STATION1
OBSERVATIONS&INFERENCES
1) Pleasewritetheword“observation”or“inference”nexttoeachstatement.(Youmayassumethattheorganismin
thephotographisaspider.)
Thespiderhas8legs.
Someofthespiderslegsarelongerthan
others.
Thespiderhasapatternonitsback.
Thepatternonthespider’sbackshows
thatitispoisonous.
Underamicroscope,Iseethatthespider
hassmall,hair-likestructuresonitslegs.
Thehair-likestructureshelpthespider
sticktoitsweb.
Thespiderenjoyssittingonwebs.
Thisspideriscalledan“OrbWeaver”
spider.
2)Pleasewrite1inferencethatyoumakeaboutthisphotograph.Then,supportthatinferencewith2observations.
Iinfer_______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
becauseIobserve___________________________________
____________________________________________________
andbecauseIobserve__________________________________
____________________________________________________
3) Whichofthefollowingareinferencesthatcouldbemadeduring 4) Itisimportanttodistinguishbetweenobservations
thepotatocandledemonstration?(CircleALLthatapply.)
&inferencesbecause(circleALLthatapply):
a. Thecandleiswhite
a. Inferencesmustbesupportedwithevidence
b. Thecandleiswax
b. Inferencescanbeincorrect
c. Thecandleisonfire
c. Inferencesarenotimportant
d. Thecandleismelting
d. Inferencesshouldnotbeincludedinyourdata
e. Thecandleisinabowl
e. Inferencesshouldnotbeincludedinyour
f. Thebowlismadeofglass
conclusions
STATION2
TESTABLEQUESTIONS
1) WhichofthefollowingistheBESTtestablequestion?Howdoyouknow?
a. Isitbettertoeatmeatortofollowavegetariandiet?
b. HowmanystudentsatPRAarevegetarians?
c. Isitethical(morallyright)toeatanimals?
d. Isithealthiertoeatmeatortofollowavegetariandiet?
e. Howdoeseatingvegetariandietaffectaperson’scholesterollevels?
f. Ifapersoneats6ouncesofvegetablesperday,willsheloseweight?
2) Whichofthequestionsin#1couldNEVERbetestedscientifically?Whynot?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3) Thefollowingarequestionsthatcouldbeinvestigatedaboutaperson’sdiet&health.Pleasematcheachquestion
withthestatementthatBESTdescribeswhyitisweak.(Youmayuseeachstatementmorethanonce.)
__________Howdoestheamountofexerciseapersondoesaffect
thetimeittakesforthemtogetintoshape?
A. Itisnotascientifically
testablequestion
__________Whatistastier,chickenorbeef?
__________Willeating1servingofspinachadaycauseapersonto
have20/20vision?
_________Howcouldaperson’sdietaffecttheirbodyweight?
B. TheIVisnotspecific
C. TheDVisnotmeasurable
D. Itistoonarrow
4) MadisonandTylerwerearguingoverwhetherornotstudentsshouldbeallowedtolistentotheirIPodsduringstudy
hall.Theydecidethattheywanttodesignanexperimenttobetterunderstandiflisteningtomusicwhileyoustudy
helpsstudentslearn.Theydecideon“Doesmusichelpstudentslearn?”astheirtestablequestion.
a. Pleaserevise/rewritetheirquestiontomakeitstronger:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5) Itisimportanttowritestrongtestablequestionsbecause(circleALLthatapply):
a. Theyhelpyounarrowthefocusofyourinvestigation
b. TheystateyourIVandDV
c. TheystateyourCVs
d. Theystateyourcontrolgroup
e. Theyletotherscientistsknowexactlywhatyourinvestigationisabout
STATION3
VARIABLES
1)
A. WhatistheindependentvariableinMr.Krabbs’sinvestigation?______________________________________
B. WhatisthedependentvariableinMr.Krabbs’sinvestigation?_______________________________________
2)
A. WhatstatementBESTdescribestheproblemwithSpongeBob’sexperimentaldesign?
a. Hedoesnothaveanindependentvariable.
b. Hehastoomanyindependentvariables.
c. Hedoesnothaveadependentvariable.
d. Hehastoomanycontrolledvariables.
B. Whatshouldhedotocorrecthisexperimentaldesign?
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3) PatrickandSpongebobtakeSquidwardfishingforjellyfish.Unfortunately,thethreedisagreeaboutthe
bestmethodforcatchingjellyfish–Patrickbelievesitisusingnets,Spongebobbelievesitisusinga
fishingpole,andSquidwardbelievesthatitisusinglobstertraps.
A. Onthebackofthissheet,pleasedesignaninvestigationthatwouldallowthemtoinvestigatethisissue.(Besure
tobespecificaboutyourIV,DVandCVs!)
STATION4
CONTROLGROUPS
1) WeestablishedacontrolrunintheMazeMini-Labby…
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Doingthemazemultipletimes.
Usingthesamecolorpens.
Doingthemazeattheverybeginningofclass.
Choosingourownindependentvariables.
Keepingallvariablesconstant.
2) Jakeisapsychologistwhowantstoinvestigatewhetherwatchingeducationaltelevisionshowshelpsyoung
childrenlearntocountto10faster.Hegathersagroupofchildren–allofthemare3yearsoldanddonotyet
knowhowtocount.Hehasthemwatch1hourofthesameeducationalshowforchildreneachday.After6
months,hetestseachchildtoseeiftheycancountto10.
a. WhatisJake’sIV?_______________________________________________
b. WhatisJake’sDV?_______________________________________________
c. Jakedidnotdesignacontrolgroupforhisinvestigation.Whyisthisproblematic?
d. YoudecidetohelpJakebysettingupacontrolgroupforhisinvestigation.Describewhatthisgroupwould
needtolooklike:
3) Becareful–controlledvariablesareNOTTHESAMEascontrolgroups!Studentsoftengetthesetwoideas
confused.
a. Howarecontrolledvariablesdifferentfromcontrolgroups?
b. WhataresomeexamplesofpossiblecontrolledvariablesinJake’sinvestigation?