Science is both an endeavor where questions about natural phenomena are asked (and hopefully answered!), and a body of knowledge about the natural world.
Scientists are innately skeptical, and seek to ensure that any research question asked is answered objectively and reliably. A scientific question leads to a hypothesis or prediction must be testable. Questions relating to opinions, values and ethics cannot be tested using scientific processes. Collecting measurable or quantifiable data (e.g. counts, weight, distance, temperature, etc.) from observations or an experiment is key to the scientific process. These data ultimately allow the investigator(s) to determine whether their hypotheses are supported or refuted. A scientific study must also be repeatable. That is, other scientists must be able to repeat your experiment and ensure that it is valid.
We will perform multiple experiments throughout this semester to test our own hypotheses about the biology of living organisms. Hypotheses that are continually supported by a large body of evidence generated by multiple researches may be elevated to theory. It is important to note that scientific hypotheses must be falsifiable. In other words, they must be able to be proven incorrect (versus correct). In science, theories are hypotheses that have been tested and supported so many times, that scientists treat them as fact.
The laboratory notebook will serve as a journal of your activities and experiences, as well as a source of study for laboratory assessments. It is important to learn good laboratory protocol by maintaining a laboratory notebook, not only for your own study and reference, but also for others to see what you have done. In today's lab we will work on organizing your lab notebook to set you up for success.
1. Your name and lab section should be clearly written on the cover of the notebook.
2. A "Table of Contents" on first 2-3 pages that includes these headings at the top of each page:
Lab Number Lab Title/ Activity Page Number
3. Number ALL the pages in the notebook after the "Table of Contents," in the upper right corner.
4. All entries must be dated. Please write the day and month clearly in international format.
Example: 14 September 2019
5. Leave least ONE blank page between lab entries.
6. Only write on the right side of the page (back of each page will be left blank).
7. Please take care to write clearly and legibly.
For BIO 131, it will take approximately one hour to read the lab manual and prepare your lab notebook for the upcoming lab. Your pre-labs are a substantial portion of your grade and also set the stage for how effectively you will complete each experiment.
Because it is your first time, will complete the PreLab notebook prep for next lab together today. For future weeks, you are encouraged to designate an appointment in your schedule when you will do your pre-lab preparation each week. Many students get together with another classmate or lab partner at the same time each week to do their pre-lab preparation together. This collaboration can be a good habit as long as you read the lab fully before doing any group studying and compose your summary in your OWN words.
For Lab 2 next week