scientific investigation

• This is the heart of your investigations.

  Aim/ Problem
• The question you want to answer.

  Aim / Problem
• A good aim is:

  Clear and specific

  Answerable through an experiment

  Measurable
• Clear and specific


  should be a focused question about want to investigate.
• Clear and specific


  Don't try to answer to many questions
• Materials & Equipment

  Consider these points:

  Adequacy

  Safety

  Availability
• Adequacy - You should have everything needed to carry out your procedures effectively.
• Availability - Ensure the materials are readily available or easily obtainable
• Clear and Concise - Write specific instructions that are easy to understand and follow even by someone else.
• Methods or Procedure

  A good method should be:

  Clear and Concise

  Repeatable
• Results including Data

  Observations

  Tables and Charts

  Graphs
• Conclusions

  Based on Evidence

  Explanatory

  Supports and Rejects
• Results including Data - document the findings
• Observations - detailed descriptions of what you saw, smelled, heard, etc. during the experiment.
• Tables and Charts - organized presentations of your data for easier analysis
• Graphs - visual representations of your data to identify trends of relationships
• Conclusions - where you interpret your results
• Based on Evidence - It should be derived directly from the data you collected
• Explanatory - Explain what your findings mean in relation to your aim.
• Supports and Rejects - State whether your data supports or rejects your initial hypothesis (if one was formulated)
• Hypothesis is an educated guess or a prediction and prior knowledge.
• Three main types of variable: Independent, Dependent, and Controlled
• Independent Variable - this is the factor you deliberately change or manipulate in your experiment.
• Dependent Variable - you measure or observe in responce to the changes made in the independent variable.
• Controlled Variable - These are factors that you keep the same throughout the experiment to ensure a fair test
• Scientific Investigation - a step-by-step process scientist use to answer about the word
• Aim / Problem - the question you want to answer through your experiment
• Materials & Equipment - the tools and supplies you need to conduct your experiment
• Data - the information you collect during your experiment (observations, measurements)
• Results - the finding of your experiment, presented using tables, charts, or graphs
• Conclusion - your explanation of what your results mean and how they answer your initial question