LAB REPORTS SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

1. What is SCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC? It is a process incorporating collaborative inquiry activities, cooperative negotiation of conceptual understanding, and individual writing and reflection.  LAB REPORTSSCIENCE WRITING HEURISTIC

2. Student Roles

3. Lab Groups Manager– keeps group on track, ensures lab group is fulfilling roles, monitors safety and clean up, assists analyst with experiment Recorder – records group data, observations and notes Analyst – carries out experiment, get supplies, etc

4. Overview of SWH

5. Science Writing Heuristic Approach to Labs • Process of lab report writing that has these main sections: • Beginning Questions • Safety Considerations • Procedure • Data, Observations, Calculations and Graphs • Claim(s) and Evidence • Errors and Improvements • Reflection

6. Pre Lab Sections

7. Beginning Question • As a class we will discuss a BQ • BQ will be written on the board • The BQ goes into your lab report • The entire class will investigate the BQ

8. Beginning Question Examples • These questions are typically in the form of a measureablerelationship. • Examples • How does changing the drop height of a tennis ball affect the rebound height of the tennis ball? • How does the composition of a substance affect how well it absorbs solar radiation? • How does the temperature of a fluid affect its density? Even though a question may seem obvious, it is important to ask that question, make a claim about it, and then back up the claim with evidence. AFTER YOU PROPOSE A BEGINNING QUESTION, MAKE A PREDICTION TO TRY TO ANSWER IT.

9. Safety Considerations • How will I stay safe? • Hair pulled back? • Safety glasses needed? • MSDS • Other considerations • Safety Considerations should be included in your lab report.

10. Procedure Design a Plan for how to answer the beginning question before doing the experiment Execute your plan As you complete the experiment – The recorder will keep track of the steps you take by writing them down (step by step) on the note side of your lab report.

11. Example Procedure Suppose that you are investigating how changing the drop height of a tennis ball affects its rebound. An appropriate procedure might include: Procedures: Drop a tennis ball from a height of 25 cm and measure the rebound height. Repeat two more times, then find the average rebound height. Repeat steps one and two, increasing the drop height by 25 cm until the drop height reaches 2 meters.

12. Class Laboratory Work

13. Data, Observations, Calculations and Graphs Write down anything of significance you observe during your experiment. This may include: • Measurements – well-labeled with what is being measured and the units used • Data tables –all columns and rows labeled with the type of data collected and the units of measurement, if necessary • Graphs • Calculations • General observations, such as odor, color, or any change in appearance

14. Table 1: Distance Truck Rolls

15. Post Lab Work

16. Claims and Evidence • Claim • What can you claim based on your data? Make a one or two sentence statement about the result of your experiment to answer your beginning question • Evidence • How do you know? What data did you use to make these claims? Give a written explanation that explains the meaning behind the data and calculations.

17. Example Claims and Evidence • ACCEPTABLE EXAMPLES • BQ: How does changing the drop height of a tennis ball affect the rebound height of the tennis ball? • CLAIM: The graph of our data shows that increasing the drop height of the tennis ball caused the distance it rebounded to increase. • BQ: How does changing the temperature of a fluid affect its density? • CLAIM: As the temperature of the fluid increased, its density decreased. • INAPPROPRIATE EXAMPLES • The car successfully rolled off the ramp each time. • The density of the water changed as the temperature changed.

18. Sample Evidence • Acceptable Evidence: • The drop height vs. rebound height graph shows the shape of the curve is a straight, constant, positive-sloped line. • As the water was warmed from below the tub, we could see the colored solution rising to the surface as it became less dense. • Inappropriate Evidence: • The graph shows it. • The movement of the colored water shows it. • Graphs and calculations need to be interpreted and explained in order to count as evidence. Simply referring to them is not good enough.

19. Errors and Improvements What are at least two sources of error, weakness or limitation in the lab? How might I improve lab design to account for these weaknesses?

20. Sample Error and Improvements • Acceptable: • The graph wasn’t a perfectly straight line because the tennis ball sometimes fell on an uneven surface, causing it to bounce crooked. • The path of the car curved as it came off the ramp, which decreased the distance the car traveled. • The bottom of the tub was not smooth, causing the food coloring to drift away from the heat source. • Inappropriate: • Human error (needs to be explained); • Equipment wasn’t good (explain); • I didn’t have enough time .

21. Reflection Was your prediction correct? If your prediction was incorrect, how have your ideas changed? How do your results compare to other groups, text book or literature value? How does this experiment relate to concepts in class? Do you have a new question?