Riverside High School Research Biology

Research Laboratory Notebook and Scientific Argumentation

If you have built a perfect demonstration do not remove all traces of the scaffolding by which you have raised it

Clark Maxwell

This year in Research Biology you will be participating in several inquiry-based, guided research experiences. These experiences will help you to develop your research skill in a manner that is similar to what you will experience in AP level science courses and in college level professional scientific research.

Your Research Based Activities comprise 25% or your Biology grade. Most Research Labs will have the following components:

A research notebook (50 pts)

Scientific Argumentation document (turned in by TurnItIn.com) (50 pts)

Project/Activities (50 pts)

Research Notebook

A research notebook is incredibly valuable tool that every researcher relies on to record the progress of their research. Not only does it include the data collected, but it also allows the researchers to record their findings, detail observations, develop new understandings of scientific processes, provide an area for supporting materials (recent articles or findings) and make notes on the experimental design and research model. Importantly, a well-kept notebook provides a reliable reference for writing up materials and methods and results for a study.

Experimental Design and Cognitive Apprenticeship Components. Experimental Design is the methods of setting up and conducting an experiment and Cognitive Apprenticeship means “learning through guided experiences”. Your research notebook will demonstrate your learning and understanding of both biology content and science research skills.

The research notebook will be collected for feedback and grading after the conclusion of each guided research experience. This grade is to provide feedback on your progress on conducting research in this class. Your diligence with keeping up this notebook will make your larger research assignments much easier to complete and will improve your ability to conduct scientific research. In order to receive full credit for these components of your research notebook, each must be included, clearly labeled and legible. Remember, a research notebook will not help you at all if you cannot read your writing!!

How should I organize my lab notebook?

Table of Contents:

Record all entries in the table of contents as you go along. You can organize it anyway you like but it is advisable to include multiple levels in a table of contents, that is, indicate where a new study starts and include subheadings for specific parts of a study, methods, sets of data, etc. The idea is to enable someone (such as a supervisor, grader, or yourself) to find anything quickly and efficiently. List each set of entries with dates and page numbers. A grader should be able to find any specific entry quickly, without flipping through pages.

Page 1 – Title of the project, your name, institute at which you are conducting research.

Example:Research Biology, 2016-2017

Jane/john Doe

Riverside High School, Leesburg, VA 20157

Page 2- Table of contents at the top of the page. Then sub-divided into 3 columns: Date, Ttile, Page Number.

Example:Table of Contents

DateTitlePage Number

9/5/2015Seed Date3

9/5/2015Data Chart of Seed Data5

9/7/2015Model of Plant and Seeds2

When you start a lab in your lab notebook, include the following:

  1. Date – clearly label the date at the top left corner of EACH page and document it in the table of contents.
  2. Page Number – clearly label the page number at the top right corner of each page and document it in the table of contents.
  3. Lab Title – in CAPS or underline at the top of every page related to that experiment..

Examples:

  • The relationship between (INDEPENDENT VARIABLE) and (DEPENDENT VARIABLE)
  • The effect to (INDEPENDENT VARIABLE) on (DEPENDENT VARIABLE)
  • Are seeds alive?
  • What factors influence tree growth?
  1. Research Questions: What is the CLAIM of the experiment?
  2. Research Model Development – you may take notes in class on the development of our research question for each lab experience. This will include a concept map or development of a model as we narrow down the research question to something testable in our laboratory.
  3. Key Content Concepts and Student Understandings – Write the major concepts that each research experience will address. Write 1-2 sentences about why you think the lab is important to our understanding of science. This section provides you a place to record the “AHA!!’ moments as you conduct research. Here are some examples of what to include:
  • Definitions of new words.
  • Describing a new procedure or process
  • Describing and recording how to calculate statistical analysis
  • Sketching a primitive graph; experimental set-ups etc.

7. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN COMPONENTS

  • Hypothesis – Write 1-2 sentences about what you think will happen in the experiment. Identify your controls and your variables (IV and DV). A hypothesis is usually a one-sentence statement that says how the problem will be solved and the expected result. A hypothesis can be written in an “If {I do this___, then {this will happen} ___’ format. The statement after “if” is the independent variable, and the statement after “then” is the dependent variable.
  • An alternative hypothesis (HA) is one that states actually what you will be testing.
  • A null hypothesis (H0) show that there is no difference between treatments, and that all differences are due to chance alone.
  • As scientists, we either ACCEPT or REJECTthe Null Hypothesis.
  • Independent Variable with Experimental groups
  • Dependent Variable – with correct units of measurement
  • Control
  • Constants
  1. Materials and Methods – you may attach the experimental protocol if given to you into your notebook. If you are not given a procedure than make a list of the materials that you used (include quantities and sizes in metric units) and specifically write the steps that you took to complete the experiment. You will be developing, writing and revisiting your own procedure for the independent project in this notebook as well.
  1. Data – collect qualitative (non-numerical data ex. Color, texture, etc.) and quantitative data numerical data (ex. Height, weight, etc.) in your lab notebook. You may organize your data into a table. You may also insert any pictures from your experiment here.
  1. Table – label (TABLE 1:) and give your table a title (all Caps or underline) and include the appropriate units
  1. Graph – A hand drawn graph of statistical data. The IV will be on the x-axis and the DV will be on the y-axis. Be sure to always include the following: A title that describes the data being displayed, a legend/key to identify lines or bars (if needed), label each axis and include units, be sure to use the proper type of graph (line, bar, pie, etc.), and always be sure the graph is neat and easy to read.

**Place your table, then your graph on a single page. Do not put anything else on this page. It will keep you notebook neater!

  1. Descriptive Statistics – should include the following calculations for the data and collected in the table or separately:
  • Mean
  • Median
  • Mode
  • Range
  • Standard Deviation
  • Standard Error
  • If a statistical test is needed refer to the following websites when deciding which statistical test to pic and directions for performing statistical test respectively:

13. Results – in a paragraph, include the following:

  • Topic Sentence – what was the lab about, what was being tested?
  • Identify the IV and the DV
  • State whether the data (DV) was quantitative or qualitative..
  • Include the numbers for the means for each group. Ex: “The means for organic and inorganic fertilizer were 23.5 cm and 35.6 cm, respectively.” Do include units. Refer to your graph.
  • A description of the statistics done (what tests did you do? t-Test?)
  • What were the results from the statistical tests done? Provide as many values with units as you can.
  • Refer to the means in your table (Table 1) Make sure your table is labeled Table 1 (or 2…)
  • State the null hypothesis (remember this means that the IV will have no affect on the DV)
  • State whether the null hypothesis was accepted or rejected.
  • Be specific! A few extra words can make the results easier for readers to understand, so use them. Do not use the word “it.”
  • State whether the alternative hypothesis was supported or not supported. The alternative hypothesis is your original hypothesis – Make sure you review your original hypothesis and do not change it to match your experimental outcome.

Grading Rubric for Research Biology Lab Notebooks:

Lab Notebook Rubric (50 points)
Item / Points
Table of Contents / 1
Page Number and Date at top of every page / 1
Title in ALL CAPS or underline / 1
Research Question / 5
Research Model Generation / 5
Key Concepts/Student Understandings / 5
Experimental Design:
Hypothesis (HA) and Null Hypothesis (Ho) / 2
IV (independent variable) with Experimental Groups / 2
DV (dependent variable with units) / 1
Control / 1
Constants / 1
Experimental Components:
Materials and Methods / 5
Raw Data Tables / 5
Graph – Title, axes labeled, proper type of graph / 5
Descriptive Statistics – mean, mode, etc., accept or reject HO / 5
Results / 5
Total Points / 50

Scientific Argumentation (50 points)

Student assignment Directions:

OBJECTIVE: Students will examine the results of the research lab and provide a scientific argument to draw conclusions from the data. Students will fill out and turn in the Argumentation Graphic Organizer.

-Make a claim (Research Questions)

-Provide 3 pieces of evidence

-Draw conclusion based on claim (reasoning)

-Write a conclusion

-Cite sources in APA format

  1. Students will use the Scientific Argumentation Graphic Organizer to summarize the findings from the experiment.
  2. Students will use the Scientific Argumentation Assignment template (found on VISION) to submit their assignment to TurnItIn.com
  3. TurnItin.com Steps: You will need to create an account and then use the information below to “sign up” for Research Biology
  4. URL:
  5. Class ID:
  6. Password:

COMPONENTS OF THE SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT ASSIGNMENT:

MAKE A CLAIM: state the research question and hypothesis

Provide 3 PIECES OF EVIDENCE: what is the justification from the results section with the reasoning

Example: Water increased plant height (evidence)

Plants cells need water and water is a requirement of photosynthesis (reasoning)

Conclusions – In the conclusion refer back to the hypotheses and see if the hypotheses were supported by the data or not. Mention to either accept or reject the null hypothesis (HO). Discuss the significance of data. Do a statistical test if needed. Also, mention any sources of error, and things to do differently for next time.

  • Start with an introductory sentence.
  • Make a claim – was the null hypothesis supported or not supported (never proved!!). It’s okay if the statistics do not support your alternative hypothesis(ese) – it is still a result worth sharing!
  • Use the statistical data (means, t-test, p-value, etc) to support/explain your claim and discuss the significance of data.
  • Explain why the independent variable caused the change in the dependent variable – use what you’ve learned in class or in your own research to explain the science behind what is being observed.
  • Also, mention any sources of error, and things to do differently for next time.
  • Finally, answer your initial research question in a final statement.
  • Add a sentence about Further Questions or Areas to Explore – What did you learn from this experience and what new questions would you like to explore that are related to the current model

References to Readings and Resources – this section will help you build your bibliography/reference section and will help you keep supplemental information organized. Examples include textbook chapters, article titles, and web links to scholarly sources (USE ONLY APA FORMAT)!!!! Here are some internet sources to use as a reference:

or

Here are some scholarly sources to explore for references to labs done in class:

or or

Argumentation Graphic Organizer


SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATION ASSIGNEMNT FOR LAB: ______

Name ______Date ______Block______

Claim
Evidence 1: / Reasoning 1:
Evidence 2: / Reasoning 2:
Evidence 3: / Reasoning 3:

Conclusion?Argument:

Citations

1.

2.

3.

General Rubric for Biology Scientific Arguments (50 points)

0 / 1 / 2 / 3- Target
Claim
Intelligible / Poorly written and not understandable / Clearly written but not understandable / Understandable but not clearly written / Clearly written and understandable
Accurate / No alignment with the evidence / Aligns with some evidence / Aligns with most evidence, but not all / Aligns with the evidence
Relevant / Does not answer the research question / Answers the research question
Identifiable / Is not stated / Claim unclear / Implicitly stated / Explicitly stated
Addresses
inferential
distance*
*number of factors can be part of this / Does not explain how closely the evidence connects to the claim / Inaccurately explains how closely the evidence connects to the claim / Accurately explains how closely the evidence connects to the claim but does not justify / Accurately explains and justifies how closely the evidence connects to the claim
Evidence
Empirical*
*does not apply to conceptual arguments expanding theory / No evidence from observation or experimentation / Some evidence comes from observation or experimentation or reliable research; mostly opinion or unreliable evidence / Most evidence comes from observation or experimentation or reliable research; some opinion or unreliable evidence / All evidence comes from observation or experimentation; From reliable research;
No opinions
Statistical
analysis / No statistical analysis / Chooses inappropriate tests / Chooses appropriate tests but assumptions are misinterpreted or ignored / Analysis is justified;
considers assumptions and chooses appropriate tests
Relevant to
Claim / No evidence is useful and meaningful for supporting the claim / Some evidence is useful and meaningful for supporting the claim / Most evidence is useful and meaningful for supporting the claim / All evidence is useful and meaningful for supporting the claim
Sufficient / No evidence to support claim / Weak or limited evidence to support claim / Convincing amount of evidence to support claim
Valid / No evidence is accurate because it does not measure what it claims to measure / Some evidence is accurate because this evidence measures what it claims to measure / Most evidence is accurate because this evidence measures what it claims to measure / All evidence is accurate because this evidence measures what it claims to measure
Reliable*
*for both constructing from original data and evaluating evidence
Adjust for context / Not reproducible / Consistently reproducible;
can find multiple reliable resources
Reasoning
Appropriate / Lack of logic in linkages and incorrect interpretation of appropriate scientific principles linking evidence and claim / Lack of logic in linkages but correct interpretation of appropriate scientific principles linking evidence and claim / Logical linkages and incorrect interpretation of appropriate scientific principles linking evidence and claim / Logical linkages and correct interpretation of appropriate scientific principles linking evidence and claim
Established
and/or
currently
accepted / Does not use accepted scientific understandings / Uses outdated understanding of phenomena by the scientific community / Uses most up-to-date understandings of phenomena by the scientific community
Sufficient / No reasoning / Reasoning is not provided for each piece of evidence
OR
Reasoning provided is not convincing;
does not provide rebuttals / Reasoning provided for each piece of evidence;
reasoning provided is convincing; does not provide rebuttals / Reasoning provided for each piece of evidence;
Reasoning provided is convincing; Provides rebuttals that address the possible counter claims
Citations / No citations / Citations not APA / 3 citations 8pts

Graph Choice Chart What question would you like to explore? Write your question as a complete sentence.