1. What are we doing today?
Learning Intention: Read a simple experimental procedure and identify the two variables and the control.
Success Criteria: 1. I can tell a friend what an independent variable is. 2. I can read about an experiment and identify the independent variable.

2. Antonio’s Investigation
Antonio wanted to be a scientist. He figured the best way to start was by conducting his own scientific investigation. Antonio loved dogs! He thought he could develop an investigation about dogs. He noticed that his dog’s favorite toy was yellow. He wondered if his dog preferred this toy because of its yellow color. He planned out his investigation to find out if this was true. He asked his grandma to drive him to the local pet store, and he purchased five toys, which were all the same plastic bone shape, but were each a different color: red, blue, yellow, purple, and green. He presented all 5 toys to his dog at the same time, and kept notes about his dog’s preference for the toys. He repeated his procedure 10 times, on 10 different days, in the same room each time, and at the same time of day each time. He saw that his dog preferred to play with the yellow toy 9 of the 10 times, so he concluded that his dog really did prefer yellow toys to other colors.

3. Explain It!
As a team (in team mode) use your paper to explain Antonio’s investigation. You may use words, pictures, diagrams, charts, etc. to explain his investigation. Identify what things Antonio changed, measured, and kept the same.

4. Independent Variables
The variable in an investigation that is changed on purpose
The scientist is changing this part of the investigation to see how it affects the other parts

5. Identify the Independent Variable
Madison wanted to perform a scientific investigation to find out which of her colored pens would last the longest. She chose three colors: red, blue, and black. She copied the same text from her science book for each pen. She also used the same paper for each pen. as well. She continued copying the text until she noticed each pen start to show the ink fading. Her investigation showed that the black pen lasted the longest before the ink faded.
What is the independent variable (the variable Madison changed ON PURPOSE to see what would happen)?

6. Identify the Independent Variable
Josh was in charge of watering the plants at his house, and he wondered one day, while watering them, if water was the liquid that the plants preferred. He decided to conduct a scientific investigation to see which type of liquid would make plants grow the tallest. He bought three identical plants. Each plant was in the same type of pot and had the same amount and type of soil. He placed the pots in front of the same window, so they received the same amount of sunlight. He gave one plant one cup of water each day for 1 month, he gave one plant one cup of soda each day for 1 month, and he gave the last plant one cup of vinegar each day for 1 month. At the end of the month he measured the plant growth of each plant, and he saw that the plant that had been given water was the tallest.
What is the independent variable?

7. Exit Ticket
Turn to a friend and tell them what an independent variable is.
Rate yourself!
1- I don’t know what an independent variable is
2- I understand what an independent variable is when Ms. Renfroe helps me
3- I understand what an independent variable is
4- I already knew about independent variables before this lesson, and I could be the teacher!

8. Dependent variable The variable that is measured
The dependent variable is the DATA the scientist collects. -notes, charts, graphs, tables, etc.

9. Controlled Variables The variables that stay the same
The things that scientists KEEP THE SAME in an experiment are the controlled variables.
Why is it important for all other variables to stay the same?