1. Formal Lab Report

2. Your lab report must include
Title –
Describes the investigative question, including your independent and dependent variables
Background information
Describes scientific concepts and clearly defines scientific terms that are relevant to the investigation
Hypothesis –
Clear prediction
Clear scientific reason

3. Your lab report must include
Table 1: Experimental Variables

4. Your lab report must include
Materials List
Procedure

5. Procedure Section Have your procedure in a numerical list
Make sure what you are measuring is clear and consistent with your scientific question
Make sure what you are changing is clear and consistent with your scientific questions
Control variables are mentioned in the procedure
Control variables have exact amounts/ quantities/ measurements with units
Control variables stay the same throughout the entire procedure
Repeat trials are clearly stated

6. Procedure Section Clearly identify independent variables
What you are changing.
Clearly identify dependent variable
What you are measuring
Clearly Identify all controlled variable
Everything in the procedure that stay the small (GIVE EXACT AMOUNTS with UNITS)

7. Procedure examples
Use the wax marking pencil to label the 5 beakers gravel, salt, water, soil, and air.
Fill each beaker to the 100 ml mark with each material
Place a thermometer in each beaker and record the starting temperature. Be sure that you are measuring the temperature of the material and NOT the temperature pf the beaker.
Place all beakers under the light for 25 minutes
After the time has elapsed, measure and record the temperature in each beaker
Take the beakers back to your table and measure and record the temperature at 5, 10, and 30 minutes.
Calculate the rate of cooling by dividing the total degrees lost (temperature after 25 minutes in light - temperature after 30 minutes of cooling) by (TOTAL DEGREES LOST/ 30 minutes)

8. Results Section
Data tables & Graphs

9. Make a data table Your data table should include Descriptive title
Units in title
All numbers have clear Titles
Uncertainty with units
Columns and rows for Trials ( at least 6)
Averages
Standard deviations

10. Oxygen Gas Production (ppm)
Example Raw Data Table
Oxygen Gas Production (ppm)
Uncertainty +/- 5%
Low Light Intensity
Medium Light
High Light
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
Standard Deviation
10.55
30.33
15.00

11. Description for graph Graphs: TITLE Graphs: Axes
Include a title for all graphs that describe the investigation & include the independent & dependent variables.
Graphs: Axes
Dependent variable ( % seed germination) goes on y- axis – Labeled with units
Independent variable groups goes on x- axis. –Labeled with units

12. Graph Types: Pick two of the three types of graphs:
Column - Bar graph Must show average data & have error bars showing standard deviation
Line graph Must have time on X-axis and the dependent variable on the y-axis.
X-Y Scatter – Must have two measured/ quantitative variables , with the dependent variable being on the Y - axis

13. Conclusion Clearly answers investigative ( at least one sentence)
At least TWO average data NUMBERS to support the above statement ( at least one sentence)
Uses descriptions of line graphs to support above statement ( at least one sentence)
Uses scientific knowledge to explain results ( at least one sentence)
Explain any general trends in the graphs.
Provide scientific explanation for the above trend.

14. Evaluation Evaluation of Procedure
Identifies all weakness with the PROCEDURE only
Clearly explains how this weakness makes data in lab less reliable
Describes how the above weaknesses can be realistically improved in a future lab
Clearly explains how this improvement will make the data more reliable

15. Analyzing a Procedure
With your partner look at the given procedures and answer the following questions:
Identify the Independent variable (give numbers and units if appropriate)
Identify the Dependent variable (give numbers and units if appropriate)
Identify three controlled variables (give numbers, units if appropriate)
How many times trials does this experiment have (how many times was this experiment repeated)?

16. Today you will work on the following parts of the lab:
We are going to investigate the affect of salt water on seed germination.
Today you will work on the following parts of the lab:
Title
Background
Hypothesis
Making Experimental Variables Table
Materials ( I will provide)
Procedures
Data table for raw data

17. You will do the following tasks individually
Write the following sections of this investigation :
the affect of salt water on seed germination.
Title
Background information
Hypothesis
Experimental Variables TABLE

18. Background Information
Things to consider:
Define key vocabulary words
Define Seed Germination
Explain what factors affect seed germination
Describe any living organism or chemicals in your experiment
Environment the radish plant likes to grow in.
The effect salt might have on plants
Identify why you experiment is interesting and/ or important
How much salt water is in the oceans? And are there places where ocean water floods agriculture land.
How would flooded food crops affect people?

19. You will do the following tasks in a group
Identify the following items of this investigation :
the affect of salt water on seed germination
Materials ( I will provide)
Procedures
Data table for raw data

20. Materials # Paper towels # Petri dish
mL 0% Salt (sodium chloride) water
mL 1% Salt water
mL 2% Saltwater
mL 3 % Salt water
mL 4 % Salt water
# Radish Seeds
mL Syringe
Paper towels
Scissors
Ruler