The Scientific Method and Lab Write Ups

Title: Every lab must have a sentence long title that describes the lab. I do not want single word titles. Ex. Investigating Animal and Plant cells with a Microscope.

Problem: Write down the problem(s) of the lab.

Hypothesis: This should be written as an If ….. then…. statement. Ex. If I give my plant 3ml of water and liquid fertilizer (variable) a day then my plant will grow more than my plant of just water (control).

Variable- the part of the experiment that you change or are testing

Control- the part of the experiment that stays the same, and by which the variable is compared to.

Repetition- when doing an experiment there should always be a large sample size or you should repeat several tests to confirm your findings are true and not just due to chance alone.

Materials: List all the materials and equipment and lab instruments that are used.

Procedure: 1)The procedure is usually numbered.

2) It lists every step that you did during the lab.

3) It should be so detailed that another person could follow your procedure and do your experiment exactly as you did and get the same results.

Data: This section of the lab should include data tables, charts, graphs, and drawings. Make sure that your tables, graphs and drawings are clearly labeled.

All graphs must have titles and the y and x axis labeled.

Conclusion/Results: Here is where you would explain what you did, what you discovered, and what your results mean. You should always do your conclusion as a RERUNS conclusion.

R- Restate the problem

The purpose of this lab was to……

E- Explain

Briefly summarize how you did the experiment.

R- Results

Answer the problem(s) of the lab using your results. Explain what your results mean in the context of the lab, refer to your data. This part is very important.

U- Uncertainties

Here is where you explain what you do not understand. If you had results you did not expect or can not explain you talk about that here.

N- New Ideas

If you were to do this experiment again what could you do differently next time or what new things would you like to test.

S- Shows understanding

This is where you show how this lab could apply to the real world. Did you like the lab?