MONTY PYTHON
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
LESSON PLAN & NOTES
Variables
Control Groups
and more!
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Lesson Plan: Introduction to Scientific Method
Time: 80 minutes or more (may be completed over two classes)
Materials:

computer with projector and internet connection (or other suitable technology) to
play YouTube video

copies of the student handout (one for each student and a teacher copy)

scrap paper

document camera to fill in handout with students, or this could be done on a
whiteboard or chalk board, OR use the free PowerPoint presentation from
Cretaceous Creations
Learning Outcomes

Asking questions based on observations and forming testable hypotheses

Designing a hypothetical experiment to test a hypothesis

Analyzing data using data tables and graphs, and drawing conclusions

Identifying independent, dependent, and confounding variables

Using a control group to compare with the results of experimental groups
Lesson Sequence:
1. Play the video clip “Scientific Method Monty Python,” which can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2MhMsLn9B0&feature=emb_logo (Cretaceous
Creations does not own the rights to this video)
Note: this video clip is a bit dated and the quality is not great, but it is hilarious and I’ve
found students enjoy it.
2. After watching the video, go through the six steps of the scientific method on page 1 of
the handout, filling it in with examples from the Monty Python clip (see Teacher Key).
3. Give students some time (10-15 min) to follow the first 4 steps of the scientific method
and design a hypothetical experiment for the raspberry plant scenario on page 2 of their
handout:
“Every year you plant raspberries. This year, unlike previous years, you
had very few grow”
You could have students work in small groups or partners to design their
experiment. They should write their ideas on a scrap piece of paper.
1
4. Ask some students to share their ideas with the class. Then, fill in page 2 of their
handout using the example on the Teacher Key.
5. Explain the concepts of independent, dependent, and confounding variables,
using the raspberry experiment to fill in the examples (page 3 of handout)
6. Give students some time to figure out the variables in the mosquito repellant
example. Then, go over the answers with the class.
7. Explain control and experimental groups (page 4 of handout). Use the plant food
experiment as an example.
8. Have students use the data table to draw a bar graph (page 5 of handout), and
then draw conclusions about the effectiveness of each type of plant food
compared to the control group. Depending on your class, you may have to spend
some time explaining how to draw a bar graph.
9. Have student volunteers share their conclusions and discus with the class.
Suggested Follow-up Activities:

Scientific Method Worksheet by Cretaceous Creations

Complete an experiment in class using the steps of the scientific method.

Have students work in groups to design and carry their own experiments. See
the Oreo Cookie Lab by Cretaceous Creations
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Teacher Key: Introduction to the Scientific Method
Scientific Method: A step-by-step process scientists use to answer questions and
solve problems. The steps of the Scientific Method are:
1) Make an Observation and ask a Question
● What are you curious about, or what have you seen that makes you wonder?
Ex: This woman looks like a witch. How can we determine if she truly is a witch?
2) Research Background Information
 What is already known about your question?
Ex: Witches burn, wood burns, wood floats, ducks float
3) Write a Hypothesis
 Based on background information, what is a possible explanation for your
question?
 Usually an if/then statement, or a statement using “may”
 Must be something you can test
Ex: If she weighs the same as a duck, then she will float; therefore, she is a witch.
4) Conduct an Experiment
 What will you do to test your predictions? Your hypothesis may not have been
correct. That is OK!
Ex: Weigh the woman and a duck to find out if she’s a witch.
5) Record and Analyze your Results
 Results are usually shown in a data table and/or a graph. This makes it easier to
see any trends.
Ex:
Weight of Woman
Weight of Duck
30 kg
30 kg
6) State your Conclusions
 What did your experiment show? Did the experiment confirm your hypothesis?
Ex: The woman weighs the same as the duck; therefore, she is a witch
1
Practice: Consider the following scenario and outline the steps of the scientific method
with the information you are given. . .
“Every year you plant raspberries. This year, unlike previous years,
you had very few grow”
Step 1: Ask a question
Why didn’t the raspberries grow very well this year?
Step 2: Background Information
In order to grow, plants need water, sunlight, soil, and nutrients.
Step 3: Form a hypothesis
If we do not get enough rain, then the raspberries don’t grow as well.
Step 4: Design an experiment to test your hypothesis
Three groups of raspberry plants receive a different amount of water each day. The
number of raspberries produced by each plant will be recorded each day for a two week
period.
Step 5: Analyze your results –What is represented by the x-axis? The y-axis?
The effect of water quantity on
raspberry production
25
20
15
10
5
0
250 mL
500 mL
750 mL
Step 6: State your conclusion
According to the results, the more water a plant received, the more raspberries it
produced. This supports the hypothesis that this year’s raspberry plants did not grow
well because they did not get enough rain.
2
Variables
The word “variable” literally means “able to vary.” In the context of a scientific
experiment, a variable is an aspect of the experiment that can change.
Independent Variable: The variable that is manipulated by the experimenter (the
experimenter has control over this variable)
Ex: the amount of water given to the raspberry plants
Dependent Variable: The variable being tested (the experimenter does not have
control over this variable)
Ex: the number of raspberries produced
We are trying to see if changing the independent variable has an effect on the
dependent variable.
Confounding Variable: variable that is not intended to be tested, but could affect the
results.
Ex: the amount of sunlight received by each raspberry plant
Note: we want to test only one variable at a time and to avoid any confounding
variables!
How could we prevent the amount of sunlight from affecting the results of the raspberry
experiment?
Make sure all plants receive the same amount of sunlight
Practice: A group of boy scouts wants to test the effectiveness of different types of
mosquito repellent. Half of them spray themselves with Brand A, and the other half
spray themselves with Brand B. The next morning, they count the number of mosquito
bites they have.
1. What is the independent variable?
The type of mosquito repellent
2. What is the dependent variable?
The number of mosquito bites received
3. Can you think of any potential confounding variables?
Individual differences in sensitivity to mosquito bites, proximity to a lake or pond,
sleeping arrangements, clothing worn by the boys, etc.
3
Controlled Experiments
Experimental group: the group that receives treatment/ manipulation of the
independent variable. In other words, this is the group being tested on.
Some experiments use a control group. which is left alone. The independent variable
being tested cannot affect the results of this group.
This gives us a baseline and helps to rule out alternative explanations of the results.
NOTE: In our initial raspberry experiment, a control group would not be practical
because the independent variable is water. If we didn’t give a plant any water, then it
would die.
Example of Using a Control Group:
You want to test out two different types of plant food to see which one is the best for
raspberry production. You set up an experiment with three groups:
Group 1 is given water mixed with Miracle Grow
Group 2 is given water mixed with Organic Plant Magic
Group 3 is given water with no plant food
Which are the experimental groups?
Groups 1 and 2
Which is the control group?
Group 3
You can compare the number of raspberries produced by the control group and the
experimental groups to see if the plant food has any significant effect on raspberry
production. You can also compare the two types of plant food to see which one is more
effective.
4
After completing your experiment, you obtain the following results:
Number of raspberries
produced after 7 days
Control Group
17
Miracle Grow
25
Organic Plant Magic
15
Represent this data in a bar graph. Make sure to give your graph a title, and to label the
x-axis and the y-axis.
The effects of plant food on raspberry
production
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Control
Miracle Grow
Organic Plant Magic
Based on your results, what can you conclude about the effectiveness of plant food on
raspberry production?
According to the results, Miracle Grow has a positive effect on the number of raspberries
produced. However, Organic Plant Magic has no significant effect.
5
Course: ________
Name: _____________________________
Introduction to Scientific Method
Scientific Method: A step-by-step process scientists use to answer questions and
solve problems. The steps of the Scientific Method are:
1) Make an Observation and ask a Question
● What are you curious about, or what have you seen that makes you wonder?
Ex:
2) Research Background Information
 What is already known about your question?
Ex:
3) Write a Hypothesis
 Based on background information, what is a possible explanation for your
question? It must be something you can test.
 Usually an if/then statement, or a statement using “may”
Ex:
4) Perform Tests or Experiments
 What will you do to test your predictions? Your hypothesis may not have been
correct. That is OK!
Ex:
5) Analyze your Results
 Results are usually shown in a data table and/or a graph. This makes it easier to
see any trends.
Ex:
6) State your Conclusions
 What did your experiment show? Did the experiment confirm your hypothesis?
Ex:
1
Practice: Consider the following scenario and outline the steps of the scientific method
with the information you are given.
“Every year you plant raspberries. This year, unlike previous years, you had
very few grow”
Step 1: Ask a question
Step 2: Background Information
Step 3: Form a hypothesis
Step 4: Design an experiment to test your hypothesis
Step 5: Analyze your results. Label the x-axis and the y-axis.
The effect of water quantity
on raspberry production
25
20
15
10
5
0
250 mL
500 mL
750 mL
Step 6: State your conclusion
2
Variables
The word “variable” literally means “able to vary.” In the context of a scientific
experiment, a variable is an aspect of the experiment that can change.
Independent Variable: The variable that is manipulated by the experimenter (the
experimenter has control over this variable)
Ex:
Dependent Variable: The variable being tested (the experimenter does not have
control over this variable)
Ex:
We are trying to see if the independent variable has an effect on the dependent
variable.
Confounding Variable: variable that is not intended to be tested, but could affect the
results.
Ex:
We want to test only one variable at a time and to avoid any confounding variables!
How could we prevent the amount of sunlight from affecting the results of the raspberry
experiment?
Practice: A group of boy scouts wants to test the effectiveness of different types of
mosquito repellent. Half of them spray themselves with Brand A, and the other half
spray themselves with Brand B. The next morning, they count the number of mosquito
bites they have.
1. What is the independent variable?
2. What is the dependent variable?
3. Can you think of any potential confounding variables?
3
Controlled Experiments
Experimental group: the group that receives treatment/ manipulation of the
independent variable. In other words, this is the group being tested on.
Some experiments use a control group. which is left alone. The independent variable
being tested cannot affect the results of this group.
This gives us a baseline and helps to rule out alternative explanations of the results.
NOTE: In our initial raspberry experiment, a control group would not be practical
because the independent variable is water. If we didn’t give a plant any water, then it
would die.
Example of Using a Control Group:
You want to test out two different types of plant food to see which one is the best for
raspberry production. You set up an experiment with three groups:
Group 1 is given water mixed with Miracle Grow
Group 2 is given water mixed with Organic Plant Magic
Group 3 is given water with no plant food
Which are the experimental groups?
Which is the control group?
You can compare the number of raspberries produced by the control group and the
experimental groups to see if the plant food has any significant effect on raspberry
production. You can also compare the two types of plant food to see which one is more
effective.
4
After completing your experiment, you obtain the following results:
Number of raspberries
produced after 7 days
Control Group
Miracle Grow
Organic Plant Magic
17
25
15
Represent this data in a bar graph. Make sure to give your graph a title, and to label the
x-axis and the y-axis.
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Based on your results, what can you conclude about the effectiveness of plant food on
raspberry production?
5