High School New Field Study Item Template
Field Study
Part I Design an investigation
Part II Analyze a given procedure for reliability and validity
Salmonberry Plants Field Study Design Part I
Salmonberry plants can be found all along the Pacific coast. Salmonberry plants are a food
source for many animals in Pacific coast ecosystems including hummingbirds, deer, and bear.
Design a field study to be conducted in a forest with a stream to answer this question: How
does the distance from the stream affect the number of salmonberry plants
found?
Make sure to include:
 logical steps to do the field study
 conditions to be compared
 data to be collected
 method for collecting data
 how often measurements should be taken and
recorded
 environmental conditions to be recorded
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Salmonberry Plants Field Study Analysis Part II
Salmonberry plants can be found all along the Pacific coast. Salmonberry plants are a food
source for many animals in Pacific coast ecosystems including hummingbirds, deer, and
bear. Scientists conducted a field study to learn about salmonberry plant populations in
different habitats in Washington.
Field Study Question: How does the salmonberry plant population vary by habitat?
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High School New Field Study Item Template
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Procedure:
1. Go to the salmonberry field study area. Record location, date, time, and temperature.
2. Choose a random location in the forest edge habitat.
3. Measure a 5-meter-by-5-meter plot and label as Plot 1.
4. Count the number of salmonberry plants in Plot 1. Record as Plot 1 for the forest
edge habitat.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for Plot 2 and Plot 3, choosing a new location in the forest edge
habitat for each plot.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for the stream bank and forest habitats.
7. Calculate and record the average number of salmonberry plants for each habitat.
Data Collected:
Location: Forest edge, stream bank, and forest habitats
Date and Time: May 1, from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Temperature: 10° C to 15° C
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High School New Field Study Item Template
1. a) Describe a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field
study would be reliable.
b) Describe a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field
study would be valid.
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Answer Key to Part II:
Task Title: Salmonberry Habitat
Item number: 1 Cognitive Complexity: 2 (page 1 of 2)
Performance Description
A 4-point response demonstrates the student understands the Content Standard INQC: Conclusions must
be logical, based on evidence, and consistent with prior established knowledge.
Item Specification 1: Generate a logical conclusion that is supported by evidence from the investigation
and/or provide a scientific reason to explain the trend in data given a description of and the results from a
scientific investigation.
AND
Content Standard INQF: Science is a human endeavor that involves logical reasoning and creativity and
entails the testing, revision, and occasional discarding of theories as new evidence comes to light.
Item Specification 1 and 2: 1. Evaluate an investigation in terms of validity (e.g., answered the investigative
question with confidence; the manipulated variable caused the change in the responding variable). 2. Valuate
an investigation in terms of reliability (e.g., reliability means that repeating an investigation gives similar
results).
Item and example response
Points
INQF(2)
a) The response describes a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field
study would be reliable.
Examples:
 They counted salmonberries in three plots instead of just one in each habitat type.
 There were three plots for each habitat type.
1
Notes:
1. Responses which describe controlling more variables are describing an improvement in validity
rather than reliability and may not be credited.
2. Responses which describe one way to change the field study procedure to improve the
reliability of the field study may be credited one point (e.g., test 5 plots instead of 3, do the
same investigation the next year).
INQF(1)
b) The response describes a step in the field study procedure that ensured the results of the field
study would be valid.
Examples:
 All of the plots were counted on the same day.
 They used 5 meter by 5 meter plots every time they counted.
 There were three different types of habitats instead of just two.
1
Notes:
1. Responses that describe doing the same field study again are describing an improvement in
reliability rather than validity and may not be credited (e.g., repeat for 3 more
days/months/years).
2. Responses which describe one way to change the field study procedure to improve the validity
of the field study may be credited one point (e.g., count in a fourth type of habitat, make sure
the same person does all the counting).
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Beach Investigation
High School
Field Investigation
BEACH - SAMPLE
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Beach Investigation
Directions: Use the following information
to answer questions 1 through 5 on
pages 4 through 6.
Students at Seattle High School were investigating their local beach. They explored several
areas around their beach, and observed plant and animal life in each area. They wondered about
different non-living factors that might affect life at each area, such distance from the water.
They did the following investigation to learn about the diversity of organisms at each area.
Question: Which area at the beach – high tide area, middle tide area or low tide area has the greatest
number of different organisms (greatest diversity)?
Hypothesis (prediction): The number of organisms will be the most in the low tide area because this
area has greater food resources available for organisms to survive.
Materials:
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Rubber boots
Sunscreen
Lab book
Pencil
Transect square, 50cm x 50cm
Meter stick or measuring tape
Plant and animal key or field guide
Flag to mark measurement sites
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Procedure:
1. Go to Golden Gardens on May 22nd mark the water line at 12:26pm, when low tide is -1.5 M, this
is the low tide area. Mark this area with a flag for the low tide area.
2. Measure 2 meters inland from the low tide area, mark this with a flag as the mid tide area.
3. Measure 2 meters inland from the mid tide area, mark this with a flag as the high tide area.
4. Randomly place the transect square by the high tide flag and count the number of different
organisms that you identify.
5. Record number of different organisms in the data table.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 at medium and low tide areas.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 two more times for trial 2 and trial 3.
8. Calculate and record the average of the three trials for each intertidal location.
Data collected:
Location: Golden Gardens, Seattle, Washington
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High School New Field Study Item Template
Date and time: May 22nd, 12:26pm
Tide data: -1.5 M
Weather: Sunny, 65 deg. F
Location vs. Number of Different Organisms Data Table*
Intertidal
Location
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
Low
7
5
9
7
Med
5
3
7
5
High
3
2
4
3
*this data is taken from Cattle Point, Friday Harbor Washington by UW students who conducted a similar study
1 How could the students be more certain the results of their experiment are reliable? (INQF, 1)
o A. Repeat the experiment the same way.
o B. Use a different type of transect square.
o C. Test the air temperature each time you record data.
o D. Have the same person count the organisms during each count.
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Biology New Field Study Item Template
2 The students at Seattle High School were also wondering which population
of organisms is most stable. According to the Location vs. Number of Different
Organisms data table, which statement describes the stability of the populations
in the high tide area? (LS2E, 3)
o
A. Not stable, because the high tide area is further away from the low tide flag.
o
B. Not stable, because the high tide area has fewer number of different organisms, less
diverse.
o
C. Stable, because the high tide area range of organisms in the study is the smallest.
o
D. Stable, because the high tide area has fewer number organisms to compete with one
another.
3 In collecting data, the students noticed that one transect in the low tide area
had 5 limpets (small marine organism) in the 2.5 square meter transect. What
was the population density of limpets in the low tide are transect? (LS2B, 2 –
calculator allowed)
Write your answer in the box.
________________________ limpets per square meter
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Biology New Field Study Item Template
4
Write a conclusion for this field investigation.
In your conclusion, be sure to:
 Answer the investigative question.
 Include supporting data from the Location vs. Number of Organisms Data Table
 Explain how these data support your conclusion.
 Provide a scientific explanation for the trend in the data.
Question: Which area at the beach – high tide area, middle tide area or low tide area had the
greatest diversity of organisms?
Conclusion:
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Biology New Field Study Item Template
5
Plan a field study to answer the question in the box. You may use any materials and equipment in
your procedure.
Be sure your procedure includes:




logical steps to do the field study
conditions to be compared
data to be collected
method for collecting data

how often measurements should be taken
and recorded
 environmental conditions to
be recorded
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
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Biology New Field Study Item Template
Field Study Question: How does the size of barnacles vary at each area, low, middle and
high tide?
Procedure:
No answer key
Salmonberry Habitat COE Task Example
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