Investigations

1. Understand the phenomenon

2. Ask questions

3. Come up with a purpose

4. Identify an answer to a question (hypothesis)

5. Come up with materials needed to answer the question

6. Come up with procedures to test the answer

7. Come up with the variables

   1. Control

      1. The results to compare change

      2. The variables that don't change

   2. Independent

      1. The variable that is controlled by the experimenter

      2. Causes change to the other variable(s)

   3. Dependent

      1. The variable that is changed by other variable

8. Collect data

   1. As many trials as possible will lead to reliable data

9. Organize data

10. Analyze data

11. Make a CER based on the data

12. Share the results

**Based on this outline of an investigation it is easy to see that doing experiments involves a lot more than just doing a lab!