mackzoore sb
(Santa Barbara - United States)I currently teach middle school science and math at the Laguna Blanca school in scenic Santa Barbara. I previously taught at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua, where I developed curriculum and taught physics, conceptual physics and earth ...
Curriki Samplers:
More Info: About the Resource Repository
Tip: Join Curriki so you can edit, build up, organize, copy, comment on, rate, flag, and nominate resources.
-
- Contributed By: Christine Mytko
Many of us remember dutifully reciting the steps to the scientific method / lab report. C'mon, now, say them with me:
These illustrations are helpful in visualizing the (sometimes messy) process of scientific inquiry.
IMAGE SOURCE: TBD
This illustration is a bit more kid-friendly:
IMAGE SOURCE: Prentice Hall Science Explorer, The Nature of Science and Technology
Title
Purpose
Hypothesis (specific and supported)
Materials list
Procedure (written in specific steps)
Results (any observations, data tables, graphs)
Conclusion
Do you accept or reject your hypothesis?
Tell your results (use numbers)
Any errors or things you could not control?
Your version may have differed slightly, but I bet it was all pretty much the same. But now there is new buzz word in science town, and that is "inquiry." NSTA, in The National Science Education Standards (NSES p. 23) defines scientific inquiry as "the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work. Scientific inquiry also refers to the activities through which students develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world." NSTA also recommends that teachers help their students understand that "there is no fixed sequence of steps that all scientific investigations follow. Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations." In fact, all of the recommendations are exciting! The Scientific Method is essential for lab reports, Inquiry is essential for scientific thinking. This chart below illustrates some of the differences in these two terms. Feel free to modify or add your own!
- Title
- Purpose
- Hypothesis
- Procedure
- Results
- Conclusion
| Scientific Method | Scientific Inquiry |
|---|---|
| Linear / defined order | Non-Linear / fluid |
| Answers a single posed question | May end up generating more questions |
| Results may be communicated at the conclusion of the experiment | Communication is a key component throughout |
IMAGE SOURCE: TBD
This illustration is a bit more kid-friendly:
IMAGE SOURCE: Prentice Hall Science Explorer, The Nature of Science and Technology
However, there is a time and a place for the formal lab write-up, and many science fairs require such a report at the conclusion of the investigation. Some hints:
Title
Purpose
Hypothesis (specific and supported)
Materials list
Procedure (written in specific steps)
Results (any observations, data tables, graphs)
Conclusion
Do you accept or reject your hypothesis?
Tell your results (use numbers)
Any errors or things you could not control?
Future questions or investigations?
Connections to the real-world?
Most science investigations require a controlled experiment. A controlled experiment is an experiment in which only one variable is tested at a time.
Investigations will often refer to both an independent and dependent variable. Independent and dependent variables are related to one another.
The independent (or manipulated) variable is the variable that you, the experimenter, change or manipulate intentionally.
Dependent (or responding) variable is the variable that changes when the independent variable changes. The dependent variable depends on the outcome of the independent variable.
Here are some simplified examples:
With each of these experiments, it is very important to control the experiment.
Question 1: You ONLY want to test the TYPE of liquid. Imagine you watered one plant with water every day and another plant with vinegar every other day. If you found the plant given vinegar grew less tall, you wouldn't know if it is because of the type of liquid or the frequency of which you watered the plant. There are TOO MANY VARIABLES. Kids will relate to this being a "fair" comparison or not. In this investigation, the following variables must be kept the same between the two plants: the type of plant, size of container, amount of sunlight each day, temperature, amount of liquid, how frequently the plant is watered… etc. These variables that are kept the same are called controlled variables.
Of course, we cannot control everything in an experiment. We may have the same types of plant, but one seed was not as robust. Perhaps when we planted the seed, one seed was slightly deeper in the pot than the other. These types of control mishaps constitute "experimental error."
Read more about variables and controls at:
You can download Graph Hints (doc) to modify and share with students.
More resources about graphs:
Investigations will often refer to both an independent and dependent variable. Independent and dependent variables are related to one another.
The independent (or manipulated) variable is the variable that you, the experimenter, change or manipulate intentionally.
Dependent (or responding) variable is the variable that changes when the independent variable changes. The dependent variable depends on the outcome of the independent variable.
Here are some simplified examples:
| Question | Independent Variable | Dependent Variable |
|---|---|---|
| Does water help plants grow best? | Type of liquid (water, vinegar, etc) | Height of plant (in cm) |
| What kind of teaching helps kids learn best? | Type of instruction (reading, lecture, video, lab) | Score on test |
| Does the form of sugar affect how quickly is dissolves? | Form of sugar (granulated, powdered, cube) | Time to dissolve (in seconds) |
Question 1: You ONLY want to test the TYPE of liquid. Imagine you watered one plant with water every day and another plant with vinegar every other day. If you found the plant given vinegar grew less tall, you wouldn't know if it is because of the type of liquid or the frequency of which you watered the plant. There are TOO MANY VARIABLES. Kids will relate to this being a "fair" comparison or not. In this investigation, the following variables must be kept the same between the two plants: the type of plant, size of container, amount of sunlight each day, temperature, amount of liquid, how frequently the plant is watered… etc. These variables that are kept the same are called controlled variables.
Of course, we cannot control everything in an experiment. We may have the same types of plant, but one seed was not as robust. Perhaps when we planted the seed, one seed was slightly deeper in the pot than the other. These types of control mishaps constitute "experimental error."
Read more about variables and controls at:
- ScienceBuddies.com
- National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Kids' page
- CoolScienceProjects.com
- Science Kids (more elementary)
You can download Graph Hints (doc) to modify and share with students.
More resources about graphs:
- Graph ID (Texas A&M University)
- Kids can use this free NCES online toolto create graphs.
1. Multiple trials - Scientists use multiple trials in order to get the most accurate data possible....
2. Collect data that is measurable (ex: millimeters, Newtons, number of drops). Try to be as specific as possible, and avoid non-clear comparison words like: better, faster....
