|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Method 1: Making a Hypothesis and Defining Variables and Controls.Students will need an explanation of variables and control groups. Go over these concepts with your students before they try to form their hypotheses. See the Variables Lesson for ideas. A hypothesis indicates what your students expect their experiment to show or demonstrate. It should address an independent variable (what the experimenter will change), and a dependent variable (what is expected to change as a result of the experiment). For an experiment on factors that affect fossil formation, this might be a hypothesis: Organisms with soft body parts are equally likely to form fossils as those with harder body parts. In the table are examples of variables that might be involved in a science fair experiment on how fossils form:
Help students develop their own hypotheses for their science fair experiments, and ask them to record these in their science fair journals or notebooks. After students write their hypotheses, they need to identify the variables they are going to change, as well as those they will control. You might find it useful for students to create a draft experimental plan and run it by you and a small group of classmates for comments. When both you and they are comfortable with the plans, they should record these in their notebooks or journals along with lists of materials. Remind students that good science fair projects do not need to be expensive. Science Journal Downloads:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
