Experiments, Journal, Follow up Now that you have an investigation plan, you are ready to begin your investigation. You will learn: 1.How to conduct.

Experiments, Journal, Follow up

Now that you have an investigation plan, you are ready to begin your investigation. You will learn:

1. How to conduct a scientific investigation

2. Keep a journal of your experiment

3. Write a Follow up paper to complete your Investigation Report

Starting the Investigation

a. Household items

b. Hardware or discount stores

c. Local laboratories (school or outside)

d. Online (from scientific supplies company)

2. Determine where you will get your equipment

1. Refer to your Problem Selection Worksheet and Investigation Plan to see what supplies and equipment you will need.

Gathering Supplies

3. Record in your journal all supplies gathered and money spent.

Final preparation (Mentoring)

Seek advice and assistance from “experts” in the field of your study. Here are some of the places where you can ask help from:

- University libraries- College and university professors- Doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals- Public and private agencies and government depts.- Any organization that supports regional science fair

of your area (can check out science buddies or OCSEF and contact them)

Typical regional fair supportersAmateur Astronomers AssociationAmerican Chemical SocietyAmerican Dental AssociationAmerican Meteorological SocietyAmerican Society of Civil EngineersAmerican Society for MicrobiologyEastman Kodak CompanyHumane SocietyJunior Engineering Technical SocietyUnited States Space FoundationSociety of Women EngineersUS Department of EnergyUS Marine Corps, US Department of the NavyUS Metric Association

Science Project Journal (The Diary of your investigation)

Important part of your scientific investigationOthers can benefit from your research if you keep a clear, complete and accurate record of your investigative workVital to the Investigation Followup you will write at the conclusion of your investigationKeep this in you Science Fair BinderCheck and record your data at regular intervals, every time you work on your project

Format (Please refer to the samples given to you)

1. Begin each journal entry on a new page. Date: Entry Number ____

Time: Total Minutes this entry ____

Cumulative Total Minutes to Date ____

Work: __________________________ (Note: For final journal

Observation: ____________________ entry convert minutes

Data: __________________________ to hours to show many hours you work on your investigation)

Continuation2. Keep your journal entries as neat as possible. Avoid so much

erasures.

3. Can list down your data but much better to organize it in chart. Remember to use ruler, draw columns as needed, label each column and give a title.

What to include in your journal1. A detailed description of the work that you do, including

equipment and techniques you use, sketches are also helpful.2. A record and analysis of the data – actual numbers and

measurements you obtain. Use metric units, write down all data even if you think something is not significant.

Analysis – all calculations you do with your data (average, formula)

3. Description of observations while doing the work. If your observation do not support your hypothesis, ask yourself why (but doesn’t mean your data is wrong). If you experience problems with the investigation ask yourself why these problems occurred. Record the answers in your journal.

4. Description of mistakes that you make or accidents that occur and a note on how to prevent or correct

5. Record of all the work you. A thorough journal should have 15 to 20 entries (one per page). It is not necessary to record work that you do for your display board or oral presentation.

When is your journal due

Your teacher will check it periodically, at least once a week (you can check our calendar)

Complete a Journal Check Report which will be given to you. This must be placed in your binder. These will be collected at the end. Make sure that it is complete to get complete grade.

Completing the Investigation

Data Interpretation – essential to have a good science project to reach a conclusion

WAYS TO REACH A CONCLUSION

- Average the numbers- Compare beginning numbers to each other- Compare beginning numbers to final numbers- Compare final numbers to each other- Compare averages to each other

(Please refer to Sample Journal for examples)

AVERAGE THE NUMBERS

- Look at Sample Journal entry 14. Numbers have been recorded individually and then averaged at the bottom of the chart.

COMPARE BEGINNING NOS. TO EACH OTHER

- Refer to Journal entry 14. Looking at the numbers, all plants started at ~ same ht.

COMPARE BEGINNING NOS. TO FINAL- Refer to journal entries 14 and 45. Ex. Grp A started at 4.2 cm (avg) and ended at

11.8 cm (avg). It grew an avg. of 7.6 cm.

COMPARE FINAL NUMBERS TO EACH OTHER

- Refer to journal entry 45.Group A grew to be 11.8 cm (avg) Group B grew to be 14.0 cm (avg)Group C grew to be10.5 cm (avg)

COMPARE AVERAGES TO EACH OTHER

- Refer to journal entry 45. Group A grew an average of 7.6 cm Group B grew an average of 9.7 cm Group C grew an average of 6.2 cm

Looking at these averages, one can see that Group B grew the most, 2.1 cm more than Group A and 3.5 cm more than Group C.

Graph Descriptions

Next step in interpreting your data is convert it into graphs. This help you and others better understand your data and conclusion.

Graphs illustrate data in an easy-to-understand format.

Keep your graphs simple and accurate.

Characteristics of good graph

1. Drawn neatly (using ruler) or design in a computer2. Large enough to be seen3. Clearly show the difference (color or other

methods) if items graphed together4. Easily and quickly understood (do not have so

many different items graphed together)5. Include a key to explain colors or symbols used6. With a title that tell their purpose7. Have labels for each axis to indicate what it

represents and unit of measure8. Use equal intervals on each axis.

To learn how to use excel to make graphs

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/create-a-basic-chart-RZ001105505.aspx?section=2

http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelcharts/ss/column_chart.htm

Take note

Your completed graphs will be included in your Investigation Followup.

Remember to double check all mathematical calculations.

See handout given for different types of graphs and how to use them.

About the Conclusion

The final step in completing your investigation is to reach a conclusion about the outcome of your investigation.

Included in your Followup report and in a separate section in the exhibit display.

How to form a Conclusion

Step 1: Consider Your Hypothesis: - when you form a conclusion answer the

question: “Do these results support my hypothesis?”

- Do not be discouraged if your hypothesis seems to have been incorrect. (Every scientist has made an incorrect hypothesis)

What if your results do not support our hypothesis?

Look through your journal for some unplanned event that happened during your investigation.

Ex. Plant might have tipped over, fertilizer solution became contaminated, there was a variable originally you are not aware of.

(To avoid faulty or inaccurate results, have more trials and very large sample size)

Step 2: Study Your Graph

Your graph will help you form a conclusion because they show the relationship between your variable and your results.

Conclusion students arrived at after studying the graph

1. According to the graph, Group B grew more than Groups A and C. Group B grew 2.2 cm more than Group A grew, and 3.5 cm more than Group C grew. Also, Group A grew 1.3 cm more than Group C.

2. The group that received the most nitrogen (Group B) grew the most; the group given a little nitrogen grew more than the control (Group C). From this he concluded that nitrogen does increase the growth of plants.

Use care when forming a hypothesisDo not base your conclusion on a graph unless the graph shows an obvious result.After studying the graph, the student concluded that nitrogen did not have a significant effect on leaf production because the one with large amount produced the same number of leaves.In more extensive research this is not the case.

Writing the Investigation Followup

What should my investigation Followup include?

1. Procedure – a paragraph that reviews briefly what your investigation involved.Mention the following:

a. sample size and/or how many repetitions you usedb. Variables and controlc. State if you followed or made changes in your Investigation Plan and describe them.

Continuation

2. Results/Data – a statement of the outcome of the investigation. Include mathematical statistics.

Ex. “The plants in Group B reached an average height of 14.0 cm.”

These results will be supported by charts and graphs illustrating the measurements (metric units) that you recorded in the investigation.

Continuation

3. Conclusion – a statement of the conclusion you reached based on the outcome of your investigation.

Indicate whether it supported your hypothesis and why or why not.

You may use some published data in your discussion (footnote the source).

Continuation

4. Bibliography (optional) – a list of any new references you used in doing your investigation (especially if you changed your procedure) or sources used to compare results with.