1. Can you name the seven characteristics of life?
Review…
Can you name the seven characteristics of life?

2. HOW TO SCIENCE!

3. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Question: Why do the experiment?

4. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Hypothesis: Your educated prediction about the experiment’s outcome; “If ___, then ___, because ___.”
Example: IF I put fresh batteries in the remote THEN it will work BECAUSE batteries must be replaced regularly.
ProTip: The Independent Variable is in the “IF” part. The Dependent Variable is in the “THEN” part.

5. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Procedure: Explain how to do your experiment in five sentences or less. You want it detailed enough to where anyone could repeat your experiment, but it doesn’t have to be overly detailed.

6. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Independent Variable (aka the Experimental/Treatment Group): What am I testing? (If this…)
Dependent Variable (the measured change/result): What will happen b/c of the change I made? OR What will I measure AT THE END? (Then this…)

7. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Control Group: The group not tested on at all. You will compare your experimental group to this group to see if it was really the IV that caused the DV. Ex: if testing fertilizer, you need to have a group of plants WITHOUT fertilizer to see how they grow “normally.” That group is the control.

8. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Constants: Factors must that remain the same between the experimental and control groups or they will mess up the results. Ex: in the previous fertilizer example, both groups of plants would need the same amount of sun and water. The only thing that can be different between them is fertilizer or no fertilizer.

9. Lab Report Cheat Sheet! Results: What happened in your experiment?
Quantitative (Numbers) Data: measurements, counts, etc.
Qualitative (Qualities) Data: color, texture, etc.

10. Lab Report Cheat Sheet!
Conclusion: Evaluate hypothesis using the results. Was your hypothesis true? Suggest what to do next. Collaborate with others and share your findings.

11. Let’s Try it Out
Thumb Wrestling Lab