High School New Field Study Item Template
Beach Investigation
High School
Field Investigation
BEACH - SAMPLE
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
Page 1
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:
 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
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
Page 2
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
Date and time: May 22nd, 12:26pm
Tide data: -1.5 M
Weather: Sunny, 65 deg. F
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
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High School New Field Study Item Template
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.
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
o
A. Not stable, because the high tide area is further away from the low tide flag.
B. Not stable, because the high tide area has fewer number of different organisms, less
diverse.
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
Page 4
Biology New Field Study Item Template
o
o
3
C. Stable, because the high tide area range of organisms in the study is the smallest.
D. Stable, because the high tide area has fewer number organisms to compete with one
another.
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
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:
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
Page 5
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
Page 6
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:
DRAFT – Seattle Public Schools Instructional Services, jbfox@seattleschools.org
Page 7