Objective– Demonstrate the skills needed to plan and conduct an experiment to determine an answer to a question or solution to a problem.

Cookie Lab

Problems

  • Which brand of cookie is the least expensive?
  • Which brand of cookie is the best tasting?
  • Which brand of cookie has the best appearances?

Materials

  • Three different cookies in bags marked A, B, & C.
  • Three sheets of paper
  • Scales
  • Ruler
  • Calculator

Procedure

1. Label one sheet of paper A, one B, and one C.

2. Place one cookie from each brand on the appropriate sheet.

3. Weigh each cookie and record your data in the quantitative data table.

4. Take one cookie of each brand and as a group record the qualitative data for the three brands of cookies. Rate the cookies on a scale from 1 to 3, 1 being the worst and 3 being the most desirable for each quality.

5. After finishing steps 1-4, get the price of the cookies.

Names ______

______

Absent ______

Cookie Lab

I. Gather (collect data/evidence)

Quantitative Data Table (Evidence)

Brand / Mass of one Cookie / Mass of Bag / Average Mass (divide weight by the number of cookies in the bag)
A
B
C

Qualitative Data Table (Evidence)

Brand / Texture / # of Chips / Crispiness / Color / Mass / Size / Taste / Total
A
B
C

II. Reasoning (Analysis/Analyze/What does the data I gathered mean?)

Review the data/evidence in Step I. Write your analysis of what it means. What is your data telling your group about each cookie?

III. Communication (Conclusion/This is what my data means)

Come to a conclusion and use your evidence from Part II to support your conclusion. (Which brand of cookie is the least expensive; which brand of cookie is the best tasting; which brand of cookie has the best appearance).

Cookie Lab Worksheet Directions

I. Gather (collect data/evidence)

Definitions

  • Quantitative data – Data that can be expressed as a number. I walked two miles today; the temperature is 85o, the cookie weighed four ounces.
  • Qualitative data – Data cannot be expressed as a number. The cookie tastes good, football is the best sport, I took a long walk today.
  • Texture – The feel, appearance, or surface of the cookie (qualitative data).

Completing the Qualitative Data Table

  • Discus one A, B, & C cookie as a group.
  • In each column, write your rating of each item.
  • Rate each item 1-3.
  • 1 – worst
  • 2 – in between
  • 3 – best
  • Add the rating for each item and write that total in the “Total” column.

II. Reasoning (Analysis/Analyze/What does the data I gathered mean?)

  • Review the data/evidence in Step I.
  • What is the quantitative data (first table) telling you about each cookie. Write your analysis of what it means. What is your data telling your group about each cookie?
  • Identify the average mass (weight of each cookie – A, B, C) in this section.
  • Looking at the qualitative data table, what is it telling you?
  • Look at the number in the total column. You want to use that to rate your cookies 1 – the worst; 2 – “okay”; 3 – the best.
  • Example
  • A – 2 – an “okay” cookie.
  • B – 1 – the worst cookie.
  • C – 3 – the best cookie.

III. Communication (Conclusion/This is what my data means)

  • Using the evidence in Part II, identify which cookie your group has selected as the best.
  • Support your conclusion with evidence from Part II.
  • The cookie was rated “3.”
  • It has the most chips.
  • It weighs the most.
  • Etc.

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