How to Set up a Lab Notebook The Scientific Method

Cover of Notebook Name Name of course Class period

Table of contents Leave the first page of your notebook blank to list table of contents Number the pages of your notebook as you go

Every lab write-up will include the following Title and Date Question Background Information Hypothesis List of Materials List of Procedures Data/Data Analysis/Observations Conclusion

Title and Date Animal Behavior Lab 8/6/2014

Question Write a question or purpose statement about your investigation

Background After you research your lab topic/subject, summarize what you’ve learned. This may take a paragraph or two.

Hypothesis An if/then statement

List of Materials Create a list of EVERYTHING required to execute the experiment Example: 2 small petri dishes 2 ml deionized water 10 pill bugs Etc……

List of Procedures Use a numbering format to list all the steps you followed to execute the experiment. THIS SHOULD NEVER BE IN PARAGRAPH FORM! TOO HARD TO FOLLOW THAT WAY! 1. Soak a large sheet of circular filter paper with 5 mls of distilled water 2. Line the bottom of a large petri dish with the wet filter paper 3. Place 10 pill bugs in the petri dish

Observations/Data/Data Analysis Collect your data and note observations Then organize it into chart form (independent and dependent variable) Then create a graph (independent variable on the x-axis and dependent variable on the y-axis) Write a statement about the trends you observe in the data

Charts and Graphs

Graphs should ALWAYS be drawn on GRAPH PAPER and should include the following: Title Labeled axis Indicate units next to labeled axis Legend Line graph vs. bar graph

Conclusion In paragraph form Never simply write: “Our hypothesis was correct.” Write a description about what you learned from performing the experiment and what you will do next.