Name: ______Date: ______Period: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Lab Outdoor Logical Explanations

Goals:

1.  To improve observation skills.

2.  To make logical explanations after the fact based on the observations.

3.  To write useful hypotheses based on the inferences made.

Directions:

Part 1

·  Go to the Pond area of the Outdoor Lab.

·  Make the following observations:

1.  Describe the shape of the pond.
2.  Describe the size of the pond.
3.  Describe what is around the edges (is there anything man-made?) the pond.
4.  Describe the plants growing inside in the pond.
5.  Describe the plants growing at the edge of the pond.
6.  Describe the animals that are in or around the pond.
Draw a picture of this pond. Label the different (#1-6 above) parts.

·  Go to the Younger Forest area of the Outdoor Lab.

·  Make the following observations:

7.  Describe all of the different types of trees.
8.  Describe all of the lower standing plants (shrubs, grasses, brambles (any spikey), etc.
9.  Describe the animals that are found in the younger forest.
10.  Describe the shape of the land area that the younger forest takes up. You may draw a picture of the shape instead.
11. Draw a picture of the younger forest. Label the different (#7-9 above) parts.

·  Go to the Mature Forest area of the Outdoor Lab.

·  Make the following observations:

12.  Describe all of the different types of trees.
13.  Describe all of the lower standing plants (shrubs, grasses, brambles (any spikey), etc.
14.  Describe the animals that are found in the Mature forest.
15.  Describe the shape of the land area that the Mature forest takes up. You may draw a picture of the shape instead.
16.  Draw a picture of the Mature forest. Label the different (#7-9 above) parts.

Part 2

·  Choose 1 observation from each location (for a total of 3) and rewrite them below.

·  Then write a logical explanation for each one.

Observation / Logical Explanation
1.
2.
3.

Questions:

1.  For observation #1, how did you come up with your logical explanation?

2.  For observation #1, how did you come up with your logical explanation?

3.  For observation #1, how did you come up with your logical explanation?

Part 3:

Now think of an experiment that could test each logical explanation and write a hypothesis for each.

·  Be sure to use the “If, then, because” format and do not make circular arguments.

Hypothesis #1: If (inference) ______,

______

then (observation) ______

______

because (connection between the explanation and the observation) ______

______

Hypothesis #2: If ______

then ______

because______

Hypothesis #3: ______

______