Think Like a Scientist
Please use the following resources and you learn to "Think Like a Scientist".
At the bottom of the page you will find the "Lab Report Template" which you can copy and populate before submitting it on Canvas.
At the bottom of the page you will find the "Lab Report Template" which you can copy and populate before submitting it on Canvas.
VariablesHow do scientists design experiments that collect data that "tells the truth"? They carefully assign a manipulated variable, measure the responding variable and keep the rest of the control variables the same. See for yourself!
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HypothesisHow do scientists make predictions? By writing a hypothesis! The word hypothesis basically means a testable prediction. We write them in the following form:
IF... (We do something, our plan, the manipulated variable) THEN... (Our prediction, the responding variable) BECAUSE... (Why do we thing our prediction is correct?) |
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Writing a Conclusion
A scientific conclusion is use to summarize and explain the results of an experiment or engineering solution. The goal of the conclusion is to clearly communicate the purpose of the experiment, what the results tell us and how we can improve on the experiment the next time. It is important that in the conclusion the scientist uses the DATA to back themselves up. Scientists must always be asking themselves, "What does the data say?"
Below are a list of questions that can serve as sentence prompts for a simple 5+ sentence conclusion. If you answer all five questions in detail then you can be sure that your conclusion covers everything that is important.
Conclusion Writing Prompts
If your conclusion includes all five elements then you will be well on your way to communicating like a scientist!
Below are a list of questions that can serve as sentence prompts for a simple 5+ sentence conclusion. If you answer all five questions in detail then you can be sure that your conclusion covers everything that is important.
Conclusion Writing Prompts
- What was the purpose of this lab?
- What is the answer to the scientific question?
- What data (specific numbers) supports your conclusion? Always use averages (never trials) and compare the high data with the low.
- Explain the data. What do the numbers mean?
- Reflect. How could you improve this lab experiment next time? What could you do better?
If your conclusion includes all five elements then you will be well on your way to communicating like a scientist!
Writing a Lab Report
Please use the template below as a guide to writing your lab report. If you carefully follow the instructions on the template you will be certain to include all necessary information in your report.
Feel free to use this LINK to make a copy of the template yourself and fill it in with your lab info.
Please use the template below as a guide to writing your lab report. If you carefully follow the instructions on the template you will be certain to include all necessary information in your report.
Feel free to use this LINK to make a copy of the template yourself and fill it in with your lab info.