, neatly completed, in order.
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    Wonder Notes

  • Wonder about many things and write those wonders down.
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    Research Idea

  • Turn one of your wonder ideas into a research idea to read about and develop into a project/experiment.
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    Background Research

  • Read about your idea.

    Take notes.

    Include bibliographic data (Title of text, author, copyright, page numbers read)

    Write a summary of your research.

    Write a possible research question.

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    Variables

  • List all your variables.

    Choose two to work with.

  • Independent variable (the one you will change)

    Dependent variable (the one that will respond to your change)

    Control variable (the standard measurement to which you will compare your data; you may need to conduct a series of trials to establish baseline data on which to compare what happens when you change the variable).

    Constant variables (keep all other variables constant--the same)

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    • Research Question

  • Write your research question using your independent and dependent variables: What effect does __________________ (independent variable) have on ___________________ (dependent variable)?
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    Hypothesis

  • Guess what you think the results will be. Write it down.
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    Procedure for Scientific Experiment

  • Plan
  • Write a step by step plan of what you will do.

    Start with your research question, hypothesis, and materials list.

    Visualize yourself doing it while you write.

    Use the information below to help you.

     

    Materials

  • Describe in detail all materials used (size, amount, etc.).
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    Details

  • Step by step, include all necessary details on exactly what and how you will do this so any one else can completely replicate (copy) what you did. Visualize yourself doing it while you write. Include:

     

    Set-up:

    How are the materials and equipment set up?

     

    Independent variable--

  • Explain exactly what you will change and how you will change it.
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    Constant

  • Explain exactly how you kept all other variables constant.
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    Control

  • Explain what standard you will use to determine if any changes occurred. You may need to conduct one set of experiment trials before you change the independent variable to establish a set of data to compare your experiment to.
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    Dependent variable--

  • Explain exactly what will probably change because you changed the independent variable.
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    Trials

  • Explain how many times and how you will conduct your experiment
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    Data Chart

  • Create a data chart to record your results.
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    Repeated trials

  • Repeat your work to average or verify your results.

    Explain how you repeated your trials.

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    Log

  • Keep a detailed log (written notes) of what you did, what happened, and what your explanation is. This log will guide you in completing the scientific analysis what happened so you can complete the final lab report. You may be able to compose your notes on the computer if one is available. Your log is part of your scientific investigation and all notes must be placed in your notebook and turned in.
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    Graphs

  • Put your results in your data chart.

    Use the data to create an appropriate graph (bar, line, pie) to display and explain your data.

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    Pictures

  • Draw pictures along the way. Take photos if possible.
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    Results

  • Keep track of all changes or lack of changes in a written and pictorial form.
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    Results and Explanation Summary

  • Use your data chart, graphs, and results log to explain your results.
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    Survey

  • Do you have any other surveys or data to collect and add? Display in a chart or graph.
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    Conclusion

  • Write a conclusion: Do you accept or reject your hypothesis and why?
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    Application

  • How can your conclusion apply to the real world?
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