In this assignment, you will conduct an experiment using the scientific method. You will plan, execute and report on your findings and the conclusions these findings suggest. You may complete the experimentation portion of this assignment with three to four others in this class. However, the report (and the thinking it represents) must be all your own work.
The lab report will contain the following in order:
· An abstract that summarizes all major aspects of the report
· An introduction that
o explains the background principle or principles (including a literature review of two to three secondary sources cited in APA format),
o the purpose, and
o hypothesis of your experiment;
· An experimental procedure paragraph that details how you conducted your investigation by manipulating certain variables,
· Graphs, charts, tables or other visual representations of your results,
· Discussion of the results and their implications for your stated hypothesis as well as the limitations of the data,
· A conclusion section that explains the larger implications of the results.
See the Natural Sciences Lab Report Rubric for more information.
As you work towards completing this assignment, you will have several small homework assignments. These include, among others, the following:
Proposal due by 5pm Thursday, April 9 via email to the instructor
To begin, you should identify what scientific principle you will test and how. Write a proposal of approximately a paragraph explaining what experiment you intend to conduct. This proposal should briefly describe the principle under investigation, the variables to be manipulated, and with whom, if anyone, you will work. Your experiment should be “do-able” within the time constraints and resources available to you. Some proposal outlines and helpful resources to help you identify appropriate experiments are listed on the hard copy of the assignment sheet.
Note cards due Tuesday, April 21 in hard copy
You should familiarize yourself with the scientific principle or theory you are testing. Using library research, take notes on two to three respected sources that will help you prepare your lab report. These sources need not be “scholarly” and they may be electronic but they should be clearly expert. Examples of respected sources could include chemistry textbooks used at SCA or a journal article from an NCLive database. General sources that you might read help you begin, but would not qualify as respected sources worthy of citation on your note cards might include Wikipedia or the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Your note cards should include a bibliographic entry for the source in APA citation.
On Thursday, April 15 we will discuss effective note-taking skills as well as how to search for information using the SCA and other libraries.
Methodology due Thursday, April 23 in hard copy
This step-by-step “recipe” should detail all the equipment, materials, and procedures necessary to complete your experiment, including some sort of data collecting chart or table. You should compose it as if another person was conducting the experiment in your absence. The more detailed and complete your methodology at this stage, the better your experiment, the better your procedure section, and the better your overall lab report.
First Draft due Tuesday, April 28 in hard copy
The first draft of the report, including at least one graphical representation of the data, such as a graph created using MS Excel or Word, will be shared during in a draft workshop on this date. This draft should be at least three pages in length.
Final Draft due Thursday, April 30 in hard copy
The final draft of the lab report is due at the beginning of class. Late work will not be accepted.
