Experimental Design Unit
August 10-27 (2015)
Day 1: Safety Symbols
Objectives (SWBAT):
Inquiry 10-identify appropriate safety measures for the laboratory
Evaluated by:
Signed safety contract and safety symbol worksheet
Class structure:
Do Now: Signed safety contract in the bin for a sail card
1. Engage- Given a picture of a lab setting, students will point out violations of the safety
contract.
2. Explore- Students will write safety precautions for given lab scenarios.
3. Explain- Students will attempt to write precautions for various safety symbols.
4. Elaborate-Teacher will define each safety symbol.
Summary: Safety in lab is the highest priority in this class. If you jeopardize that in any way for yourself
or other students (according to the contract you signed) you will lose lab privileges.
Day 2: Equipment
Objectives (SWBAT):
Inquiry 3- choose appropriate lab materials for a given task
Evaluated by:
Equipment Activity
Class structure:
Do Now: List as many names of science glassware as you can remember.
1. Engage- Given student responses to the Do Now (and a cart of glassware visible) the class will
make a list of science equipment
2. Explore- Students will match pictures of lab equipment to vocabulary
3. Explain-Students will answer open-ended questions by choosing appropriate lab materials for
each given task
4. Elaborate- Students will answer questions identifying lab materials for particular uses.
Summary: Future labs will require students to be able to identify and use any piece of lab equipment
correctly.
Day 3: Metric System Introduction
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical Science 1-connect appropriate metric units to measurements, convert between various metric
measurements
Evaluated by:
Metric System Notes-example problems
Class structure:
Do Now: Describe the use of this piece of lab equipment and name it. (triple beam balance)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Engage- Teacher will review answers to equipment activity submitted on Day 2
Explore-NOTES on the metric system and its prefixes
Explain- Students will complete example problems for metric system conversions
Elaborate- The teacher will introduce three ways of measuring matter- length, mass, and
volume. Students will record the definitions, base unit in science, and predict the correct piece
of equipment for that measurement.
Summary:




Metric units are the only ones used in science classes so Length must be reported in meters.
Length is measured with a meterstick.
Volume, the amount of space an object takes up, must be reported in liters.
Mass, the amount of material in an object, is measured in grams with a triple beam balance.
Temperature will be measured in celcius with a thermometer.
Day 4: Measurement Lab
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical Science 1-connect appropriate metric units to measurements and correctly use scientific
equipment for measurement
Evaluated by:
Measurement Lab
Class structure:
Do Now: How many decimeters are in a kilometer?
1. Engage- Teacher will explain how to use a triple beam balance, meterstick, and graduated
cylinder properly.
2. Explore- Students will complete measurement activities for length, mass, and volume.
3. Explain- Students will show all calculations and conversions.
4. Elaborate- Students will complete post-lab questions to practice measurement. Teacher will
explain volume by displacement and its historical background (Archimedes).
Summary:



When measuring length with a meterstick, be careful to count the marks between centimeters.
These marks are millimeters, 1/10th of a centimeter.
Volume can be measured 3 ways. With a regular solid object, the dimensions (length, width,
height) are measured and used to calculate volume. With an irregular solid object, the object is
placed in a known amount of water and the amount that the water rises is the amount of space
occupied by the object (its volume). That method is called displacement. Lastly, fluid volume
can be measured with a graduated cylinder.
When measuring mass with the triple beam balance, be careful to keep the sliders in grooves
and report the mass as the sum of the sliders positions.
Day 5: Quiz- Safety and Equipment; Intro to Scientific Method
Objectives (SWBAT):
Repeat: Physical Science 1, Inquiry 3 and 10
Evaluated by:
Quiz: Equipment and Safety
Class structure:
Quiz: Equipment and Safety
Do Now: What piece of lab equipment would I use to swirl a liquid mixture in?
1. Engage- Students will finish the lab from day 4 in the first 10-15 minutes of class.
2. Explain- Students will complete the safety/equipment quiz (15 minutes max)
3. Explore-NOTES: steps of inquiry
a. testable question
b. if/then hypothesis
c. safety precautions
d. Write a procedure based on your identified independent variable, dependent variable,
constants, and control group
e. Record observations in a data table
f. Analyze using a graph or calculations
g. Conclusion
4. Elaborate- Students will attempt to follow the steps of inquiry for a sample lab scenario.
Summary: Scientists are curious people that design tests to learn more about one of their curiosities. To
be sure they find the answer to their questions, they follow a specific line of thinking/ series of actions
that we call the scientific method. This often leads to new questions and curiosities and the process
begins again.
Day 6: Experimental Design
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical Science 12, 2, and 1- determine whether questions are testable or not and create hypotheses
Inquiry 3 and 15- explain the need for a control group and identify independent and dependent
variables in a problem or procedure
Evaluated by:
Data Analysis Practice- Graphing
Class structure:
Do Now: What makes a question testable?
1. Engage- Given a list of sample questions, students will identify which are testable and which are
not
2. Explore- Students will write a hypothesis in the correct format for each question that is testable
or write a sentence explaining why the question is not testable.
3. Explain- Students will use the if/then format to help them identify the independent variable,
dependent variable, and constants for each testable question.
4. Elaborate- Students will complete the graphing assignment and finish it for homework (due Day
7).
Summary: Variables are things that affect the outcome of an experiment. In any given experiment, the
scientist needs to have only one independent variable (condition they are changing), and one dependent
variable (condition they are measuring), while all others are kept the same. The independent variable is
always graphed on the x-axis (horizontal axis) and the dependent variable is always graphed on the yaxis (vertical axis). Line graphs are used most often and show change over time. Bar graphs are used
when the independent variable comes in types (ex: surveys)
Day 7: Experimental design- from scratch
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical Science 12, 2, and 1- determine whether questions are testable or not and create hypotheses
Inquiry 3 and 15- explain the need for a control group and identify independent and dependent
variables in a problem or procedure
Evaluated by:
-Experimental design (inquiry)
Class structure:
Do Now: Describe one curiosity you have that you could do an experiment for- something with
chemicals, plants, animals, food, etc.
1. Engage- Teacher will review the answers to the graphing homework and when each type is used.
2. Explore- Students will design an experiment for the question they posed in their Do Now.
3. Explain- Students will include a blank data table and graph for the sample lab report they are
designing.
4. Elaborate- Students will pair/share to correct any of the steps of the scientific method.
Summary: All science begins with curiosity. With this curiosity, anyone can design an experiment. The
key is to be precise so that others can replicate and verify your experiment.
Day 8: Quiz: Scientific Method, Precision
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical Science 2- differentiate between accuracy and precision and determine the precision of lab
equipment through significant figures
Evaluated by:
Precision Corrections to the Measurement Lab
Class structure:
Do Now: Using the people below, who is more accurate?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Person A: 84, 85, 86, 85, 85
Person B: 98, 90, 97, 80, 98
Engage- NOTES: accuracy vs precision.
Explore- Students will measure 13 items with correct precision.
Explain- Students will explain how they knew which decimal point to stop recording at.
Elaborate- Students will correct their measurements for the post-lab on Day 4 for bonus points.
Summary: Precision is how close measured values are to each other (how good a measurement is).
Accuracy is how close a measured value is to its actual value.
Day 9: Scientific notation and introduction to significant figures
Physical Science 3 and 4- write large and small number is scientific notation and convert between
scientific and standard notation; identify the number of significant figures in a number
Evaluated by:
Scientific Notation Worksheet
Significant Figures Homework
Class structure:
Do Now: Predict …the thickness of a single piece of hair measured in meters?...the number of
people in the US?...the age of the universe?
1. Engage- NOTES: Scientific Notation
a. To write a number in scientific notation the decimal is moved through the number until
the result is a number between 1 and 10, called M. The number of times you had to
move the decimal will be an exponent, n. The number is written as M x 10^n.
b. If you have to move the decimal to the right from M to create your original number, n is
positive. If you have to move the decimal left from M to create your original number, n
is negative.
2. Explore- Students will complete the worksheet.
3. Explain- Students will explain how 300,000,000 and 300,001,001 are different numbers and how
they are the same. Then the teacher will combine these answers (rounding, precision,
exactness, etc) and connect this to significant figures.
4. Elaborate- Students will determine the number of significant figures in each of the numbers on
the scientific notation worksheet then complete the significant figures homework page (pg 9).
Summary: Very large numbers and very small numbers can be written in scientific notation to avoid
writing out all the zeros. They are also used to show the level of precision in the measurement or
estimation (sigfigs).
Day 10: Sigfigs in calculations
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical Science 3 (repeat)- identify the number of significant figures in a number
Evaluated by:
Significant figures in calculations worksheet
Class structure:
Do Now: What is 3,256,718 + 22,000 in scientific and standard notation? How many significant figures
does its answer have?
1. Engage- Class check of answers from Day 8’s homework
a. NOTES: Rounding the answer to a calculation is based on the smallest contributor
i. For addition and subtraction round based on the number of places after the
decimal
ii. For multiplication and division round based on the number of significant figures
2. Explore- Students will review identifying the number of sigfigs with problem 1
3. Explain- Students will share their answers on the board and incorrect answers will be addressed
4. Elaborate- Students will complete math problems, using a calculator, and round their answers
using the rules discussed in the notes.
Summary: Some numbers are more precise than others. This precision is indicated by the number of
significant figures a number has. See day 8’s worksheet for a review of the rules governing which digits
are significant and which are not. Remember that when you perform a calculation, your answer is only
as precise (should only contain the number of significant figures) as your least precise measurement.
Day 11: Introduction to dimensional analysis
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical science 1- use the factor label method (dimensional analysis) to convert among metric units
Inquiry 5- use mathematics and organizational tools to solve problems
Evaluated by:
Dimensional Analysis Intro Page
Class structure:
Do Now: Complete the top of the intro to the dimensional analysis page (metric measurement
practice)
1. Engage- How many millimeters tall is Mrs. Burgess if she is 5’6” tall?
2. Explore- Students will solve 16 metric measurement problems using the factor label method.
3. Explain-Students will predict how to solve numbers 17 and 18. The teacher will show how to
solve 2 step dimensional analysis problems using the factor label method.
4. Elaborate- Students will finish the back of the worksheet, completing 1 and 2 step problems
with the factor label method.
Summary: Converting among metric units can be done by merely moving the decimal point but other
systems are not in base 10 and involve more complex conversions. To convert between units in science,
use the factor-label (dimensional analysis) method.
Day 12-13: Dimensional Analysis combo
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical science 1- use the factor label method (dimensional analysis) to convert among metric units
Inquiry 5- use mathematics and organizational tools to solve problems
Evaluated by:
Dimensional Analysis Packet
Class structure:
Do Now (Day 11): How many cats are there on the North Shore if there are 1800 students at
MHS and each student is part of a 2 student family and each family, on average, owns 1.5 cats?
Do Now (Day 12): Take out your test review for a completion check. Then, continue working on
the dimensional analysis packet.
1. Engage- each group will put their answer, with the work using the factor-label method up on the
board from the back of day 10’s worksheet, and the class will discuss any problems with the
work/answers
2. Explore- Students will answer the dimensional analysis questions in the packet
3. Explain- Students will show all work
4. Elaborate- Students will attempt to answer a dimensional analysis problem with several steps
and nonsense units for bonus points on Day 14’s test.
Day 14: Test and Binder Check
Objectives (SWBAT):
Physical science 1-4, Inquiry 3, 5, and 10
Evaluated by:
Test- Measurement and Experimentation
Class structure:
Do Now: Take out a calculator and something to write with, open your binder to the table of
contents and place it on the back bench, move your bags to the A/C, and clear your calculator RAM
TEST
GLE
Objective
Day(s) Addressed
Inquiry 1
Write a testable question and hypothesis when given a topic
6
Inquiry 2
Describe how investigations can be observation, description, literature survey,
classification, or experimentation
6
Inquiry 3
Plan and record step-by-step procedures for a valid investigation, select
equipment and materials, and identify variables and controls
2, 6
Inquiry 5
Utilize mathematics, organizational tools, and graphing skills to solve problems
9, 10, 11, 12
Inquiry 9
Write and defend a conclusion based on logical analysis of experimental data
7
Inquiry
10
Given a description of an experiment, identify appropriate safety measures
1
Inquiry
15
Analyze the conclusion from an investigation by using data to determine its
validity
7
Physical
Science 1
Convert metric system units involving length, mass, volume, and time using
dimensional analysis
3, 4, 10, 11, 12
Physical
Science 2
Differentiate between accuracy and precision
5
Physical
Science 3
Determine the significant figures based on precision of measurement for stated
quantities
9, 10, 11, 12
Physical
Science 4
Use scientific notation to express large and small numbers
8
Vocabulary:
Accuracy
Precision
Testable
Independent Variable
Constant
Dependent Variable
Control Group
Assessment Design- Unit 1
Basic: 6 Questions
Standard: 12 Questions
Essential Skills and Learning Objectives
Type of
Question
(MC, CR, P)
Write a testable question and hypothesis when given a
topic
Expanded: 6 Questions
Basic
(Remember &
Understand)
Standard
(Apply &
Analyze)
Expanded
(Evaluate &
Create)
CR
1 CR
1 CR
Plan and record step-by-step procedures for a valid
investigation, select equipment and materials, and identify
variables and controls
CR
2 CR
3 CR
Write and defend a conclusion based on logical analysis of
experimental data
CR
Given a description of an experiment, identify appropriate
safety measures
MC/CR
Analyze the conclusion from an investigation by using data
to determine its validity
CR
Convert metric system units involving length, mass, volume,
and time using dimensional analysis
MC
2 CR
1 MC
3 CR
Differentiate between accuracy and precision
MC
1 MC
1 MC
Determine the significant figures based on precision of
measurement for stated quantities
MC/CR
Use scientific notation to express large and small numbers
MC
1 CR
1 MC
1 CR
1 CR
2 MC
2 MC
1 CR