Biological terms Units of measurement Observations Scientific Inquiry Lab #1 Orientation Biological terms Units of measurement Observations Scientific Inquiry

Lab Notebook record each experiment’s objectives a summary of experimental procedures results (your experimental data) a brief evaluation (discussion) of your results (e.g., graphs, calculations, explanation) conclusion Note that this is a continuous record of your lab experience. Therefore, you will be required to complete the previous lab before beginning the current lab.

Why is it Important to Keep a Good Laboratory Notebook? Keeping a complete and accurate record of experimental methods and data is a vital part of science and engineering. Permanent record of what you did and what you observed in the laboratory. Learning to keep a good notebook now will establish good habits that will serve you throughout your career. Your notebook should be like a diary, recording what you do, and why you did it. You should feel free to record your mistakes and difficulties performing the experiment - you will frequently learn more from these failures, and your attempts to correct them, than from an experiment that works perfectly the first time. It is extremely important that your notebook accurately record everything you did. A good test of your work is the following questions: could someone else, with an equivalent technical background to your own, use your notebook to repeat your work, and obtain the same results? could you come back six months later, read your notes, and make sense of them? If you can answer yes to these two questions, you are keeping a good notebook.”

How to Keep a Notebook - General Guidelines   The laboratory notebook is a permanent, documented, and primary record of laboratory observations. bound composition book pages that are numbered in advance and never torn out. Write your name, the name of your professor, and your lab section on the cover of your notebook. All notebook entries must be in ink and clearly dated. No entry is ever erased or obliterated by pen or “white out”. Changes are made by drawing a single line through an entry in such a way that it can still be read and placing the new entry nearby. If it is a primary data point that is changed, a brief explanation of the change should be entered (e.g. “balance drifted” or “reading error”). No explanation is necessary if a calculation or discussion is changed; the section to be deleted is simply removed by drawing a neat “x” through it.

Guidelines Your notebook should be your primary source of information. Everything you do in the laboratory should be included in your notebook, from procedure to calculations. When notebooks are examined, the professor will look for the following points in almost all cases:   Pre-Lab write-up that shows that you were prepared for lab before beginning the experiment. Data and associated graphs and calculations quantitatively gauge how successful your laboratory technique was. All units clearly shown on all numbers! Enough explanatory information so that someone else with your knowledge of biology could, from the lab notebook alone, enter the lab and repeat your work.

Rules for Your Lab Notebook-Specific Guidelines Leave two pages at the beginning of the lab notebook for a Table of Contents to be filled in completely as labs are added (Title of lab, page numbers) Number all the pages in the lower corners toward outside edges (lower left or lower right) Neatness matters Lab records should only be on the right-hand side page (anything handwritten) 5. If you make a mistake, cross it out with ONE line and write the correction underneath 6. Data from a computer must be printed and glued or taped in the lab notebook (no staples). These include graphs, data tables, and pictures. (This can be on both left and right sides of the book) 7. At the start of every lab, you must have an appropriate title heading (explained below) 8. After each lab session, your completed lab manual must be signed by the professor and you will complete your lab notebook prior to the next class meeting. 9. Your lab notebook is turned in at the beginning of the next lab period for review/credit.   Note: If a particular lab activity in lab manual is not signed; I will assume that you were not present that day and you will receive a zero for that lab write-up.

Just Kidding… Changed my mind  I apologize if you already bough a composition book 

New and Improved…Lab Guidelines Bring blank lab with you to class. You may no have any writing on your lab. Read it before you come to class Be prepared for pre-lab quiz No cell phones or electronics permitted during lab Labs only to be done in blue or black ink Failure to follow professors rules and safety guidelines results in a zero for lab Missed lab=zero (no Make ups for lab or pre-lab quiz) Turn in completed lab before you go (at end of the class)

Pre-lab Quiz #1 10 questions-20 pts Go to Quizziz.com Join a game Enter the code: Take the quiz

Assignment #1 Safety Biological terms

Biological Terms Root word Prefix suffix

Assignment #2-Metric Conversions

Converting Metric Units

Dichotomous Key-Assignment #3 Example exercise

Scientific Inquiry

Scientific Method Orderly process providing scientific evidence of explanations of the natural world. Requires measurements or observations that are shared with others, repeatable by anyone with proper tools Ongoing Self-correcting process of inquiry

The Steps Observation Question Hypothesis-anticipated answer to the question Prediction—If…,then…. Statement

4. Experiment Controlled 3 types of variables Independent Manipulated in the experiment (x axis) Dependent Responds in an experiment (y-axis) Conditions that could affect the results, but are kept constant so they don’t. Two groups or subjects Experimental group Exposed to independent variable Control group Not exposed to independent variable

Practice problems A. More bushels of potatoes will be produced if the soil is fertilized more. Independent, x, input (manipulated):)_________________________ Dependent, y, output (responding):___________________________ Controlled: ______________________________________________ B. Five groups of rats are fed identical diets except for the amount of Vitamin A they receive. Each group gets a different amount. After 3 weeks on the diet, the rats are weighed to see if the amount of Vitamin A received has affected their weight.

7. Share your results with others Data collected and analyzed 6. Conclusion Accept of reject hypothesis based on your evidence Often leads to formation of new questions and hypotheses experiments or observations 7. Share your results with others Others have to be able to repeat your experiment and get the same results.

Directions for lab Go back and read through each assignment and complete lab. Reminder: Start with a blank lab…any writing prior to lab will =no credit Blue or black ink only No electronics/phones of any kind permitted during lab Complete and turn in before you leave.