Calculator

 

Strategies:

Gather a bunch of supplies then go and do an experiment OR

            Decide what to test then get supplies

            Be creative

            Divide up the labor between team members - have 1 person write & do graphs, have 1

                        person who works with their hands, have 1 person who thinks out of the box

            Appoint a lead student (after a certain amount of time into the event, the lead student’s

                        word is law and the group has to go by it, if the team is having difficulty agreeing)

            Know how to handle materials

            Know how to measure

            Have person appointed to do the writing while the experiment is being conducted to

save time later (this person can be writing up “materials used, procedure, hypothesis, etc)

Show students the rubric so they know what to do – what needs to be done during the

            time frame of the event

 Know science terms and what they mean, know vocabulary - Use vocabulary for the

            ILO’s in regards to experiment

Use the rubric for all lab write-ups in regular class work so that you don’t have to practice

            separately from what you do in class

Teach them what is important for competition strategies and also for learning purposes

Use journals to help them see the data

Have them make a lab manual because that’s what scientists do

Have them do the coca-cola experiment for practice:

             Use regular coke, diet coke, and other flavors

             The purpose of this experiment is to see if the student can identify what the

                        different flavors are; the catch is they can’t taste it

             You can test stickiness, sugar or anything that the student can think of to

                        distinguish between the flavors

Going through the Rubric

Statement-

            What is the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable?

Hypothesis-

            Needs to be directional, taking a stand

                        We predict ball X will roll father than ball Y BECAUSE . . .

            Needs to be rational, need to state reasoning

Standard of Comparison

                        Standard of comparison is the controlled condition

                        Variables - materials

            Operational Definition:

                                    As measured by cm

                                    As evidenced by __________

                        Define independent variable

            Give enough information that someone else can conduct this experiment

            Practice writing procedure

 

Qualitative Observations:

            Write them down

            Tell the story that goes along with the experiment

            Exp.: We had to modify . . .

            Give details, notes, annotations

Quantitative Data (statistics):

            All data must have units

            Raw data put into a neat table

            Statistics (range, mode, median, mean)

            Explain calculations- show how you calc. the statistics

            Use the appropriate type of graph for what you tested

                        Bar graph- Time Line- Scatter plot

                        Teach them how to use graphs, and which formats to use

                        Label the axes with correct title

Analysis and Interpretation of results:

            What it is

            What it means

            Summary statements

Experimental Errors

            Write down what didn’t work and what went wrong

Conclusion:

            Address the hypothesis (restate it)

            Report more studies are needed or data didn’t support hypothesis (if your

hypothesis didn’t match your results)

            Give good explanation as to why your hypothesis was correct

Recommendations for further experimentation:

            This is your opportunity to say what you would do different if you could redo it

 

 

Sat, Oct 27

Make sure students have the following for the competition:

            timepiece

            rulers

            calculators

 

                        Experimental Design Resources:

                        http://fso.creol.ucf.edu/conference

                        User Name conference          Password cc2007

                        West - San Francisco Oct 5-6, 2007

                        Experimental Design

                                    ExperimentalDesign 2008 28sept07.doc

                                    SciOlympiad07.doc (paper mini-helicopter experimental design

                                                activity handout)

                                    exptdesignrubrics.doc

 

Five-Star Science ( C):

Sat, Oct 27

          Want best science student (science sterling scholar)

            Want best math student (math sterling scholar)

            Good event for AP students 

            Inquiry & data analysis is a big part of the event

            Resources: Purchase scientific tables (i.e. periodic table, etc) and laminate for resources

            Strategy: Key is to divide and conquer in this event - team divides up tasks in event

 

Food Science (B/C):

Sat, Oct 27