Descriptive Investigation:



Descriptive Investigation:

▪ Involve describing and/or quantifying parts of a natural system.

▪ Use careful observations and measurements to develop descriptive findings about an organism, substance, reaction, or natural process

▪ Can include both quantitative and/or qualitative process

▪ Include the following parts of scientific inquiry:

o Observations

o Scientific research question

o Procedure

o Data, graphs, analysis

o Conclusion

▪ Do not include hypothesis or predictions

▪ Can be identified with the following key words:

o Observe

o Describe

o List/count

o identify

▪ Example—observing cells under a microscope and diagramming what is seen.

Practice Descriptive Investigation:

Survey your classroom demographics for today:

Total # of students in classroom: ___

# of girls: ___

# of boys: ___ (quantitative data)

How many students from the total have a middle name?

_______ out of _______

What is the percent of students that have a middle name?

Descriptive Investigation (Observation practice) :

Observe a Suclata Tortoise for 5 minutes outside.

▪ Describe what you observed using your senses, in written form below. (qualitative data)

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Three Types of Science Investigations

Vocabulary

Qualitative data: data that derives from observations

Quantitative: data that derives from quantities/numerical data

Variable: factor or condition in an experiment that change or can be changed

Independent /Manipulated Variable: factor or condition in an experiment that is changed on purpose by you, the scientist; often called the manipulated variable. This goes on the X axis of a graph (bottom).

Dependent / Response Variable: factor or condition in a experiment that changes as a result of the independent variable; often called the responding variable. This is what you measure and goes on the Y axis (side).

Constant: factors or conditions in an experiment that are kept the same in all trials of the experiment.

Control: a set up without the variable being tested, the norm.

1. Descriptive Investigation:

Involve describing and/or quantifying parts of a natural system.

▪ Has a research question, procedures, and conclusion

▪ Used when little is known about the topic

▪ No hypothesis or prediction

Key words: Observe, describe, list, identify

Example – observing cells under a microscope and diagramming what is seen.

2. Comparative Investigation:

Involve collecting data on collecting data on different populations/organisms, under different conditions (ex. Times of year, locations), to make a comparison.

▪ Has a research question, possible hypothesis, procedures, and conclusion.

▪ Can have independent/manipulated and dependent/response variables

▪ No control / control group

Key words: Compare/contrast, similarity/difference, categorize

3. Experimental Investigation:

Involve a process in which a “fair test” is designed in which variables are actively manipulated, controlled, and measured in an effort to gather evidence to support or refute a causal relationship.

▪ All known variables have been identified

▪ Has a research question, hypothesis, procedures, control, and conclusion

▪ Has independent/manipulated and dependent/response variables

▪ All factors can be held constant except the manipulated

Example- Testing the height of a ramp to determine how far a marble will roll.

|Investigation | |Includes a |Has Variables |Has a control and |

|Type |Purpose |Hypothesis |Independent and |experimental group? |

| | | |Dependent? | |

|Descriptive |To draw conclusions|No, but does answer| | |

| | |a question |No |No |

|Comparative |To determine | | | |

| |relationships |Yes |Yes |No |

|Experimental |To determine a | | | |

| |casual relationship|Yes |Yes |Yes |

Descriptive Inquiry/Investigation

Complete you own descriptive inquiry/investigation. Will it be an observation of nature, a count, a survey, etc. Be sure to have:

1. a research question you are answering

2. observations recorded (qualitative and/or quantitative)

3. any graphs/charts/analysis if any

4. An answer to your research question

1.) Research Question: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.) Data (observational):

3.) Any Graphs/Charts/Analysis:

4.) Answer to your research Question:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comparative Investigation:

• Involve collecting data on different organisms/objects /features, or collecting data under different conditions (e.g., times of year, temperatures, locations) to make comparisons

• Involve looking for patterns or trends by comparing similarities and differences over time and under various circumstances

• Include the following parts of scientific inquiry:

o observations

o scientific research question

o hypothesis

o procedure

o variables (independent and dependent)

o data, graphs, analysis

o conclusion

• Do not include a control group

• Can be identified with the following key words:

o compare/contrast

o similarity/difference

o categorize

• Example: comparing two different types of leaves to see which one has a greater rate of transportation

Practice Comparative Investigation

Compare 2 items scientifically.

1. Observations:

2. Research Question

3. Hypothesis

4. Procedure

5. Variables/data

6. Conclusion

Comparative Descriptive Inquiry/Investigation

Complete your own comparative inquiry/investigation. Be sure to have:

1. Make an observation about 2 items/ideas for comparison (qualitative and/or quantitative)

2. Ask a research question

3. Hypothesize a possible answer for your question.

4. Create a procedure to test your hypothesis.

5. Identify what you are testing.

6. Collect accurate data in various ways (tally, graph, chart, qualitative, quantitative…)

7. Conclude with an answer to your research question.

1. Observations:

2. Research Question:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Hypothesis (possible answer to question):

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Procedure for experiment:

5. Variables (what am I testing?):

6. Data Collected:

7. Conclusion (accurate answer to research question)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Experimental Investigation:

▪ Involve a process in which a "fair test" is designed and variables are actively manipulated, controlled, and measured in an effort to gather evidence to support or refute a causal relationship

• Involve determining how a variable affects a control and experimental group

• Include the following parts of scientific inquiry:

o observations

o scientific research question

o hypothesis

o procedure

o variables (independent and dependent)

o control and experimental group

o data, graphs, analysis

o conclusion

• Can be identified with the following key words:

o control and experimental groups

o constants

o testing the effects of …

• Example: testing to see how the height of a ramp effects how far a marble will roll

Practice Experimental Investigation:

1. Observations:

2. Research Question

3. Hypothesis

4. Procedure

5. Variables (independent, dependent)

6. Control/Experimental group

7. Data, graphs, diagrams

8. Conclusion

Experimental Inquiry/Investigation

Complete your own experimental inquiry/investigation. Be sure to have:

1. Make an observation about a phenomenon (qualitative and/or quantitative)

2. Ask a research question

3. Hypothesize a possible answer for your question.

4. Create a procedure to test your hypothesis.

5. Identify what you are testing.

6. Identify your control group/experimental group

7. Collect accurate data in various ways (tally, graph, chart, qualitative, quantitative…)

8. Conclude with an answer to your research question.

1. Observations/Problem:

2. Research Question:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Hypothesis (possible answer to question):

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Procedure for experiment:

5. Variables (what am I testing?):

6. Control/Experimental Group

7. Data Collected:

8. Conclusion (accurate answer to research question)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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