Introduction to the Scientific Method: Investigating Cricket Chirping
Purpose
• To practice the process of the Scientific Method
• To learn how to use an Online Lab Simulation
• To determine which environmental variables influence how fast a
cricket chirps
• To practice constructing data charts and graphs.
• To practice doing a lab report write up
Procedure:
1. Go to http://webapp.gccaz.edu/academic/biology/scientific_method/
2. Do the tutorial on scientific method first to review the steps
3. Follow the instructions for investigating the role of environmental
variables on cricket chirps.
4. Write your results in your data table- record data as you go
5. Graph your results using Create-a-Graph
(http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/)6. Print out your data table and graph and attach to your final report
Hint: Cricket Chirp Rate is the dependent variable and will be on the yaxis on all graphs!
Remember: (DRY MIX)
Dependent/Responding Variable on Y axis
Manipulated/Independent Variable on X axis
Cricket Lab Data: (Type your answers in a google document- will upload
to Chalkup.co
Introduction/Background Information: What do you know about the
scientific method?- Write a few paragraphs explaining the process that
scientists use to answer questions
Question: (What question are you trying to answer with this lab?)
Observations/Background Information: (What information do you know
before you start experimenting?)
Hypothesis: (What is your “Educated Guess”- based
on your observations and background information?)
Data Collection:
(Create a data table to collect your data based on the
variables you have chosen)- Make sure to label your
variables with units
Effect of Wind Speed on Cricket
Chirp Rate
Wind Speed
Chirp Rate
(m/sec)
(chirps/min)
Independent Variable: ______________________
(What did you CHOOSE to change?)
Dependent Variable: ______________________
(What changes as a result of your I Variable?)
HINT: It will be Chirp Rate
Analysis of Results: Graph Your Results so that you
can visualize your data (make sure to include your
graph as a jpg) on your final document
Discussion of Results: (Discuss what your results were and what
deductions can be made from your results)
Conclusion: (Your conclusion should include a review of your original
hypothesis and whether it was correct or not. Being wrong is okay as long
as you discuss why your hypothesis was wrong. In addition, you should
discuss other experiments that could be done to further investigate this
question and what you learned by doing this experiment)