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Students will work in groups and conduct a variety of lab experiments. Many of the labs and demonstrations done in class will require a reflection (6 for the school year) to show what the students have learned. These reflections will follow the steps of the scientific method and students are required to follow this format in their lab books. These assignments will be graded regularly with a Lab Report Rubric. All lab reports need to be hand written in a lab report book.
Lab Report Format:
Question/Purpose:
What do you want to find out or what are we trying to learn in this experiment.
Hypothesis:
After researching a topic, you should have some prediction about what you think will happen in your experiment. This educated guess concerning the outcome is called your hypothesis. The hypothesis is worded so that it can be tested in your experiment. Do this by expressing the hypothesis using your independent variable (the variable you change during your experiment) and your dependent variable (the variable that changes in response).
For example: "I think that if I double the opening created by the faucet (independent variable) will double the flow of water (dependent variable) that comes out of the faucet."
The hypothesis is what you are trying to prove by doing your experiment. PLEASE use the SAME hypothesis given at the beginning of your lab and in your conclusion.
Variables:
Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. These changing quantities are called variables, and an experiment usually has three kinds:
Independent Variable: The Independent Variable is the one that is changed by the scientist. In an experiment there is only one independent variable. As the scientist changes the independent variable, he or she observes what happens.
Dependent Variable: The Dependent Variable changes in response to the change the scientist makes to the independent variable. The new value of the dependent variable is caused by and depends on the value of the independent variable.
For example, if you open a faucet (the independent variable), the quantity of water flowing (dependent variable) changes in response--the water flow increases. The number of dependent variables in an experiment varies, but there is often more than one.
Controlled Variables: Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant, and he must observe them as carefully as the dependent variables.
For example, if we want to measure how much water flow increases when we open a faucet, it is important to make sure that the water pressure (the controlled variable) is held constant.
Constants: Constants are all the factors you attempt to keep the same in the experiment. These are not tested, but could play a roll in the experiment if considered.
For example, if we wanted to test the size of bubbles produced when adding liquid soap to water, a constant variable would be the brand of soap used, or the type of water. These factors are not tested in the experiment because we are not testing them, but need to be constant throughout the experiment. For lab reports, try to include at least 3 constants.
Materials: List all the materials your group are provided and are using in the experiment.
Procedures: List all the steps you will follow in the experiment in the correct order. Record ALL steps exactly as you see them (this is so that future scientists can do the same experiment and test for same results).
Data Chart: Here you will create a chart or graph that records your findings. Make sure to provide all variables in the experiment.
Analysis: Take the information that you put in the chart or graph and explain/interpret these findings in words, using complete sentences:
a.) Discuss the observations you made during the experiment.
b.) Discuss trends/patterns within the data.
c.) Make predictions about what the data results mean in relation to the hypothesis and what was learned.
d.) Make connections between lab results and what happens in the real world.
These parts will help guide you through the thinking process and help develop understanding what happened in the experiment.
Conclusion: The conclusion should be written in paragraph form with complete sentences. Your conclusion should have ALL of the following:
a.) Restate the hypothesis. (Rewrite the SAME hypothesis you used in the experiment and at the beginning of your lab report.)
b.) Share what you learned in the experiment.
c.) Provide details of possible errors and suggest ways to improve the experiment.
d.) EXPLAIN how the experiment is related to what we are studying in class. (You will need to apply what you have learned through the reading and listening in class discussions to help answer this part.)
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