How Do We Use the Scientific Method to Perform an Experiment?
High School of Hospitality Management, Manhattan
Summer Research Program for Science Teachers
August 2007
Objectives:
Apply the scientific method
Recognize the limitations of data collection
Materials:
Warm-up:
(5
minutes)
Drop
Alka-Seltzer tablets in water and ask students to make observations.
What is a
more scientific word than bubbles? Gas
Brainstorm:
What do
you know about gases? (Where do you see them and what are their properties?)
Demonstration (5 minutes)
Procedure:
1)
fill film
canister ½ full with water
2)
Drop in ¼
a tablet of Alka-Seltzer
3)
Snap lid
on tight and invert canister (lid is on table)
4)
Wait and
record observations
After
rocket launches ask student what “things” were involved, time, water, tablet,
height, canister. Prompt them to look at what they wrote for observations.
Elicit that these “things” are called variables.
Ask student to recall which are independent and which are dependent?
Each group
will receive one Alka-Seltzer package, water, one film canister, stop watch or
meter stick (depending on selected dependent variable)
Have
students explore one of the independent variables and dependent variables in
small groups.
See
lab sheet
Summary:
(5 minutes) Discuss conclusions
NYC Science Performance Standards:
S5: Scientific Thinking
S8: Scientific Investigation a-Demonstrates scientific competence by completing a controlled experiment. c-Demonstrates scientific competence by completing a design.
S6: Scientific Tools and Technologies e- Recognizes and limits sources of bias in data