High School New Field Study Item Template

Field Study

Part I Design an investigation

Part II Analyze a given procedure for reliability and validity

Salmonberry Plants Field Study Design Part I

Salmonberry plants can be found all along the Pacific coast. Salmonberry plants are a food source for many animals in Pacific coast ecosystems including hummingbirds, deer, and bear.

Design a field study to be conducted in a forest with a stream to answer this question: How does the distance from the stream affect the number of salmonberry plants found?

Make sure to include:

logical steps to do the field study

conditions to be compared

data to be collected

method for collecting data

how often measurements should be taken and recorded

environmental conditions to be recorded

Salmonberry Plants Field Study Analysis Part II

Salmonberry plants can be found all along the Pacific coast. Salmonberry plants are a food source for many animals in Pacific coast ecosystems including hummingbirds, deer, and bear. Scientists conducted a field study to learn about salmonberry plant populations in different habitats in Washington.

Field Study Question:How does the salmonberry plant population vary by habitat?

Procedure:

  1. Go to the salmonberry field study area. Record location, date, time, and temperature.
  2. Choose a random location in the forest edge habitat.
  3. Measure a 5-meter-by-5-meter plot and label as Plot 1.
  4. Count the number of salmonberry plants in Plot 1. Record as Plot 1 for the forest
    edge habitat.
  5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for Plot 2 and Plot 3, choosing a new location in the forest edge habitat for each plot.
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for the stream bank and forest habitats.
  7. Calculate and record the average number of salmonberry plants for each habitat.

Data Collected:

Location: Forest edge, stream bank, and forest habitats

Date and Time: May 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Temperature: 10° C to 15° C

1.a)Describe a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field study would be reliable.

b)Describe a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field study would be valid.

Answer Key to Part II:

Task Title: Salmonberry Habitat
Item number: 1 Cognitive Complexity: 2 (page 1 of 2)
Performance Description
A 4-point response demonstrates the student understands the Content Standard INQC: Conclusions must be logical, based on evidence, and consistent with prior established knowledge.
Item Specification 1: Generate a logical conclusion that is supported by evidence from the investigation and/or provide a scientific reason to explain the trend in data given a description of and the results from a scientific investigation.
AND
Content Standard INQF: Science is a human endeavor that involves logical reasoning and creativity and entails the testing, revision, and occasional discarding of theories as new evidence comes to light.
Item Specification 1 and 2: 1. Evaluate an investigation in terms of validity (e.g., answered the investigative question with confidence; the manipulated variable caused the change in the responding variable). 2. Valuate an investigation in terms of reliability (e.g., reliability means that repeating an investigation gives similar results).
Item and example response / Points
INQF(2)
a) The response describes a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field study would be reliable.
Examples:
  • They counted salmonberries in three plots instead of just one in each habitat type.
  • There were three plots for each habitat type.
Notes:
  1. Responses which describe controlling more variables are describing an improvement in validity rather than reliability and may not be credited.
  2. Responses which describe one way to change the field study procedure to improve the reliability of the field study may be credited one point (e.g., test 5 plots instead of 3, do the same investigation the next year).
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INQF(1)
b) The response describes a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field study would be valid.
Examples:
  • All of the plots were counted on the same day.
  • They used 5 meter by 5 meter plots every time they counted.
  • There were three different types of habitats instead of just two.
Notes:
  1. Responses that describe doing the same field study again are describing an improvement in reliability rather than validity and may not be credited (e.g., repeat for 3 more days/months/years).
  2. Responses which describe one way to change the field study procedure to improve the validity of the field study may be credited one point (e.g., count in a fourth type of habitat, make sure the same person does all the counting).
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Beach Investigation

High School

Field Investigation

BEACH - SAMPLE

Beach Investigation

Directions: Use the following information to answer questions 1 through 5 on pages 4 through 6.

Students at Seattle High School were investigating their local beach. They explored several areas around their beach, and observed plant and animal life in each area. They wondered about different non-living factors that might affect life at each area, such distance from the water. They did the following investigation to learn about the diversity of organisms at each area.

Question: Which area at the beach – high tide area, middle tide area or low tide area has the greatest number of different organisms (greatest diversity)?

Hypothesis (prediction): The number of organisms will be the most in the low tide area because this area has greater food resources available for organisms to survive.

Materials:

  • Rubber boots
  • Sunscreen
  • Lab book
  • Pencil
  • Transect square, 50cm x 50cm
  • Meter stick or measuring tape
  • Plant and animal key or field guide
  • Flag to mark measurement sites

Procedure:

  1. Go to Golden Gardens on May 22nd mark the water line at 12:26pm, when low tide is -1.5 M, this is the low tide area. Mark this area with a flag for the low tide area.
  2. Measure 2 meters inland from the low tide area, mark this with a flag as the mid tide area.
  3. Measure 2 meters inland from the mid tide area, mark this with a flag as the high tide area.
  4. Randomly place the transect square by the high tide flag and count the number of different organisms that you identify.
  5. Record number of different organisms in the data table.
  6. Repeat steps 4-5 at medium and low tide areas.
  7. Repeat steps 4-6 two more times for trial 2 and trial 3.
  8. Calculate and record the average of the three trials for each intertidal location.

Data collected:

Location: Golden Gardens, Seattle, Washington

Date and time: May 22nd, 12:26pm
Tide data: -1.5 M

Weather: Sunny, 65 deg. F

Location vs. Number of Different Organisms Data Table*

Intertidal Location / Trial 1 / Trial 2 / Trial 3 / Average
Low / 7 / 5 / 9 / 7
Med / 5 / 3 / 7 / 5
High / 3 / 2 / 4 / 3

DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services,

Page 1

Biology New Field Study Item Template

*this data is taken from Cattle Point, Friday Harbor Washington by UW students who conducted a similar study

1 How could the students be more certain the results of their experiment are reliable? (INQF, 1)

o A. Repeat the experiment the same way.

o B. Use a different type of transect square.

o C. Test the air temperature each time you record data.

o D. Have the same person count the organisms during each count.

2 The students at Seattle High School were also wondering which population of organisms is most stable. According to the Location vs. Number of Different Organisms data table, which statement describes the stability of the populations in the high tide area? (LS2E, 3)

oA.Not stable, because the high tide area is further away from the low tide flag.

oB. Not stable, because the high tide area has fewer number of different organisms, less diverse.

oC. Stable, because the high tide area range of organisms in the study is the smallest.

oD.Stable, because the high tide area has fewer number organisms to compete with one another.

3 In collecting data, the students noticed that one transect in the low tide area had 5 limpets (small marine organism) in the 2.5 square meter transect. What was the population density of limpets in the low tide are transect? (LS2B, 2 – calculator allowed)

Write your answer in the box.

______limpets per square meter

4Write a conclusion for this field investigation.

In your conclusion, be sure to:

  • Answer the investigative question.
  • Include supporting data from the Location vs. Number of Organisms Data Table
  • Explain how these data support your conclusion.
  • Provide a scientific explanation for the trend in the data.

Question: Which area at the beach – high tide area, middle tide area or low tide area had the
greatest diversity of organisms?
Conclusion:

5Plan a field study to answer thequestion in the box. You may use any materials and equipment in your procedure.

Be sure your procedure includes:

DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services,

Page 1

Biology New Field Study Item Template

  • logical steps to do the field study
  • conditions to be compared
  • data to be collected
  • method for collecting data
  • how often measurements should be taken and recorded
  • environmental conditions to
    be recorded

DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services,

Page 1

Biology New Field Study Item Template

Field Study Question:How does the size of barnacles vary at each area, low, middle and
high tide?
Procedure:

No answer key

Salmonberry Habitat COE Task Example [1]

Copyright © September 2013 All rights reserved. Educational institutions within the State of Washington have permission to reproduce this document. All other individuals wishing to reproduce this document must contact OSPI.