HONORS BIOLOGY Spring 2013 Final Project A Research Proposal Written by: ____________ Kreiselman 2013 RESEARCH QUESTION(s):_____________________________________

Research Question (Write again) Introduction: Write: A.What is the benefit if we found the answer to the focus question? (Benefit: to humanity, medicine, environment, simple curiosity) B. What would you need to know in order to conduct the research? Include: -Knowledge about the biological system. -Knowledge about the methods you will use -Knowledge of previous relevant experiments or observations. First list what you will need to know without the actual details that you learned. Second, write at least a 2 page-long summary of a chapter in your textbook that is relevant to your research proposal. - Each student will be responsible for at least one page of the summary.

I. Experimental Design: Technique Write as detailed as possible: How many organisms, samples etc.? When, where, under what conditions will you run the experiment? Time intervals? How much time with the study last?Materials and equipment that you will use (pippete?, test tubes? camera? microscope? Petri dishes with agar medium? Computers? Questionnaires? Whatever applies. - Support your description with a diagram of the structure of the experiment, or a ‘map of the lab’.

Building a controlled experiment: II. Dependent and Independent variables: -Independent: the variable that you will manipulate and test its effects. -Dependent: The variable that will respond to the changes in the independent variable. (In most experimental systems these definitions apply. If you think they don’t, ask your teacher for advice.) IIa Variables that will be kept constant for more reliable results: - As many as you can think of, considering both the biological system or organisms, and the condition of the experiment itself. III. Conditions that will serve as controls, in order to: -Make sure that the technique is working. (Sometimes this is called “positive control”) -Give a basis for comparison for a reliable result. (Sometimes this is called “control group” or “negative control” or “background check”).

IV. Sources of experimental error. ( Unplanned differences between subjects, inaccuracies done by the experimenter, or differences between different experimenters, that can affect the results. These are NOT errors that you might make while running the experiment!! ). V. Measures you would take to reduce the effects of experimental errors. (Considering that one cannot avoid errors by trying to make everything 100% the same and accurately measured)

VI. Bibliography : - Number the quotes. (You can simply include the numbers of the quotes within your work). - Quote as many resources as possible, including websites (title, address), pages in books, pages in your textbook, articles. -Be as specific as possible (no “google.com”) -Specify in which part in your project did you use the information in each quote. [1]. [2]. [3]. [4].

VII. Concluding Remarks Write a personal commentary, in regards to: - What you experienced while working on your project. - What you found helpful, difficult, interesting. - Advice you have for students in future such projects - Your impressions from reading ‘real’ scientific publications. - Suggestions you have for the teacher in regards to this or other projects.