Course Outline 

Scientific Inquiry 

What is it?
The purpose of this project is to pose a question and then to use appropriate scientific techniques to investigate the answer and to interpret the data you generate. Basically, you are going to design and conduct a scientific investigation. Your investigation will be in the form of an experiment, with a hypothesis and procedure, controls and variables, and data and a conclusion. The topic of your project will depend on you. There are a variety of units you may choose from. Before starting this project, think about what you have close to your home and with the materials, resources, and time that you have available.

Safety Considerations: Watch This!

Directions
Part 1: Select a topic and complete all of the activities for that topic.
The first step will be to determine which of the topics you want to do for this project. Watch all the related videos and work through all the assignments so that you gain some familiarity with your subject. Before choosing a subject, think about how easy it will be for you to do research on that subject. If you live in Bend, you won't have as many fossils naturally available to you as someone living in Joseph and it will be harder to look at ocean organisms for you than for someone in Seaside. On the other hand, you might be planning a vacation, or you may have an extensive collection of shells or fossils at home or at school that you might use.

Collections Topics (select one):

While working, think what you might do that relates to that subject. Are there any questions that interest you?

Part 2: Propose an Experiment
Once you have finished the activities, it is time for you to start brainstorming an experiment. Think about the time involved, the materials necessary, and the techniques you will use. Once you have an idea, write a rough draft of a hypothesis and a procedure and submit them. I will look them over and will help to give you feedback.

Submit Your Rough Draft

Part 3: Conduct Your Experiment
When your experiment has been approved, you may run your experiment. Once you have conducted your experiment, you may want to print out and complete the scientific method tracking worksheet. It will help you to be sure you are keeping on track.

Once you are happy that you have written a complete and scientifically accurate lab report, submit it to me for grading.

What's due?
You will turn in a lab report that includes:

1. Hypothesis
   1. Background Information
   2. Prediction or question
2. Procedure in a step-by-step format
3. Data (format will be dictated by procedure and question, be sure that it is displayed and labeled so that someone who didn't see your experiment will be able to understand it.)
4. Conclusions
   1. Description of Data
   2. Explanation for why things turned out the way they did
   3. Explanation for how the data related to the hypothesis
   4. Sources of Error or Limitations

There is no prescribed length for the lab report. The final length will depend on the type of question that is asked. It is important that students cover all of the above information thoroughly and accurately. See the scoring guide to see how this project will be graded so that you can be sure to cover all the points.

Attach your final lab report to an e-mail message.

Please be sure to enter "Final Lab Report" as the subject.

Congratulations, if you have worked through this course in order, then you are now finished!