The project

This project is the English version of El mètode científic activity carried out -in Catalan- by students of 1st of Batxillerat during their Ciències per al mon contemporani classes. The students will understand and use the scientific method, becoming young researchers for a week. All the documents they will need are in this Google Classroom class - only the students have access to it due to privacy reasons.

Aims and tasks

This project is based on the scientific method, and has several aims:

• Learn about the scientific method

• Learn how to design an experiment, and carry on a research

• Improve english fluency, specially when related to science

• Discover the achievements of several (female) scientists

In order to fulfill all these aims, we will carry out three main activities:

• Firstly, they will learn about five great women and scientists that had a large impact on the scientific society of their time

• Secondly - and taking up most of the week - they will design and carry out and experiment. The topic will be "Which factors affect the dissolution speed of a pill?" Further information can be found at the end of this page

• Last, but not least, the students will record a video showing what they learnt. Being the creators will help them become autonomous, while expressing themselves in english will greatly increase their fluency.

Evaluation

There are three things which will improve - and hence will be rated- throughout this project. Scientific competences and speaking will show on the video, which will be presented on the last day of the week. Both teachers and students will then rate these abilities following the projects' rubrics (both on the presentation and the video/project itself).

The students will also learn to be more aware of themselves, and to work in a group - team bonding is an important part of the experience. As such - and much more to help them evolve than to grade- they will carry out two activities:

• Fill in a Group diary reflecting the evolution of the team work (daily)

• At the end of the week, they will write a personal reflexion about the week's experience on their personal portfolio.

The video evaluation by the teachers and co-evaluation, together with the group diary, will provide a final grade.

The experiment: Which factors affect the dissolution speed of a pill?

The students' research will be focused on the dissolution speed of a painkiller. Following the protocol, each group of students will:

1. Choose a factor they believe might influece said speed - water temperature or type, for example, or the mass of the pill.

2. Present a question, which will lead to a small research project. For example: "Does the mass of the pill influence the dissolution speed?"

3. Formulate a hyphotesis, in other words, identify the variables they are studying and make a prediction.

4. Design their experiment. They will need to think which materials they need - and how much of each of them- as well as the steps to follow for a successful experiment to be carried out

5. Carry out the experiment - including several repetitions- and analyze the results

6. Draw conclusions from their results. Individual conclusions will be shared, and all 19 students as a group will draw a global conclusion on which factors do and don't affect the dissolution speed, and in which way they do so.

For more detailed information on the experiment, its steps and timing or the competences it teaches the students, you can read the project application below.