1. 12-12-17 Science Fair Materials, Procedures, Identification of Variables

2. Do Now
Write down your Science Fair Project Hypothesis in your Science Notebook

3. Science Progress Reports
Last Day to complete makeups/retakes: Thursday, 12/21.
Underline all of the assignments marked with an “M”.
Circle any of those assignments that you scored less than 80% on.
You can retake those assignments.

4. WRITE THIS DUE DATE ON YOUR HANDOUT
Science Fair Materials, Procedures, and Identification of Variables: Due Friday 12/15

5. Materials
After formulating a hypothesis, you should write down all the materials and supplies you will need in order to carry out the experiment.
Requirements:
Include everything you need for the experiment itself.
Specific amounts are needed for each item listed in SI Units
Measuring tools and safety equipment you will use must be listed
Vertical, bulleted list and should not be numbered
Acquire enough materials for 3 trials

6. Materials 45 mL of bubble solution 50 mL graduated cylinder
Acceptable materials list:
Unacceptable materials list:
45 mL of bubble solution
50 mL graduated cylinder
3 plastic drinking straws
3- 20 liter plastic trash bags
15 cm masking tape
metric ruler (30 cm)
1. bubble solution
2. graduated cylinder
3. straws
4. trash bag
5. masking tape
6. ruler

7. Procedures
Procedures are a detailed step-by-step set of directions of how to conduct the experiment. Details are very important here. Be sure to tell exact amounts of things such as materials, time it will take, etc. It is important that anyone be able to follow your steps and repeat your experiment exactly as you did it.

8. Procedure
The procedure should reflect that you collected enough data to support your conclusion. Therefore, make sure you use a large sample or conduct multiple trials for your experiment. The larger your sample size or the more trials you conduct, the more conclusive and better your results will be.
For example, when working with plants, do not just plant one seed in the light and one seed in the dark and use the results from those two plants as your data. Planting twenty or more seeds in the light and twenty or more seeds in the dark would provide a large sample size. Use a large sample size to obtain more conclusive (valid) results. In the parachute experiment, drop the parachute 6 times to test how fast it drops rather than just dropping it one time.
You must have at least 3 repeated trials) to ensure a well-designed investigation.

9. Procedures Acceptable Procedures Unacceptable Procedures
Pour 50 mL of water in a medium sized bowl
Submerge 2 Bounty paper towels in the bowl for 5 minutes
Remove Bounty paper towels from bowl without spilling any excess water
Pour water remaining in the bowl into the graduated cylinder
Measure how much water was left over and record data
Repeat steps 2-6 for a congruent piece of Sham Wow rag
Repeat the steps 1-6 three times
I poured some water in a bowl
I stuck some Bounty paper towels in the bowl and let it soak the water
I took out the paper towel from the bowl
I used a cooking measurement thing to see what was left over
I wrote down what was left over in my notebook for the science project
I repeated these steps for a sponge

10. Identification of Variables
There are different factors that must be considered when determining the procedure to be followed:
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Experimental Group
Control Group
Constants

11. Identification of Variables
Independent variable: the factor that you will change on purpose during the experiment to find out what effect it has on something else. Example: different types of materials (silk, felt, canvas, paper, tissues, etc.) to construct a parachute to observe the effect the type of material has on the drop time of the parachute

12. Identification of Variables
Dependent variable: the factor that is observed and measured to see if it is affected by the change made in the independent variable. Example: The dependent variable in the parachute investigation would be the time the parachute took to drop.

13. Identification of Variables
Experimental Group: In a cause and effect problem, you will apply an independent variable to a situation to see if it has an effect. The control group receives the independent variable. Example: 10 plants are treated with a fertilizer added to their water while 10 plants are simply given water. The fertilizer would be the independent variable and the 10 treated plants would be the experimental group.

14. Identification of Variables
Control Group: It is the normal, controlled situation that is left purposely unaffected by the independent variable. The control group provides a baseline that lets us see if the independent variable has an effect. Example: in the plant example, the untreated plants would be the control group.

15. Identification of Variables
Constants: the factors in the experiment that must be kept exactly the same to make sure that they are not having any effect on the dependent variable. They ensure that you are conducting a fair test. Valid experiments have many constants Example: Variables that would need to be controlled in the parachute experiment would be the size of each parachute made, the same mass tied to the parachute, and the height the parachute were dropped from.

16. Practice Identifying Variables: Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up
1. Students watched a cartoon and then rated how funny they thought the cartoon was.
Independent Variable:
The cartoon they watch
Dependent Variable:
how funny they thought the cartoon was
Controlled Variable:
Time to watch cartoon

17. Independent Variable: Dependent Variable: Controlled Variables:
2. One group of students studied with the TV on. Another group of students studied in silence. Students were then given a quiz to check for understanding.
Independent Variable:
Whether the TV was on or off
Dependent Variable:
Quiz results
Controlled Variables:
Same quiz
Same study material

18. Independent Variable: Dependent Variable: Controlled Variables
3. Some students believe if they drink a glass of milk before bed, it will make them sleep longer.
Independent Variable:
Drinking milk before bed
Dependent Variable:
Amount of sleep
Controlled Variables
Same amount of milk
Same conditions for sleeping
Same amount of sleep the night before

19. Practice: Identify experimental group and control group
1. A student wants to test if giving dogs a toy to play with makes their tail wag more. He gives dog toys to one group, while another group of dogs does not get any toys. He counts the number of times each dog wags their tail.
Experimental Group:
Dogs with toys
Control Group:
Dogs without toys

20. 2. Mr. Calixte wants to know if he gives teachers candy, it will make them smile more. He gives half the teachers candy and the other half get nothing. He then records the number of times the teachers smiled.
Experimental Group:
Teachers getting candy
Control Group:
Teachers getting nothing

21. 3. A scientist thinks that ducks swim faster when they are in cold water. He tests two groups of ducks, one in cold water and one in room temperature water. He records how fast they swim.
Experimental Group:
Ducks in cold water
Control Group:
Ducks in room temperature water

22. 4. Some teachers think that students learn best in rooms with carpet
4. Some teachers think that students learn best in rooms with carpet. They teach the same lesson, but one class is in a carpeted room and the other is not. They give a test and compare the results.
Experimental Group:
Class taught in carpeted room
Control Group:
Class taught in room without carpet

23. In your science notebook, begin working on your materials, procedures, and identification of variables