Part II: Putting the Claim to TEST

Now that you have done some commercial research and found FIVE testable claims. It is time for you to choose the best ONE (1) to continue working with. You must work in groups of 2 or 3.

Which is the best claim for your group to test?

  1. Find a claim that is clearly measurable. (length, mass, weight volume, force, time, temperature, etc)
  2. DO NOT CHOOSE an opinion survey
  3. Do NOT CHOOSE a price comparison research project
  4. Pick a product that you have easy access to around the house.
  5. Make certain the claim can be tested in a reasonable amount of time.

Feel free to pick a new claim if none of your original five are workable.

The POSTER PRESENTATIONrequirements:

  1. The posterboard should be white. No colors or metallic boards please.
  2. Creative and catchyTITLE to describe the experiment
  3. Type the correct information into each of the tables in this packet.
  4. Cut out each table and fix them to your poster in a logical order.
  5. Create a DATA TABLEto show your records and calculated averages
  6. Create a COLORFULline or barGRAPHto easily show your data
  7. Include PICTURES/DIAGRAMSof your experiment (printed or drawn) to show what has happened.

Name / Hour

Every experiment needs a good hypothesis. That means you need to stay away from all pronouns.

(I, my, he, she, you, your, we, me, it, they, their, these)

A hypothesis must also read like a statement of FACT.

Use “will” instead of words like should, could, might or maybe.

Never mention buying or purchasing an item in a hypothesis.

The Testable Claim
Company: / Product:
Hypothesis/Claim from the commercial or advertisement:
If
then
compared to

What are the variables in your experiment?

Look at the claim above and carefully and determine the two major variables.

What you will be changing? What you will be measuring?

Independent Variable / Dependent Variable

What are the groups in your experiment?

Now determine the two main groups of your experiment.

Control Group
(What would normally happen?) / Experimental Group
(What is getting changed?)

Remember that having more than one changing variable means you are just playing.

Think hard about your test. Identify Six (6) variables that you MUST keep constant.

While there are literally thousands of potential constants to choose from, you should pick the ones that would do the most harm to your test if they changed mid-way through your experiment.

Tell HOW you will keep them constant in the next column.

Type your answers in to the table below. Cut out the table. Place it on your project poster.

Constant Variables / How will you keep them constant?

Experimental Procedure:

Use the chart below to write down the steps you will take to complete your experiment. Describe each step like it was a recipe in a cookbook. Be precise. I should be able to recreate and repeat your experiment just by using these instructions. DO NOT INCLUDE “analyze data”, “draw a conclusion”, or “share results”.

While part of the scientific method these are not part of the experimental procedure.

Type your answers in to the table below. Cut out the table. Place it on your project poster.

Procedure
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Conclusion Part 1 - Accept or Reject the Hypothesis:

Cut out the conclusion that you are choosing and place it on your poster.

Conclusion / Conclusion
Based on the data, we choose to ACCEPT
the experiment’s hypothesis. / Based on the data, we choose to REject
the experiment’s hypothesis.

Conclusion Part 2 - Scientific Explanation:

TYPE a CONCLUSION in the table below.

Make certain that it clearly explains your group’s best theory as to why the data did what it did.

Type 1-3 paragraphs in the table below. Cut out the table. Place it on your project poster.

Scientific Explanation of the Data

Conclusion Part 3- Discuss Potential Error:

You are human. Everything we do has the potential to be in error.

Identify four different things that could have gone wrong in your experiment.

Suggest a possible solution for each that would improve the experiment for future scientists.

Type your answers in to the table below. Cut out the table. Place it on your project poster.

Potential error / Possible solution