Task 7
Year 12 Biology
Self-Directed Research Project Extended Experimental Investigation
Due Week 4, Term 2
Student Name______
Introduction
While some monumental discoveries have been made “by accident”, most scientific breakthroughs are as a result of carefully planned experimentation where the researcher will already have an idea of what the outcomes of the experiments might be, and a familiarity with the field of research that enables them to explain or to retest or formulate a new hypothesis from an unexpected outcome.
Good research and experimentation involves a thorough review of literature on your topic, careful planning in the setting out experimental parameters to limit variables and produce results that have statistical rigour, and to support or to disprove a hypothesis, meticulous execution, careful data collection and suitable statistical analysis of the collected data.
Task
The student is to choose a one of two topics of interest offered and formulate a researchable hypothesis that is suitable for student experimentation.
The Extended Experimental Investigation is to be undertaken in five parts:-
1. A literature review of the topic and experimental procedures
2. Submission of experimental design and hypothesis
3. Execution of experiment and subsequent data collection
4. Analysis of data collected
5. Production of written report as per Appendix Two.
The progress of the EEI is to be monitored as per the table presented in Appendix One.
Marking Criteria
As per the criteria sheet on the next page.
Please submit this sheet with your report.
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Task 7
Aspects of the taskThe student: / A / B / C / D / E /
NA
IB
/ poses researchable question / student poses a valid, well-thought and testable question (based on under-standing of the researched concepts) / student poses a valid and testable question (based on under-standing of the researched concepts) / student poses a testable question (based on a researched concept) / student poses a question of a researchable nature / Unable to pose question or choose research project / There is no evidence of this aspect has been addressed produces sound experimental design
manages the experimental task / designs or modifies collection parameters specific to the research question
manages and executes experiment with efficiency utilising appropriate equipment / selects or modifies a procedure specific to the research question
manages experiment utilising appropriate equipment / selects a procedure relevant to the research question
follows and completes experimental procedure, appropriately using equipment / follows a procedure with appropriate use of equipment
has not completed experimental procedure / follows instructions
has not made a valid attempt in regards to performing an experiment
organise and interprets data
analyse data
identify relationships / efficiently collects and organises data from experiment into suitable format such as spreadsheet or utilises some statistical package
analyses data with regards to statistical soundness
identifies trends and relationships / good attempt at collecting and organising data from experiment into a suitable format
suitably analyses data
identifies trends / attempt at collecting and presenting data
makes attempt to analyse data
uses data to discuss results / has collected some data
insufficient or unsuitable analysis of data
uses results to answer directed questions / little or no collection or presentation of data
little or no analysis of data
cannot use data
UB
/ understand and apply concepts / links the interpretation of the data to theory to demonstrate understanding of the concepts / links the data to theory to demonstrate understanding of the concepts / appreciable understanding or application of concepts to experimental results / little understanding or application of concepts to experimental results / no real understanding or application of concepts to experimental resultsEBI / apply and justify a testable hypothesis or question based on researched phenomena / capably applies and justifies in-depth a testable hypothesis or question based on researched phenomena / applies and justifies a testable hypothesis or question based on researched phenomena / justifies a testable hypothesis based on researched phenomena / develops a testable hypothesis / has a hypothesis
gather relevant background information
bibliography / generates a bibliography that shows a variety of resources selected for relevance, validity, currency and reliability / generates a bibliography of a variety of resources demonstrating relevance, validity, currency and reliability / generates a bibliography of resources relevant to the topic / generates a bibliography / names resources
TOTAL GRADES / IB - / UB - / EBI -
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Task 7
Appendix One
Monitoring of Student Progress and Verification of Student Ownership
Student Topic: / Year:Student’s Name: / Group Members
Aspect / Notes / Date and Teacher’s Initials
Interest area outlined and possible area to investigate discussed
Logbook notations started and sighted
Literature search concluded
Research question or hypothesis decided; procedure outlined; safety and ethical issues considered
Expected starting date
Expected concluding date
Submission of rough draft of planning phase
Equipment etc ordered
Logbook with ongoing observations sighted
Submission of rough draft of data analysis
Submission of rough draft of data evaluation
Complete scientific write up and submit with logbook
Appendix Two
Writing a Scientific Report
A brief description on how to present your experimental results to the world.
A scientific report is a description of how an experiment is conducted, a background that informs the reader of the nature of the research, why the experiment was conducted and most importantly, explores what happened to produce that results that were recorded.
Title –is a carefully worded description of the research or experiment being conducted. In essence, the reader can see the title and know what the experiment is all about. Scientific m\names used in the title should be complete, which also includes the name of the person who first, or most recently, described the species being used.
Abstract – is a concise statement regarding what the experiment was and what outcomes were achieved. The abstract should only be one or two paragraphs long, so it is important to only give the main points, or features of the experiment or research.
Introduction – is the background to the topic or research area. Here, for example, plant species would be described as well as any active constituents, or chemicals, that they have that are relevant to the experiment. For example, if allicin is a chemical produced by garlic and it is an effective antibiotic that would be stated in the introduction. The chemical mechanism by which allicin kills bacteria should also be mentioned.
The introduction prepares the mind of the reader for the experimental procedure, outcomes and discussion that are to follow.
Materials and Method – This section is a list of what was used in the experiment, be it chemical, in which case all chemicals and their molarities (strengths) and volumes should be listed, and all equipment (including their model and serial numbers) should be listed.
The method is an exact description of what you actually did with the materials in such detail that the reader should be able to repeat your experiment with the expectation of achieving the same results that you did. You need to describe how and what data was collected and then describe any statistical analysis of your collected data.
Results – are the description and presentation of the data that you have collected. You do not analyse or discuss your results merely present them in table or graph form so that the reader is able to see the story that they tell.
Discussion – is the section whereby the data is explained. You thoroughly explain wherever possible what happened and relate your discussion to both the charts and graphs that you have prepared and to the initial discussion where you already have laid the scientific precepts and processes of your experiment. You write about your experiment conforming to known standards, or you explain why your results are different to the outcomes of similar experiments. Did you do something wrong, different, or have you discovered a new phenomena that requires further investigation?
Be open and honest in your discussion, for one day your research may form the foundation upon which others will plan new experimentation.
Conclusion – A two or three sentence summation of the outcomes of your experiment and any recommendations for changes to the experimental procedure, or further research.
Acknowledgements – Here is where you would acknowledge your laboratory partners as well as any other people who have assisted you in your research, experimentation or statistical analysis.
References – Here is the list of all the sources that you have cited in-text. The authors etc should be set out as per the description I your student diary, as should be the in-text citations.
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