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The pre-lab assignment will count 20% of the lab grade.
Before coming to lab, you should identify the experimental characteristics for the specified lab.
The lab write-up must be in your lab notebook
You may work together but copying another person's pre-lab is cheating. A grade of zero will be
assigned for the entire lab if you are caught copying another person's pre-lab.
No late assignments will be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS! You will have plenty of time.
Pre-lab assignments allow you to work efficiently and effectively in the lab area in the time allotted. Pre-lab
assignments are meant to familiarize you with the problem being investigated, purpose of the lab and procedures
to be followed. You will also identify the experimental characteristics of the investigation and apply the scientific
process as you work.
In other words, what am I to do and why and what do I think will happen?
For one of the 12 standard AP Biology Labs: Login to the textbook website, and go to Lab Bench. Select the
appropriate lab (refer to the syllabus), and use the information available to write your prelab.
Your prelab should include:
1. a title
2. an introduction that describes the purpose of the lab and states your hypothesis,
3. a procedure that is both written in words and illustrated in pictures or diagram the steps in
a flow chart
If you are having trouble logging in, use the generic student I registered (username:
generichillstudent , and then the password I gave you in class).
Typically pre-lab assignments will consist of one of the following:
A. Read the lab. Consider the following as you do:
1. Establish the learning context for the lab.
 What is the scientific principle (theory or concept) that you are supposed to be learning
about by doing the lab?
2. Establish the goals of the lab.
 What is the problem you will be investigating?
 What are the objectives for the lab, i.e., what do you plan to accomplish?
 What is the purpose of the lab, i.e., what do you hope to find out?
3. Establish your hypothesis for the lab.
 What are the dependent and independent variables in the experimental procedure?
 What is your hypothesis for the outcome of the lab procedure?
 Can you explain the reasoning that has led you to your hypothesis?
 How is this a controlled experiment?
© LabWrite Project 2000
NOTE: for more help see http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/pl/pl-home.html
03/08/16
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