how to run an investigation ways to wrestle with the wasl

How to Run an Investigation

Ways to wrestle with the WASL

Are these in your Investigation?

• Prediction (hypothesis)• Prediction Reason• Materials• Controlled Variable (kept the same)• Manipulated Variable (changed)• Responding Variable (dependent)• Repeated Trials• Record Measurements• Logical Steps

SCORE POINTS

• Value PointsScore• 7-9 4• 5-6 3• 3-4 2• 1-2 1• 0 0

Prediction worth 1 point

What is a prediction? It is just like an hypothesis. But it must answer a

question!

Prediction Reason worth 1 point

You must have a reason for your prediction.

Example without a prediction: The balloon will explode.

Example with a prediction: The balloon will explode because it will

increase too fast in volume.

Materials worth 1 Point

Make sure you always include your materials. You don’t need to include

the scientist.

Controlled Variable (1 pt)

These are parts of the investigation that are kept the same!

Look at the next slide and see if you can find the Controlled Variable or the parts of the experiment that are

kept the same!

John and Amber were working on a science fair project. To answer their question, theydid an investigation. Their investigation is described below.

Materials:

3 teeth

3 jars with lids

3 liquids: water, cola,and orange juice

Procedure:

• Pour the same amount of water, cola, and orange juice in each jar as shown in thediagram above. The type of liquid is the changed (manipulated) variable.

• Record what the teeth look li ke in the data table for the start of week 1.

• Put one tooth in each jar. Put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator.

• Record what the teeth looked li ke in the data table at the end of each of the threeweeks.

Data: Description of Teeth in Water, Cola, and Orange Juice

Color and Size of Tooth in:

TimeWater

(neutral)Cola(acid)

Orange Juice(acid)

Startslightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

End ofWeek 1

no changedark brown,

jellybean sizeno change

End ofWeek 2

no changeblack,

jellybean size, holesslightly yellow,

jellybean size, holes

End ofWeek 3

no changeblack,

almost goneyellow,

pea size

Well, what did you decide?

• same amount of water, cola, and

orange juice in each jar?

• same size and types of jars

• same size shape of teeth

• same temperature

• same amount of time the teeth are in the liquid!

Manipulated Variable (1 pt)

These are parts of the investigation that are changed!

Look at the next slide and see if you can find the Manipulated Variable or the parts of the experiment that are

changed!

John and Amber were working on a science fair project. To answer their question, theydid an investigation. Their investigation is described below.

Materials:

3 teeth

3 jars with lids

3 liquids: water, cola,and orange juice

Procedure:

• Pour the same amount of water, cola, and orange juice in each jar as shown in thediagram above. The type of liquid is the changed (manipulated) variable.

• Record what the teeth look li ke in the data table for the start of week 1.

• Put one tooth in each jar. Put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator.

• Record what the teeth looked li ke in the data table at the end of each of the threeweeks.

Data: Description of Teeth in Water, Cola, and Orange Juice

Color and Size of Tooth in:

TimeWater

(neutral)Cola(acid)

Orange Juice(acid)

Startslightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

End ofWeek 1

no changedark brown,

jellybean sizeno change

End ofWeek 2

no changeblack,

jellybean size, holesslightly yellow,

jellybean size, holes

End ofWeek 3

no changeblack,

almost goneyellow,

pea size

Well, What did you come up with?

If you thought: They used 3 different liquids. You would be right. Water,

Cola, Orange Juice were the manipulated variable!

Responding Variable (1 pt)

These are parts of the investigation that are the outcome or results!

Look at the next slide and see if you can find the Responding Variable or

the outcome of the experiment?

This is also called the dependent variable.

John and Amber were working on a science fair project. To answer their question, theydid an investigation. Their investigation is described below.

Materials:

3 teeth

3 jars with lids

3 liquids: water, cola,and orange juice

Procedure:

• Pour the same amount of water, cola, and orange juice in each jar as shown in thediagram above. The type of liquid is the changed (manipulated) variable.

• Record what the teeth look li ke in the data table for the start of week 1.

• Put one tooth in each jar. Put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator.

• Record what the teeth looked li ke in the data table at the end of each of the threeweeks.

Data: Description of Teeth in Water, Cola, and Orange Juice

Color and Size of Tooth in:

TimeWater

(neutral)Cola(acid)

Orange Juice(acid)

Startslightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

End ofWeek 1

no changedark brown,

jellybean sizeno change

End ofWeek 2

no changeblack,

jellybean size, holesslightly yellow,

jellybean size, holes

End ofWeek 3

no changeblack,

almost goneyellow,

pea size

Now what do you think?If you included the whole chart in your

answer, your right. This is the results of the experiment!

Color and Size of Tooth in:

TimeWater

(neutral)Cola(acid)

Orange Juice(acid)

Startslightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

End ofWeek 1

no changedark brown,

jellybean sizeno change

End ofWeek 2

no changeblack,

jellybean size, holesslightly yellow,

jellybean size, holes

End ofWeek 3

no changeblack,

almost goneyellow,

pea size

Now, look at the experiment one more time. Are there Repeated

Trials? (also 1pt)

John and Amber were working on a science fair project. To answer their question, theydid an investigation. Their investigation is described below.

Materials:

3 teeth

3 jars with lids

3 liquids: water, cola,and orange juice

Procedure:

• Pour the same amount of water, cola, and orange juice in each jar as shown in thediagram above. The type of liquid is the changed (manipulated) variable.

• Record what the teeth look li ke in the data table for the start of week 1.

• Put one tooth in each jar. Put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator.

• Record what the teeth looked li ke in the data table at the end of each of the threeweeks.

Data: Description of Teeth in Water, Cola, and Orange Juice

Color and Size of Tooth in:

TimeWater

(neutral)Cola(acid)

Orange Juice(acid)

Startslightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

End ofWeek 1

no changedark brown,

jellybean sizeno change

End ofWeek 2

no changeblack,

jellybean size, holesslightly yellow,

jellybean size, holes

End ofWeek 3

no changeblack,

almost goneyellow,

pea size

So, What do you think?

If you answered yes, you are……….

If you answered yes, you are………

WRONG

They only did this experiment one time.

How About Record Measurements? (1pt)

Did they do this with the experiment? Again look at the next page. This is

also called DATA COLLECTED!

John and Amber were working on a science fair project. To answer their question, theydid an investigation. Their investigation is described below.

Materials:

3 teeth

3 jars with lids

3 liquids: water, cola,and orange juice

Procedure:

• Pour the same amount of water, cola, and orange juice in each jar as shown in thediagram above. The type of liquid is the changed (manipulated) variable.

• Record what the teeth look li ke in the data table for the start of week 1.

• Put one tooth in each jar. Put the lids on the jars and put them in the refrigerator.

• Record what the teeth looked li ke in the data table at the end of each of the threeweeks.

Data: Description of Teeth in Water, Cola, and Orange Juice

Color and Size of Tooth in:

TimeWater

(neutral)Cola(acid)

Orange Juice(acid)

Startslightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

slightly yellow,jellybean size

End ofWeek 1

no changedark brown,

jellybean sizeno change

End ofWeek 2

no changeblack,

jellybean size, holesslightly yellow,

jellybean size, holes

End ofWeek 3

no changeblack,

almost goneyellow,

pea size

Sure Enough!

They recorded their measurements in the chart.

Logical Steps (1pt)

Another name for this is procedure. Was their procedure short?

What is Missing?

Look at the Teeth in Trouble Scenario one more time. What is

missing?

IF YOU ANSWER “QUESTION” YOU ARE

RIGHT!!!

COULD YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT THE QUESTION IS??