Bellwork 8/30/04-8/31/04

Take a folder and write your LAST NAME then your FIRST

NAME on the tab at the TOP of the folder.

Place your Student Info Sheet and Safety Contract inside of the

folder and leave it open!!!! I need to see it in order for you to

do the Lab today!!!

Scientific Method

• Today we will be exploring the scientific method.

• As a team, I would like you to write down the steps to the scientific method. This is a brainstorm, write down the steps you can think of, and a description of each.

The Scientific Method…

…is an organized way of figuring something out.

There are usually six parts to it.

Steps?

• What steps did you come up with?

• What does each step involve?

Step 1: Question

• All science begins with a question.

• Something is observed in the natural world, and a question is formed.

• Example: Why do some plants grow better in the shade than in direct Sunlight?

Step 1: Question

• A question can also be thought of as a purpose.

• You are curious about something, and want to learn more about it.

• Example: "Do plants grow better under different colored lights?"

Step 2: Research

• Having a question about the natural world, you now should research it.

• What have other scientists found out?

• What information is available?• Where should you look?

Step 2: Research

• Sometimes you will find your question already has an answer.

• Other times, the answer is not apparent or little is known.

• This is when you begin to think about how to find your own answer.

Step 3: Hypothesis

• After doing your research, try to predict the answer to the problem. Another term for hypothesis is 'educated guess'. This is usually stated like " If I...(do something) then...(this will occur)"

Hypothesis Example

• Example:"If I grow plants under green lightbulbs, then they will grow better than plants growing under red lightbulbs"

Step 4: Experiment

• The fun part! You have researched your topic, came up with a hypothesis and now must design a way of a way to answer your question.

• Any experiment is a test, through procedures, of your hypothesis.

Step 5: Analysis/Observations

• Record what happened during the experiment. Also known as 'data'.

• Observe what happens, record the data, then analyze the data.

Step 6: Conclusion

• Review the data and check to see if your hypothesis was correct. If the plant under the green lightbulb grew better, you proved your hypothesis, if not, your hypothesis was wrong. It is not "bad" if your hypothesis was wrong, because you still learned something!

Quiz, Quiz, TRADE!

• Were now going to do a quiz activity!!!

• The cards I will be giving out are to be returned afterward.

• DO not destroy these cards, please! ;-)

Lab for Today!

Today's lab will ask you to make observations, ask questions, and to write procedures for the lab

itself.

Background

• You are a geologist asked by the local government to determine if COAL is present in a tract of land outside of town.

• You will need to make a sketch of the surface and determine 3 sites to drill at.

Your Report Page

• Top right corner: Name, Period, Date

• Top 1/3rd = Observations• Middle 1/3rd= Procedures • Bottom 1/3rd= Data• Back: Report to be given to the

town, paragraph minimum on what you found.

Observations

• On your own piece of paper, sketch what the surface of your land mass looks like.

• Write down any details next to your drawing.

Questions

• You need to pick three spots on your land mass to drill at. You will be drilling with a section of straw. Pick three spots where you as the geologist think you will get the best core sample.

Procedure

• After your observations you need to label the next part of your report, Procedures.

• As a team, talk about HOW you will gather your core samples… what method would be best? (plunge straw straight in and out? How fast, how slow? Should you twist the straw?)

• Write down in order the steps you will take to obtain samples.

DRILL

• Now it is time to DRILL!• You need to acquire 3 core

samples.• You need to be able to examine

these samples after drilling.• Tip: After taking a sample, blow

it out of the straw onto your paper towel, GENTLY!!!!

Data Collection

• You now have 3 core samples.• Examine each one, what colors

are present?• How will you record your data?• You know that Yellow is

Limestone, Red is Shalestone, and Blue or Green is COAL.

(Write these down on your sheet)

Analysis

• You should make a sketch of each sample, indicating the color of each.

• Label each layer as to what it is.• Write in roughly what percent of

the sample was what type of rock. “The sample was a 1/3rd Limestone….etc”

Report

• After figuring out what the various layers were in your land mass, you need to make a brief report.

• On the back of your paper, label a section: Report.

• Write a paragraph about what you found in the tract of land.

Report

• What was present?

• What percentage of the core samples were Limestone? Shale? Coal??

• If the samples showed at least ¼ deposits of Coal were present, recommend for the town to drill for Coal.

Turn In Report

• In the upper right hand corner be sure your First and Last name is on the report, as well as the day, period and date.

• Example: Joe BobMaroon 1 8/30/04

• This is our procedure for assignments

Place in team folder

• Each team has its own folder, all assignments turned in will always be placed in the team folder. Be sure you know which team you are.

Team Folder

• On the front of the folder is a #, this is your team #.

• Each class period, the first person in the room should get this folder from the gray file box.

Returned Assignments

• All work I grade will be in the team folder.

• I NEVER remove any papers from the folder! From the moment you turn them in, they always stay with the folder.

Turn in Team Folder

• Now we will turn in the team folder. Today person #1 will take the team folder to the gray crate, and place it inside of the green hanging folder for your class.

Popcorn

• We will now answer some questions about what we did today.

• Take a moment to discuss with your team what we covered, be ready to be called on in a moment.