Winning the Golden Cricket: Introduction to the Scientific Method
Hour: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th (Circle One)
Name and/or Lab Partners:
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Log on to: http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/biology/glacier/scientific_method/
If this doesn’t work: use google and type in the golden cricket lab
Please Read
You do not need to sign in or use a password for this exercise. Complete the tutorial section and move to the
cricket simulation. You are expected to create your own experiment and determine factors(s) that affect the
rate of cricket chirps. You will need to take detailed notes of your observations and experimental evidence
to make conclusions. Answer questions on this handout, and turn with your golden cricket award. Be sure
you understand each section before going on to the next section.
Questions
1. In the cricket study, what were the initial observations?
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2. In your experiment, the rate of cricket chirps is the dependent variable. You should have tested each
of the five possible independent variables to determine which of these might affect chirp rate.
However, you only manipulated one variable at a time. Why?
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3. List five independent variables you tested and their effect on chirp rate.
Independent Variable
Effect on Chirp Rate
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2.___________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________
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4. Write a hypothesis for chirp rates based on air temperature. Write your hypothesis in an If, Then
statement. Use your text book p. 13-17 for help.
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5. When testing the hypothesis above, how many crickets were near
the chirping male
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what was the wind speed _________________
what was the humidity _________________
5. Graph the results of your experiment using are temperature. Include a title, equal spacing of
units/data on x and y axis, a key, identify the independent and dependent variables on the appropriate
x or y axis, represent the data with the appropriate type of graph. Graph must be drawn in final draft
format.
6. Based on there results, what do you conclude about your hypothesis?
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7. What other factors, not available on this simulation, might you test?
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8. Who was Dr. A.E Dolber? What did he write? What formula did he establish pertaining to the
article he wrote? ___________________________________________________________________
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9. Attach your golden cricket award to the bottom of these lab sheets (print in black and white). If this
lab is completed outside of class time please have an adult verify the time and place the award was
won.
Time:_______________________ Place: ____________________
Adult Witness: _____________________________
10. If you had difficulties with the cricket lab, I suggest you do the tutorial listed before the cricket lab.
This reviews the key ideas of the scientific method.