Year 10 Orientation 2013

ScienceUnit: Scientific Method/Science Skills

Name: ________________________________

Teacher:_______________________________

1. VariablesStudents need to be able to:

- Define “variable”- Distinguish between “dependent”, ”independent” and “controlled” variables- Apply this understanding of variables to interpreting experimental procedures

Suggested Resource: Identifying Variables ppt

A variable is a factor that changes and may affect the results of an experiment. For example, if you were testing the effects of fertiliser on a particular plant, the variables that could affect this experiment would include:

- The amount of fertiliser given- The type of plant used- How many plants were used in your experiment- The soil the plants were growing in- The amount of water given to the plant/s- The amount of sunlight the plant/s received- The pH of the soil

A “controlled” or “fair” experiment should only test one variable at a time. One other variable will be measured. All other variables will remain constant.

Independent variable: the variable you change or manipulate to observe its effect.Dependent variable: the variable you measure. It will change as a result of the changes to the independent variable.Controlled variable: all the other variables which should be kept the same

Back to the fertiliser… a student may set up the experiment as follows:

Four groups of 20 plants were set up. All plants were of the same type, same age and state of health. They were planted in 40cm pots, all using Yates brand potting mix and grown in the same outdoor area. Each plant received the same amount of water at the 7am each day. The groups received amounts of liquid Nitrosol fertiliser each week as follows:

Group Amount of Fertiliser addedA No fertiliser addedB 5 mLsC 10 mLsD 20 mLs

The height increase in each plant was measured weekly.Independent Variable: (the one changed on purpose) ______________________________________Dependent Variable: (the one measured) ________________________________________________Controlled Variables: (the ones kept the same) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Smithers thinks that a special juice will increase the productivity of workers. He creates two groups of 50 workers each and assigns each group the same task (in this case, they're supposed to staple a set of papers). Group A is given the special juice to drink while they work. Group B is

not given the special juice. After an hour, Smithers counts how many stacks of papers each group has

made. Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B made 2,113 stacks.

Identify the:

1. Control Group

2. Independent Variable

3. Dependent Variable

4. What should Smithers' conclusion be?

5. How could this experiment be improved?

Homer notices that his shower is covered in a strange green slime. His friend Barney tells him that coconut juice will get rid of the green slime. Homer decides to check this out by spraying half of the shower with coconut juice. He sprays the other half of the shower with water. After 3 days of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance of the green slime on either side of the shower.

6. What was the initial observation?

Identify the-

7. Control Group

8. Independent Variable

9. Dependent Variable

10. What should Homer's conclusion be?

Bart believes that mice exposed to microwaves will become extra strong (maybe he's been reading too much Radioactive Man). He decides to perform this experiment by placing 10 mice in a microwave for 10 seconds. He compared these 10 mice to another 10 mice that had not been exposed. His test consisted of a heavy block of wood that blocked the mouse food. he found that 8 out of 10 of the microwaved mice were able to push the block away. 7 out of 10 of the non-microwaved mice were able to do the same.

Identify the-

11. Control Group

12. Independent Variable

13. Dependent Variable

14. What should Bart's conclusion be?

15. How could Bart's experiment be improved?

Krusty was told that a certain itching powder was the newest best thing on the market, it even claims to cause 50% longer lasting itches. Interested in this product, he buys the itching powder and compares it to his usual

product. One test subject (A) is sprinkled with the original itching powder, and another test subject (B) was sprinkled with the Experimental itching powder. Subject A

reported having itches for 30 minutes. Subject B reported to have itches for 45 minutes.

Identify the-16. Control Group

17. Independent Variable

18. Dependent Variable

19. Explain whether the data supports the advertisements claims about its product.

Lisa is working on a science project. Her task is to answer the question: "Does Rogooti (which is a commercial hair product) affect the speed of hair growth". Her family is willing to volunteer for the experiment.

20. Describe how Lisa would perform this experiment. Identify the control group, and the independent and dependent variables in your description.

2. Planning a Scientific InvestigationStudents need to be able to:

- Identify the logical series of steps in planning an investigation- Write a hypothesis

- Identify the variables that need to be considered.Suggested resource: Scientific Method ppt

There are four main steps to a Scientific Investigation1. Planning the Investigation - Identifying the problem- Identify the variables, including independent and dependent- Write a hypothesis- Work out a method2. Conducting the Investigation - Follow the method you have outlined- Observe, measure and record data3. Processing Data - Organise the data collected into tables, charts, graphs etc.- Identify patterns and/or relationships between variables- Explain (using scientific knowledge) the patterns and relationships identified4. Evaluating the experiment - Consider how your method could be improved- Consider and discuss whether the results were reliable- Write a concluding statement evaluating the findings in relation to the original hypothesis

Using this information, see if you can logically put the steps in order….http://www.karlkapp.com/materials/scientificMethod.swfhttp://www.indiana.edu/~geol116/week1/SCIMETH.SWFA hypothesis is your explanation for the facts you have observed. When writing a hypothesis for an experiment, it must be a statement you can test scientifically.Read the four statements below and decide which ones could be a hypothesis. Provide a reason for those you decide are not hypotheses.

1. ‘Organics’ is a better shampoo than ‘Sunsilk’.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Food crumbs on the floor attract cockroaches.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. McDonalds is cheaper than KFC. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. There is no difference in protection provided by sunscreens.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Longer activity… http://aspire.cosmic-ray.org/labs/scientific_method/sci_method_selector.swf

3. Planning a Scientific Investigation #2- Valid ExperimentsStudents need to be able to:

- Determine whether an experiment is “valid”- Explain whether results can be considered “reliable”

- Explain ways that an experimental design can be improved

For an experiment to be valid, it must be a “fair” test. That is, only one variable was changed at a time.A group of students decided to compare a range of detergents to see how easily they made soapsuds. A different brand of detergent was put into each of the containers below, water was then added and each container was given a good shake. The group decided that the height of the soapsuds would help them decide which detergent was the best at making bubbles. The results of their experiment are indicated below.

Outline five ways this experiment could be improved, so that comparisons would be fairer. 1. ___________________________________________________________________________2. ___________________________________________________________________________3. ___________________________________________________________________________4. ___________________________________________________________________________5. ___________________________________________________________________________

Results are more reliable if the experiment is repeated. Consider the fertiliser/plant example in the previous “Variables” section. Why were 20 of each plant used in each group instead of one or two?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Problem: Dominic is a keen tennis player and has played on several different surfaces. He wants to know which surface causes balls to bounce the highest. Design an experiment to answer this question.Hypothesis: ________________________________________________________________________Independent Variable: _______________________________________________________________Dependent Variable: ________________________________________________________________Controlled variables_________________________________________________________________Method: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Interpreting and Evaluating an ExperimentStudents need to be able to:

- Determine what is being tested in an experiment- Analyse the results of experiments

Problem: A student has decided to make some alcohol by fermenting sugar. Reading through some articles she finds out that there a number of factors which can affect the production of alcohol. These are:

The amount of sugar The concentration of yeast The temperature The pH of the solution

She set up the following experiments:Experiment Ingredients Temperature of mixture (oC)

1 2 teaspoons of sugar2 teaspoons of dried yeast1 L waterpH 4

30

2 2 teaspoons of sugar2 teaspoons of dried yeast1 L waterpH 4

25

3 1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon dried yeast1 L waterpH 4

30

4 2 teaspoons sugar2 teaspoons dried yeast1 L waterpH 9

25

5 1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon dried yeast1 L waterpH 7

25

1. What is the term used to describe the ‘factors’ which can affect the result of an experiment?__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which two experiments would allow her to test the effects of pH on alcohol production?__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Which two experiments would allow her to test the effects of temperature on alcohol production?

__________________________________________________________________________________4. Which two experiments would not provide her with useful information?

__________________________________________________________________________________5. If the student wished to investigate the effect the concentration of yeast has on alcohol

production, what change must be made to experiment 1 to allow it to be fairly compared to experiment 3?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Presenting Data: GraphingStudents need to be able to:

- Accurately draw an appropriate graph to present data- Interpret relationships, patterns or trends from a graph

After collecting data in a scientific experiment, the results need to be presented in a form that allows you to analyse them.Graphs are a very useful way of determining a relationship between dependent and independent variables. The graph below shows a relationship between plant growth and time.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 350

1

2

3

4

5

Experimental Data for Plant growth versus Time

Time (days)

Plan

t Hei

ght (

cm)

What is the relationship between how high a plant grows, and the time it spends growing?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Problem: A clam farmer has been keeping records concerning the water temperature and the number of clams developing from fertilised eggs. His results are as follows:

Water temperature in oC Number of developing clams15 7520 9025 12030 14035 7540 4045 15

Draw a graph of this data on the grid provided. Include a heading, labels on axes, appropriate units.

Describe the relationship between water temperature and the development of clams from eggs?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What is the optimum temperature for the development of clam eggs?__________________________________________________________________________________Extrapolate the graph to estimate how many eggs will develop at 50oC__________________________________________________________________________________Estimate the temperature needed for 80 clams to develop. You will need to interpolate the graph to do this. ___________________________________________________________________________

7. Presenting Data #2: Other GraphsStudents need to be able to:

- Use graphs other than line graphs to present and interpret data

Suggested resource: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/statistics/scatterdiagramsrev1.shtml

Not every relationship in science will be linear and proportional. Sometimes, rather than a line, a collection of points may be used to show a correlation between two sets of data.

What does “correlation” mean?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the difference between positive correlation and negative correlation.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Describe the differences between high correlation, low correlation and no correlation.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Activity: Measuring FeetAim: to determine if there is a correlation between a person’s height and the length of their foot.

Firstly, determine how you will measure each person’s height and foot length (remember the principles of fair testing!) Record these details for each member of the class in the table below. Class member Height in ----- Foot length in -----

Construct a scatter graph for your data in the space below.

8. Science Comprehension: Human EndeavourMission: Space Jump Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner makes a record-breaking 24-mile jump from space October 15, 2012

By Kelli Plasket with additional AP reporting

Pilot and skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumps out of a space capsule from an altitude of 128,100 feet during a manned flight for Red Bull Stratos, on October 14.

Austrian Felix Baumgartner—a pilot, skydiver and high-altitude jumper with the nickname “Fearless Felix”—has jumped from some of the world’s tallest bridges and buildings. But on October 14, he made the jump of his lifetime from a space capsule 128,100 feet (about 24 miles) above ground, a world record-breaking height. That distance put him on the edge of space in the stratosphere, the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere.Baumgartner, 42, also broke the record for fastest jump by reaching speeds up to 833.9 miles per hour during his free fall back down to Earth. For comparison, an average Boeing 737 airliner flies at 40,000 feet at 600 miles per hour. At a press conference following the event, Baumgartner said the experience was humbling and harder than he expected. “Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are,” Baumgartner said.

A Long Way DownBaumgartner and a team of scientists, engineers and doctors spent five years preparing and training for the project, called Red Bull Stratos after the project’s sponsor. For the space jump, Baumgartner wore a specially designed space suit and was carried up to his jump point by a large helium balloon from inside the Red Bull Stratos space capsule.

Even with careful planning, the mission had some obstacles. The jump was first scheduled for October 8, but it was postponed several times over the week because of weather conditions. Baumgartner finally began the ascent from Roswell, New Mexico, on Sunday, October 14. But on the way up, Baumgartner’s faceplate began to fog up, making it hard for him to see. The team considered aborting the mission, but Baumgartner was able to fix the problem.

Baumgartner celebrates after successfully touching ground in New Mexico following his 24-mile jump from space.After a smooth initial jump, Baumgartner began to spin out of control while still in the stratosphere, but he eventually steadied himself. After four minutes and 20 seconds of free fall—with about a mile left to go in the jump—Baumgartner released his parachute and landed safely in the desert of New Mexico. From Earth, eight million people watched the space jump event live over a YouTube stream.

Breaking New BarriersBaumgartner’s space jump made headlines for breaking two world records and for making him the first human to break the sound barrier. That’s the speed at which sound waves are produced in the air. But world records weren’t the projects’ only goals. Baumgartner wore a monitoring system to help the crew gather scientific data from the jump. They hope the data will benefit future private space programs and high-altitude pilots. “We’re going to spend a lot of time going through that data. It’s going to break incredible new grounds,” Dr. Jonathan Clark, the project’s medical director, said.

Joe Kittinger, a pilot who set the previous world records for highest and fastest fall over 50 years ago, mentored Baumgartner for the jump. Kittinger still holds the record for longest free fall at four minutes, 35 seconds. “Records are meant to be broken. And better champions cannot be found than Felix Baumgartner,” Kittinger said.With his own goals completed, Baumgartner hopes to mentor someone else to break the records. “I want to inspire the next generation,” Baumgartner saidhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_11587&feature=iv&src_vid=FHtvDA0W34I&v=dOoHArAzdug

Questions1. What is the stratosphere?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. From what height did “Fearless Felix” jump, and what speed did he reach during his fall?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Describe what is meant by the term “free fall”?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. The stratosphere is not in space. Why was it necessary for Felix to wear a space suit?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is “the sound barrier”?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Felix was monitored during the jump, and data collected. Suggest what bodily functions were monitored, and what use this dta may be put to._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Felix Baumgartner’s jump became world wide news, and most people had some awareness of his feat. Very few people know of Joe Kittinger. Suggest reasons why Baumgartner’s jump is so well known, and Kittinger’s isn’t.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Science Comprehension: Experiment Evaluation

Read the following article taken from the daily press and answer the questions below in the spaces provided.

HOW NOT TO CATCH A COLD

Standing in a draught, taking a long cold bath, or sitting in a cooled room are not likely to

increase the chances of catching a cold, according to a report published here today. The

report, by a group of scientists at the National Institute of Health said 43 volunteers had been

subjected to a variety of conditions usually presumed to be conductive to catching a cold. But

the volunteers did not catch significantly more common colds than another group which

remained warm and dry.

1. Suggest the hypothesis this experiment might have been testing.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What was the independent and dependent variable for the experiment?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Assuming that the newspaper article is an incomplete account of the contents of the report referred to, what are three other items of information the scientists should have included in their report?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Considering only the data in the newspaper extract, can you reach a firm conclusion about the hypothesis being tested? Explain your answer.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marking Scheme Year 10 Orientation

Section Questions to be completed1. Variables 3 definitions, WS 20 Qs2. Planning a Scientific Investigation #1 4 Qs3. Planning a Scientific Investigation #2 5 Qs4. Interpreting and Evaluating an Experiment 5 Qs5. Presenting Data #1: Graphing 1Q, 1 Graph, 4 Qs6. Presenting Data #2: Graphing (scatter) 3 Qs7. Activity: Measuring Feet 1 Table, 1 Scatter Graph8. Science Comprehension: Human Endeavour 7 Qs9. Science Comprehension: Experiment Evaluation 4 Qs

Total Number of things to be completed! 59

Tasks completed to a high level: correct terminology, well expressed, excellent presentation(10)

Tasks completed to a very good level, generally good use of terminology, neat presentation

(8)

Tasks are completed to a good level, terminology correctly used, neat presentation

(6)

Tasks are completed to a superficial level. Terminology use infrequent/incorrect, presentation borderline

(4)

Tasks are completed at a minimal level. Presentation is unclear.

(2)All Questions/Tasks completed(55-59) (10)

20 18 16 14 12

Most Questions/Tasks completed(45-54) (8)

18 16 14 12 10

Several Questions/Tasks completed(30- 44) (6)

16 14 12 10 8

Few Questions/Tasks completed(15- 29) (4)

14 12 10 8 6

Minimal Questions/Tasks completed(1-14) (2)

12 10 8 6 4