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LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC What is SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC? It is a process incorporating collaborative inquiry activities, cooperative negotiation of conceptual understanding, and individual writing and reflection.
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LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Dec 30, 2015

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Jessica Farmer

What is SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC? It is a process incorporating collaborative inquiry activities, cooperative negotiation of conceptual understanding, and individual writing and reflection. . LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC. Student Roles. Lab Groups. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Page 1: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

LAB REPORTSSCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

What is SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC?

It is a process incorporating collaborative inquiry activities, cooperative negotiation of conceptual understanding, and individual writing and reflection. 

Page 2: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

STUDENT ROLES

Page 3: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Lab Groups• Manager– keeps group on track, ensures lab group is fulfilling roles, monitors safety and clean up, assists analyst with experiment

• Recorder – records group data, observations and notes

• Analyst – carries out experiment, get supplies, etc

Page 4: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

OVERVIEW OF SWH

Page 5: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Science Writing Heuristic Approach to Labs• Process of lab report writing that has these main sections:

• Beginning Questions• Safety Considerations• Procedure • Data, Observations, Calculations and Graphs• Claim(s) and Evidence • Errors and Improvements• Reflection

Page 6: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

PRE LAB SECTIONS

Page 7: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Beginning Question• Typically we will discuss the BQ as a class;• BQ will be written on the board and/or on your lab handout;

• The BQ must be in your lab report;• The purpose of the lab is to find the answer to the BQ.

Page 8: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Beginning Question Examples• These questions are typically in the form of a measureable

relationship.

• Examples• How does changing the drop height of a tennis ball affect the

rebound height of the tennis ball? • How does the composition of a substance affect how well it

absorbs solar radiation? • How does the temperature of a fluid affect its density?

Even though a question may seem obvious, it is important to ask that question, make a claim about it, and then back up the claim with evidence. AFTER YOU PROPOSE A BEGINNING QUESTION, MAKE A PREDICTION TO TRY TO ANSWER IT.

Page 9: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Safety Considerations

• How will I stay safe?• Hair pulled back?• Safety glasses needed?• MSDS• Other considerations

• Safety Considerations should be included in your lab report.

Page 10: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Procedure• Design a Plan for how to answer the beginning question before doing the experiment

• Execute your plan• As you complete the experiment – The recorder will keep track of the steps you take by writing them down (step by step) in your lab report.

Page 11: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Example Procedure

Suppose that you are investigating how changing the drop height of a tennis ball affects its rebound height.An appropriate procedure might include:Procedures:1. Drop a tennis ball from a height of 25 cm and

measure the rebound height.2. Repeat two more times, then find the average

rebound height.3. Repeat steps one and two, increasing the drop height

by 25 cm until the drop height reaches 2 meters.

Page 12: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

CLASS LABORATORY WORK

Page 13: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Data, Observations, Calculations and Graphs

Write down anything of significance you observe during your experiment. This may include:

• Measurements – well-labeled with what is being measured and the units used

• Data tables –all columns and rows labeled with the type of data collected and the units of measurement, if necessary

• Graphs• Calculations• General observations, such as odor, color, or any

change in appearance

Page 14: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

•Table 1: Distance Truck RollsTruck Mass

OrRamp Slope

Distance Truck Rolls (cm)Avg.

Distance(cm)

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Page 15: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

POST LAB WORK

Page 16: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Claims and Evidence• Claim

• Answer your beginning question. What can you claim based on your data? Make a one or two sentence statement about the result of your experiment to answer your beginning question.

• Evidence• How do you know? What data did you use to make

these claims? Give a written statement that explains how you used your data to arrive at your answer to the BQ.

Page 17: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Example Claims and Evidence• ACCEPTABLE EXAMPLES• BQ: How does changing the drop height of a tennis ball affect

the rebound height of the tennis ball? • CLAIM: The graph of our data shows that increasing the drop

height of the tennis ball caused the distance it rebounded to increase.

• BQ: How does changing the temperature of a fluid affect its density?

• CLAIM: As the temperature of the fluid increased, its density decreased.

• INAPPROPRIATE EXAMPLES • The car successfully rolled off the ramp each time.• The density of the water changed as the temperature changed.

Page 18: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Sample Evidence• Acceptable Evidence:

• The drop height vs. rebound height graph shows a straight, constant, positive-sloped line.

• As the water warmed at the bottom, the colored solution rose to the surface as it became less dense.

• Inappropriate Evidence:• The graph shows it.• The movement of the colored water shows it.

• Graphs and calculations need to be interpreted and explained in order to count as evidence. Simply referring to them is not good enough.

Page 19: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Errors and Improvements

• What are at least two sources of error, weakness or limitation in the lab?

• How might I improve lab design to account for these weaknesses?

Page 20: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Sample Error and Improvements• Acceptable:

• The graph wasn’t a perfectly straight line because the tennis ball sometimes fell on an uneven surface, causing it to bounce crooked.

• The path of the car curved as it came off the ramp, which decreased the distance the car traveled.

• The bottom of the tub was not smooth, causing the food coloring to drift away from the heat source.

• Inappropriate: • Human error (needs to be explained);• Equipment wasn’t good (explain); • I didn’t have enough time .

Page 21: LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

Reflection

• Was your prediction correct?• If your prediction was incorrect, how have your ideas changed?

• How do your results compare to other groups, text book or literature value?

• How does this experiment relate to concepts in class?

• Do you have a new question?