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In my many years of teaching, I have discovered that my students do not truly understand how to apply the scientific method. When they reach my high school biology class, they can recite the steps to the scientific method, but few can actually design a controlled experiment. I am trying to make my labs more inquiry driven. This is no easy task!! Due to overloaded classes, time constraints and nonexistent budgets, few science teachers can take a class to the lab and turn them lose to be scientists.
With all of that in mind, I have written this Student Designed Experiment that has worked very well for me. Here are the main points:
1. In this activity, all students will be designing a lab on the same topic and using the same simple materials.
2. Students are asked to design an experiment to determine how various quantities of water will affect the germination of seeds.
3. There are very few variations as to how to design this experiment. This keeps all of your students moving in about the same direction. This makes your role as facilitator easy, especially if class size is large. If this is the first time your students have tried to design their own experiment, the limited possibilities in experimental design will help your students learn the process with less frustration.
4. This requires very simple materials: Petri dishes or other similar container, radish seeds, graduated cylinder, and water.
5. In this activity, students are asked to identify the independent and the dependent variables. They must also describe their experimental group and their control group.
6. Students must design a data table and construct a graph of the data they collect.
7. The handouts that I have developed for this activity can be used over and over. If you have another idea for a student designed experiment, you can have your students use these same handouts.
8. If time allows, you might want to have your students design a second experiment that tests a different variable, such as the effect of temperature on seed germination or the effect of pH on seed germination.
9. This document includes a 5 page handout for the student and a 4 page teacher guide.
This is somewhat time consuming, but in my opinion, is well worth the time. I require that students first submit their experimental design to me for approval. I make suggestions, and have the students refine their experiment. Next, students are in the lab to actually carry out their experiment. Students must return to the lab at different time intervals to count their germinated seeds. Students must analyze their data, graph the results, reach a conclusion, and turn in their final packet of work.
Your download will include handouts that are attractive and engaging and are ready to be copied and passed out to your students. You will receive both an editable Word document as well as a pdf of the lab.
You will also receive a 4 page handout that can be used at another time if you decide to have your students design their own experiment on another topic.
This product is included on my Science Skills CD, a shipped item. The CD contains 51 different products on science skills, including metric system, scientific method, scientific notation, graphing, significant digits and more.
You might also be interested in the following:
Scientific Method Homework / Study Guide
Science Skills Reinforcement: Graphing, Applying the Scientific Method, Experimental Design, and Scientific Writing
What's In a NAme? (A Study of Biological Prefixes and Suffixes)
Science Skills Worksheet and PowerPoint: Comparing and Contrasting
Introduction to Biology: A Complete Unit Plan of 20 products
Graphing Practice Problems
Measurement Madness Worksheet
Scientific Measurement: Complete Unit Plan of 12 products
Scientific Method Task Cards
Amy Brown - Science Stuff
With all of that in mind, I have written this Student Designed Experiment that has worked very well for me. Here are the main points:
1. In this activity, all students will be designing a lab on the same topic and using the same simple materials.
2. Students are asked to design an experiment to determine how various quantities of water will affect the germination of seeds.
3. There are very few variations as to how to design this experiment. This keeps all of your students moving in about the same direction. This makes your role as facilitator easy, especially if class size is large. If this is the first time your students have tried to design their own experiment, the limited possibilities in experimental design will help your students learn the process with less frustration.
4. This requires very simple materials: Petri dishes or other similar container, radish seeds, graduated cylinder, and water.
5. In this activity, students are asked to identify the independent and the dependent variables. They must also describe their experimental group and their control group.
6. Students must design a data table and construct a graph of the data they collect.
7. The handouts that I have developed for this activity can be used over and over. If you have another idea for a student designed experiment, you can have your students use these same handouts.
8. If time allows, you might want to have your students design a second experiment that tests a different variable, such as the effect of temperature on seed germination or the effect of pH on seed germination.
9. This document includes a 5 page handout for the student and a 4 page teacher guide.
This is somewhat time consuming, but in my opinion, is well worth the time. I require that students first submit their experimental design to me for approval. I make suggestions, and have the students refine their experiment. Next, students are in the lab to actually carry out their experiment. Students must return to the lab at different time intervals to count their germinated seeds. Students must analyze their data, graph the results, reach a conclusion, and turn in their final packet of work.
Your download will include handouts that are attractive and engaging and are ready to be copied and passed out to your students. You will receive both an editable Word document as well as a pdf of the lab.
You will also receive a 4 page handout that can be used at another time if you decide to have your students design their own experiment on another topic.
This product is included on my Science Skills CD, a shipped item. The CD contains 51 different products on science skills, including metric system, scientific method, scientific notation, graphing, significant digits and more.
You might also be interested in the following:
Scientific Method Homework / Study Guide
Science Skills Reinforcement: Graphing, Applying the Scientific Method, Experimental Design, and Scientific Writing
What's In a NAme? (A Study of Biological Prefixes and Suffixes)
Science Skills Worksheet and PowerPoint: Comparing and Contrasting
Introduction to Biology: A Complete Unit Plan of 20 products
Graphing Practice Problems
Measurement Madness Worksheet
Scientific Measurement: Complete Unit Plan of 12 products
Scientific Method Task Cards
Amy Brown - Science Stuff
K-12 Subject:
Teaching Duration:
3 Days
Type of Resource:
Answer Key:
N/A
# of Pages/Slides:
9
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FEEDBACK
kschultz2
I plan to use this next year. Looks great!
April 21, 2013 
karenkrupa
Can't wait to use this!
March 29, 2013
jenneuse
Using for review stations. Thanks
March 25, 2013
lfrazee
Will definately use this!
January 5, 2013
Themrsgitler
Great~thank you!
October 10, 2012
methomas93
This will be a great help. Thanks.
July 8, 2012
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I have been teaching for 27 years. I have taught Biology I, Honors Biology I, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, Biology II, and AP Biology.
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