Name: ______Period: ______
SIP Pre-Experiment Speech/Interview
READ THESE DIRECTIONS!
Some Thoughts:
- Present this packet before beginning to experiment. Mr. Timm will keep it. Maybe you’ll need to keep a copy for yourself?
- Be ready to share the ideas found in boxes “out-loud”. The rest is meant to prepare you.
- This is a draft. Your report at the end of the quarter should show growth and improvements. It will change!
- Rehearse? Don’t try to be word for word, it is your topic! The pre-speech is informal so RELAX!
- Be ready to volunteer for bonus points. Once we use the ABC class list there are no bonus points!
- Be ready to have a partner record questions, thoughts, or suggestions from class discussion. Get these notes!
- The pre-speech is worth 100 points. ½ of those points come from your selection of a good purpose (and before you say a word in class) so put in the effort!
- Science starts with a good question!
Topic:
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Science Connection: ______
The more we learn in life the more we realize there is so much yet to know. Now that you’ve researched into the science of your topic you should be thinking about what more there is to learn. Science is a field in which people, like you, ask questions and then try to find their own answers through direct experimentation. What questions do you now have?
On a separate sheet of paper, brainstorm for questions that you might ask yourself before doing your experiment. As you brainstorm focus on quantity not quality; consider most anything that comes to your mind. Even silly questions sometimes lead to good ideas. These days, most phones have voice recorders (for memos and reminders). It may be better for you to have a running list there, and then scribe it over later to paper. This is a mental exercise! Don’t stop until you reach 25. Keep going for more if you can.
List Attached? yesorno?_____ points / 25 (or more?) .
Now is the time to mine your list for the gold that may be hidden there. List your top 5 “Purpose” questions here. Think about setting up your experiments. How will you phrase the purpose? Remember, to serve as a Purpose it must be a question that is testable, observable, and/or quantifiable!
1)______
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2)______
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3)______
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4)______
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5)______
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Best Questions 25 pts / _____
And the winner is . . . . Put your best question from above into the box below. This will be the purpose of your experiment. It will be one of the first things we need to hear from you in your pre-speech.Maybe you’ll need to reword your question in a way that suggests the independent variable being tested and the expected dependent variables you will observe?
Identify Variables:
What is the one independent (manipulated) variable?
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What is you dependent (responding) variable?
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What are some things you learned in your research that might be worth sharing to the class? Many may not know your hobby or interest as well as you do. There may be specialized tools you will use that someone might ask about. Or, certainly, your research into the science of your topic revealed new ideas to you as well. Have notes ready here:
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A hypothesis is more than an educated guess; more than a prediction. It is a statement that explains the mystery you plan to investigate.
An “If ...... , then...... ” statement will lead you to your experiment. The “if“ part should match up to your independent variable and the “then” part matches up to your dependent variable!
This is your best explanation to the purpose (experimental question, scientific problem, etc.). It needs to be stated before the experiment actually happens.
It might be proven wrong in the end. But, if it is, that is good science and you will than have a more interesting conclusion to write!
Procedures: Again , this is a “pre-speech” so, your steps may lack some details here. Plan to be much more detailed in the final lab 9 weeks from now. Also, it is expected that revisions will happen as you get into the details of actual experimenting.
Thoughts:
What will you observe? What is your operational definition?
At the end of the 3rd quarter, a more detailed version of the steps you followed will be required with your final report.
Try to be as descriptive as possible. Could others duplicate your results following your steps? What is better? “Get some water.” Or, “Measure 100 ml of cold tap water into a small bowl.”
Plenty of data is a requirement for this project. Build your experiment accordingly. Our usual rubric is adjusted for data collection. Not all science happens this way. But, it reinforces many of our 7th grade inquiry and math concepts.
Plan a data sheet. It is often helpful to design the data sheet before you experiment. It will help you plan out your procedures. Use numbers.
Are there any ethics or safety concerns?
What are some variables that will need to be controlled (kept constant)?
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