SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS IN

THE CLASSROOM

FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

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This booklet was designed for you as a guide to

enable you to experience science, as well as enjoy it.

Barbara RogersEdith Watanabe

Judith Inouye, facilitatorAnn Kondo Corum, illustrator

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FLOW CHART DIAGRAMMING SEQUENCE IN DOING A SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

PROBLEM FINDING

HYPOTHESIS

PRELIMINARY AND ACTUAL EXPERIMENTS

WRITTEN REPORT AND ORAL PRESENTATION

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

ANALYSIS OF RESULTSSUMMARY

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Getting started: What can you do? How do you begin?

Problem Finding is the first step.

INTERESTED IN AN ORGANISM? Learn as much as you can about it. Keep it alive! Brainstorm questions about it. Find a problem relating to it.

INTERESTED IN A TECHNIQUE? hydroponics? soil testing? chromatography?

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Still having trouble finding a problem to investigate?

HAVE A HOBBY? raising guppies? growing plants? electronics? love playing soccer?

CHECK SOME WEBSITES FOR PROJECT IDEAS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU.For example, Google ‘Science Fair ! Ideas’.

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TALKING TO PEOPLETeachers, dentists, doctors, veterinarians, scientists, librarians, parents all may be valuable sources of ideas.

MANY IDEAS COME FROM READING!Read Science journals, newsletters, newspapers, abstracts of previous investigations, abstracts from State and International Science Fair research papers.

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Webbing is a process that might help in zooming in on a Problem

Choose a topic in which you’ve developed an interest.

Brainstorm as many questions as you can about the topic.

Categorize and combine these questions.

Outline.

Define a problem from these questions for which you’d like to find an answer. Keep a notebook dedicated to your research.

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An example of webbing:

Say you’ve noticed that seeds around the Eucalyptus tree growing in your backyard don’t seem to germinate and grow around it.

Your first question might be ‘Why?’

Brainstorming will yield lots of other questions, such as:

Is there ‘something’ in the tree that prevents seeds from germinating?Will that ‘something’ affect other plants?Where is that ‘something’ located?Is it found in the leaves? in the bark?Is it affected by the soil? temperature?Will it lose its effectiveness with age?

You get the point. Some of these questions can be categorized.

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Generating ideas for science project by collaboration, using the 1,3,6 method

Come to class with ideas for science research projects written in your research notebook.

Form a group with 2 others and share ideas. Select a spokesperson.

Form a group of 6 with another group. Repeat the process.

Engage in whole class discussion having one person from each group of six share with the class ideas that were generated.

Individually write a paragraph in your notebook about project ideas that interested you and why.

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The next logical step is to find out as much as you can about your problem. To do this, READ, READ, READ. There are so many sources of information that are easily accessed via the internet. Google your topic and any related ones, search the library website for references, check your school library, look at sites of professional associations.

Take notes of relevant information, organize and categorize these notes and create an outline.

You might then find a problem that is not answered and is researchable, within the limits of time, equipment, space.

Be sure to keep a research notebook of everything significant you’ve encountered. Make a copy of each completed page and turn it in to your teacher.

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

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EXAMPLE OF BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Let’s take the topic mentioned previously in Problem Finding. Research on the Eucalyptus plant yields information that it is an allelotropic plant. Allelotrophy is a process in which a plant releases either beneficial or harmful chemical substances that aid or suppress vegetation. Some allelotropic plants will allow their own seedlings to grow and suppress others.

Questions might arise as you do your research, such as: Can I extract the chemical from the plant? What method should I use? How much is needed?Where is the chemical located? leaves? bark? roots? Are eucalyptus seeds easily obtained? Should I test for germination and/or growth? Should other seeds be tested?

An example:

Design an experiment to test the null hypothesis: that the chemical in Eucalyptus will have no detrimental effect on its own seeds.

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A CHECKLIST AFTER PROBLEM IS FOUND

Date Task

1. I can raise/keep alive the organism I will be working with.2. I found resource materials I can read and understand.3. I have mastered the technique(s) necessary to my research.4. I have enough time to complete my experiments.5. I have the necessary facilities, equipment, supplies available to me.6. I can acquire the knowledge necessary for my research project.

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Construct a hypothesis, an ‘educated guess’, one that is based on previous research you read about and supported by evidence.

HYPOTHESIS

Write the hypothesis so that it can be tested in your experiment. Express it by using the independent variable (the variable that is changed in the experiment) and the dependent variable (that which is dependent on the independent variable). Predict the results graphically.

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Effect of Eucalyptus Extract on the Germination of Radish Seeds

DayControl Experimental

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A CHECKLIST FOR YOU

Have you searched for and read information pertinent to your project?Have you learned the technique(s) necessary?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to the above, proceed:

Date

1. Write a clear, concise statement of the problem.2. Write your plan to solve the problem.3. Write down all the materials you will need.4. Decide on what kind of data you will collect.5. How will you analyze the data?6. Estimate how long your investigate will take.7. What are the implications of your research?8. What further work can be done?

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PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTSYou may need to learn some laboratory techniques before beginning your actual experiments, such as how to use and calibrate instruments and to prepare solutions of different concentrations. If working with an organism, you’ll need to learn how to keep it alive. For example, for culturing bacteria, one needs to know which medium to use and how to do it aseptically. Do preliminary experiments on a test organism.

ACTUAL EXPERIMENTSOnce the preliminary experiments are completed, proceed with the actual experimental design. Decide on the control and experimental groups and identify the independent and dependent variables. How many replicates?

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A CHECKLIST BEFORE DOING YOUR RESEARCH

Date Task1. Do you have a clear, concise statement of the problem?2. Has your procedure been carefully thought out?3. Do you have all the materials you need?4. Do you have enough time to all that your experiment requires?5. Have you decided on the kind of data you will need to take?6. Do you have a research notebook to record all of your observations?7. Have you thought about where you will do your experimentation and has permission been given?8. Have you identified safety concerns?

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ANALYSIS OF RESULTS DISCUSSION

TABLES. Check all calculations and put all experimental data in the form of tables.

GRAPHS. Plot your data whenever possible on graphs because for many experiments, they are the best means of bringing out relations among data. Graphs are often used in science projects because the results are communicated visually, making them more easily understood.

DISCUSSION. Carefully analyze the results and try to explain the facts. Consider all possible explanations and state them as tentative conclusions. Verify conclusions by taking more data. Statistical tests can determine significance of data. REVISE, IF NECESSARY. If expected results are not obtained, suggest reasons and project how future research can be conducted.

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WRITTEN REPORT AND ORAL PRESENTATION

At the conclusion of your experiments, submit a written report. The main parts of the paper might include:

1. TITLE. Identify concisely the main topic of your research. It should not be too long or too short.2. INTRODUCTION. Review pertinent literature

and explain the purpose of the research.3. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Describe

materials and procedures concisely.4. RESULTS. Arrange data in coherent sequence

so report develops clearly and logically. Use only tables, photographs, drawings or charts that are necessary to clarify text and these should be labeled clearly.

5. DISCUSSION. Relate new findings to previous results and include logical deductions. Cite work by previous researchers that is pertinent.

6. CONCLUSION. Be sure that your conclusion addresses the purpose of your research. Use evidence and logic to write a brief conclusion. Include ideas for future research.

7. LITERATURE CITED. Be sure citations are accurate and consistent.

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8. ABSTRACT. Write this last, then put it first in the report. Summarize your entire paper in 250 words or less. State the problem, how it was studied, and what you found out. Include the relevance of your results and recommendations for future research.

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. State the names and titles of those who helped you with your research.

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An oral presentation will be made to your peers. It must be accompanied by a poster and/or Power Point/Keynote slide show.

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Enjoy and experience Science.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

FIRST PreAcademy RETUHM College of Engineering

and theOffice of VP Research