Fieldwork at Home

Working Scientifically

Activity 7- Fieldwork at Home

Plan and conduct field work in your backyard, at a local park or in a local environment. When conducting fieldwork, it will need to comply with current social distancing guidelines. Check with your Teacher if you are unsure of current guidelines.

At your chosen location, you will measure five factors:

Canopy cover
Tree Height
Aspect
Soil texture
Ground cover

The fieldwork you complete will be presented in a fieldwork report.

The seven working scientifically processes are central to the study of science and the acquisition of scientific knowledge and skills.

1. Questioning and Predicting

Decide on a location to conduct your fieldwork. It maybe in your backyard or somewhere you can go on a walk as part of your exercise routine. Your chosen location will need a cluster of trees or shrubs to measure canopy cover and at least part of the location will need to have a slope to measure aspect.
Develop an inquiry question (for example: Why are these species of trees here?, If all the trees are the same species, are they all the same size?).

2. Planning Investigations

Complete a risk management plan to assess the risks and develop strategies to manage the risks while completing the fieldwork. Click on the worksheet to download a copy of a proforma.
Read through the data collection techniques page for the factors that you will measure. Develop a check list of the equipment and technology you will need.
Explain how you are going to collect reliable data.
Design a table to record your data in.

Risk Management Plan.docx

3. Conducting investigations

Gather equipment you will need for the fieldwork.
Conducts investigation safely, implementing your strategies to manage risks.
Record your results in the table you have constructed.

4. Processing data and Information

Evaluate the quality of the data collected and explain how it could be improved.

Example of some equipment needed for the fieldwork

5. Analysing data and information

assess error, uncertainty and limitations in data.
assess the relevance, accuracy, validity and reliability of primary data.
suggest improvements to the investigation.

6. Problem Solving

Relating to your inquiry question, are there any management strategies for the chosen site. If not, what strategies could be implemented.

Example of a site to conduct fieldwork. It contains trees and shrubs to measure canopy cover and a slope to measure aspect. Management strategies include; mowing of grass and mulching of exposed soil.

7. Communicating

Write a field report that includes:

Title
Inquiry question
Methods
Results
Discussion of the results and how to improve the investigation
Conclusion

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