Parts of an Investigation September 3, 2013

Ms. SmithMrs. MaloneMs. Foarde

DO NOW: TEKS: 6.2(B,C,D,E) Make observations, ask well-defined questions, formulate testable hypotheses, collect and record data, construct tables and graphs, and analyze data

Date: September 4, 2012 1. Get out your Do Now sheet and

composition book2. Write down this week’s TEKS 3. Use the chart on page 017 in the

Sciencesaurus book on your table to answer today’s question. Q?:How can you “Gather Data” in a science investigation?

Announcements and Reminders

• Did you turn in your signed safety contract?

• You will not be allowed to participate in the lab on block day unless your safety contract has been turned in

Parts of an Investigation September 4-5, 2013

DO NOW:Date: September 4-5, 2013TEKS: 6.2(B,C,D,E) Make observations, ask well-defined questions, formulate testable hypotheses, collect and record data, construct tables and graphs, and analyze data

1. Get out your Do Now sheet and composition book

2. Read page 017 “Designing Your Own Investigation” in Sciencesaurus

3. Q?: What are the 8 steps or methods of a scientific investigation?

Ms. SmithMrs. MaloneMs. Foarde

Announcements and Reminders

• Homework: Use the guide on page 4 of your comp book to write a conclusion for the M&M lab

Well-Defined QuestionsAsk about objects, organisms, and events in the natural world.

Can be answered through investigations that involve experiments, observations, or surveys.

Are answered by collecting and analyzing evidence that is measurable.

Relate to scientific ideas rather than personal preference or moral values.

Do not relate to the supernatural or to non-measurable phenomena.

Is it a WELL-DEFINED

QUESTION??How does a paper airplane fly?

Not well-defined.

Is it a WELL-DEFINED

QUESTION??Does the shape of the wing affect how far

a paper airplane will fly?

Well-defined!

Is it a WELL-DEFINED

QUESTION??Is rock music better than hip-hop music?

Not well-defined.

Is it a WELL-DEFINED QUESTION??

Does rock music make more money than hip-hop music?

Well-defined!

Is it a WELL-DEFINED QUESTION??

What temperature of water will dissolve M&Ms faster?

Well-defined!

Is it a WELL-DEFINED QUESTION??

Which M&M tastes better: red or yellow?

Not well-defined.

Create a hypothesis for the following scientific question.

Question: Does vinegar cause M&M colors to dissolve faster than water?

A hypothesis is an educated guess about how

things work.

Hypothesis

Question: “Do some M&M colors dissolve faster in water than others?”

Write your hypothesis behind the “Hypothesis” tab in your foldable.

I predict…

Hypothesis

• IF the M&M has a darker color, THEN it will dissolve faster. (Brown, Red, Blue)

• IF the M&M has a lighter color, THEN it will dissolve faster. (Yellow, Orange, Green)

Hypothesis

Behind the “Materials” tab in your foldable, list all of the materials that you will be using in the M&M Investigation lab.

Materials:• White paper• Different colored M&Ms • Water• Pipette• Petri dish• Beaker• Marker• Timer • Paper towels

Materials

• These changing quantities are called VARIABLES.

• An experiment has 3 kinds of variables: independent (manipulated), dependent

(responding) and controlled (constants)

Variables

• Variable that is purposely changed or manipulated• a fair test has only one independent variable.

Example: Does the amount of fertilizer affect plant growth? The amount of fertilizer is the independent variable because the scientist has control over how much fertilizer is used in the experiment.

Independent Variable

Suppose that you wonder whether you can run a marathon faster when you eat pasta the night before or when you drink coffee the morning of the race. Your hunch is that loading up on pasta will give you the energy to run faster the next day. The independent variable is the consumption of pasta, and the dependent variable is how fast you run the race.

Now, if you eat several plates of spaghetti the night before you race, but then get up the next morning and drink two cups of coffee before you head to the start line, your experiment is useless.

Why is it useless? By drinking the coffee, you introduce a second independent variable, so you will not know whether the faster race time is due to the pasta or the coffee.

Independent Variable

What is the independent variable in your M&M investigation?

Independent Variable

Independent Variable:

M&M Color

Why is M&M color the independent variable?

Independent Variable

• what is measured in the experiment

Example:Does the amount of fertilizer affect plant growth?

Dependent Variable

What is the dependent variable

in your M&M investigation?

Dependent Variable

Answer: How fast the M&M colors dissolve.

Dependent Variable

• The variables that are not changed are called controlled variables. (constants)

Example:Does the amount of fertilizer affect plant growth?

Independent variable: amount of fertilizerDependent variable: plant growth

Controlled variables: same type of plant, same pot size, same amount of water, same amount of sunlight

Constants

• A graph is a chart or drawing that shows the relationship between changing things

• Can you name some common graph types?• Graphs must include a title and labels on the x

and y axis.

Why will we use a bar graph in our M&M investigation?

Graphs

TITLE

Y-AxisDependent Variable

X-Axis Independent Variable

Bar Graph Example

D = dependent variableR = responding variableY = graph information on the Y-axis (vertical, up and down)

M = manipulated variable I = independent variableX = graph information on the X-axis (horizontal, side to side)

DRY MIX

Parts of an Investigation September 6, 2013

DO NOW:Date: September 6, 2013TEKS: 6.2(B,C,D,E) Make observations, ask well-defined questions, formulate testable hypotheses, collect and record data, construct tables and graphs, and analyze data

1. Get out your Do Now sheet and composition book

2. Read p. 017 “Designing your own investigation” in Sciencesaurus

3. Q?: How do you design an experiment?

Ms. SmithMrs. MaloneMs. Foarde

Announcements and Reminders

• Homework: Table Talk – “What is matter?” Ask your family this weekend when you sit down to eat together

Login Information

Username: S(student id #)Password: First letter of your last name(birthdate)s

Example:

Username: S144822Password: M042399s

Types of Investigations Cornell Notes

• www.ohenryscience6.weebly.com • Click on Handouts• Click Types of Investigations and Graphs.ppt• Click “Open”• Press F5 to make it full screen• Fill out your notes page using the presentation

to guide you