You are to do an actual research project (NOT just a “paper”) where you try to answer a question by conducting substantive controlled, well-thought-out experiments. Be sure to also post your summary by the deadline. See examples below and be sure to review the attached grading rubric carefully to see what the standards for the
You are to do an actual research project (NOT just a “paper”) where you try to answer a question by conducting substantive controlled, well-thought-out experiments. Be sure to also post your summary by the deadline. See examples below and be sure to review the attached grading rubric carefully to see what the standards for the assignment will be!BI114 LAB PROJECT 1
Your first project assignment is to use the steps in the scientific method to form a hypothesis concerning a testable observation, then plan and conduct an experiment or data collection to test your hypothesis and draw conclusions.
1) Make an observation about something that you are not sure what the “answer” Is:
Here are some examples from previous student groups:
o Tall people seem to wear larger shoes than short ones.
o People with light-colored eyes are said to have weaker vision.
o Everyone knows people driving red sports cars are stopped more often by the police for speeding.
You get the picture, right? These are things you can actually go out and collect data on, by examining records, taking surveys or even better, by your own direct observation!
2) Propose a testable, FALSIFIABLE hypothesis which may explain your observation, using your best critical thinking skills.
FOR EXAMPLE: “People’s height correlates well with shoe size” is a testable and falsifiable hypothesis.
3) Plan an experiment/data collection procedure that allows you to test your hypothesis:
Consider things like bias, the need for blinding, random sampling, and or a control group. For example, you have to compare the blue-eyed people to those with other colors! The more thought you put into controlling the variables the better and more meaningful (and believable) your data will be to others.
4) Execute the experiment or data collection as planned and report your data. Statistical analysis is not required but remember its importance in the “real world”! Charts and graphs are highly desirable ..they make your results much more visually appealing and easier to interpret.
5 ) Examine your data critically, draw conclusions, state whether your initial hypothesis was supported, and then critically assess where you could improve your design and/or modify your hypothesis.
Once you have done all this, write a 250 word maximum summary (in science we call this an Abstract) of your ENTIRE project from start to finish. This is what you will post for your classmates in the discussion topic for that purpose. You may also attach your full report to that post if you wish!
Submit your project report either as a .doc, ,docx, or .rtf file attachment OR copy-paste your report to the submission box if you have any problem attaching files (it happens!)
Your complete 250 word or less summary MUST also be posted on the Discussion Board in the appropriate thread by the project deadline.
Here are some great links to help you along the way!
Topic Selection Wizard
Hypothesis and variable control
Experimental Procedure
Drawing conclusions
Here is the approved format for any scientific report or paper:
You should follow these guidelines EXACTLY in your report (there is also an example posted):
“Name” “Date”
“Title of Project”
Abstract (Your 250-word maximum one-paragraph summary of everything you did, your results and conclusions)
I. Statement of problem: Describe your observation or problem that raises a question you want to answer with experimentation.
For Example… I can never get rid of a funky smell in my dark T shirts…
II. Statement of working hypothesis:
This is a more formal statement of what you think is going on and plan to test in scientific terms.
For Example… My hypothesis is that some product or combination of products X, Y, or Z will remove the smell without the use of bleach and hot water.
III. Experimental design and methods:
This is where you describe in as exact terms as possible what you did to address the hypothesis/answer the question.
For example…How many shirts, what colors, control shirts (untreated dark and maybe bleached white as comparisons for the treated, how many times repeated, water temp, wash cycle, a scale to rate the smell, how many smell tester’s opinions did you get…you should get the idea, right? This should be detailed enough for anyone to understand and be able to duplicate exactly what you did!
IV. Results: What worked, or what didn’t. Data, charts, graphs, etc. go here. Pictures may be included too (before and after for example). Be sure to title them appropriately and include a descriptive caption.
V. Conclusions/future directions:
What can you say from your results? Be careful not to over-interpret! Explain anything that didn’t work as you expected, and discuss what you would logically want to do next.
For Example… What is true for black shirts may not be true for gray or green…you can hypothesize about them here but NOT claim anything if all you did was black ones. Also, if this leads you to want to test other cleaning products or other shirt colors, or you think more needs to be done in cleaning product development by companies …This is where you can speculate a little!
VI. References are highly desirable (any outside resources you used).
Hope this is clear for you all: PLEASE ask questions! Also, early publishs e-mailed to me can get feedback with no penalty if submitted at least 48 hours PRIOR to the due date!
