Welcome to an Alien World.

Science is the process of finding answers to questions about the world around us. Over the next few days you will get to ask and find out answers to questions about a world in a Petri dish. We will call it our “Alien World”.

Day 1

Observe the “alien world” that you have been given through a dissecting microscope. (Note the number of the world so that you can observe the same petri dish over the next few days)

Write down at least 10 observations (including sketches) of what you observe.

Pose 10 questions that you have about “the alien world” and its inhabitants based on your observations.

Day 2

Observe the same “alien world” you observed yesterday.

What has remained the same in your world between yesterday and today?

What differences do you notice from yesterday?

What do you expect to observe in your world tomorrow?

Pose 10 questions that you have about “the alien world” and its inhabitants.

Share your observations with a peer observer. What similarities exist between your world and their world? What differences?

How did your observations differ?

Discussion Question: What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations/data?

Day 3

Observe the same “alien world” you observed yesterday.

What has remained the same in your world between yesterday and today?

What differences do you notice from yesterday?

Pose 10 new questions that you have about “the alien world” and its inhabitants

Can you determine the anterior and posterior ends of the inhabitants of your world? How did you determine this? How could you know for sure?

What do you expect to observe in your world tomorrow?

Discussion Question: How can you collect and report your findings/data in a form that is easy for someone else to understand?

Day 4

Observe the same “alien world” you observed yesterday.

What has remained the same in your world over the past few days?

What differences do you notice from the past few days?

What do you expect to observe in your world tomorrow?

Have any of your previous questions been answered by your observations?

Use a toothpick to provide a stimulus to the inhabitants of your world. Record how they respond to the stimulus.

Discussion Question: What are variables and controls?

Day 5

What observations have you made? What inferences have you concluded?

What questions could you ask about your world that is testable over the next day or so?

Discussion Question: What is the difference between observations and inferences?

Day 6

Design and carry out an experiment to test one of your hypotheses. Write a “journal article to report on your experiment’s findings.

Discussion Question: What is the difference between the independent and dependant variable? What is the difference between controls and a control experiment?

Lab Report Rubric

Title /1pt

Is the title descriptive and appropriate to the study

Author(s)/1pt

Is the primary author first and others following?

Abstract/Introduction/4pts

Is the problem clearly identified?

Is the hypothesis clearly stated?

Did you include background information from your literature review?

Did you include the scientific name of any organisms?

Is the experiment and its findings summarized?

Procedures/Protocol/Materials & Methods/3pts

Is the experimental procedure described clearly in narrative form?

Could someone set up the experiment the same way you did based on the directions given?

Results/Data/4pts

Are the data objective and quantitative?

Are the data presented clearly in both tabular and graphical forms?

Does the results section include a written statement?

Discussion/Analysis/3pts

Are the conclusions appropriate and valid relative to the data presented?

Was an explanation provided of why the results support or refute the data?

Did you state whether your hypothesis was supported or refuted?

Conclusions/2pts

Was a follow-up question or experiment included?

References/Bibliography/1pts

Did you site your sources in proper APA/MLA format.

Acknowledgementsoptional

Give to give appropriate thanks to those whose resources, help, knowledge you used

Appendixoptional

Pictures of set up or experimental design that were not necessary in the protocol

Overall

Is the lab report concise?

Is the lab report well organized?

Is the lab report complete?

Is the lab report grammatically correct?

Is there evidence of effort over and above the minimal requirements?

Areas for Investigation:

  • Document life cycle
  • Document movement
  • Document social interactions
  • Document feeding behaviors
  • Document population growth.
  • Document Taxis