Project Description

What's more fun than a test?  

Finding an experiment that you think is interesting and telling your classmates about it.  Way more fun.  So instead of a chapter 5 test, here's what you're going to do:

Step 1: Locate an article that includes information about the design and implementation of, and the results from, an experiment in a newspaper, magazine, periodical, recent book, or on the Internet.  You must obtain this article without consultation from other students.  See post below for tips on finding an article.

Step 2: Create a blog using blogger.com.  More detailed instructions on how to make a blog are posted below.  NOTE: if you don't want to make a blog, you can write a formal paper that answers all the questions below, or you can make a website.

Step 3: Make a separate blog post for each of the following topics.  In each post, answer all questions using evidence from the article and vocabulary and content from class.  Your job is to prove to me that you learned about experiments in section 5.2.

Here are the posts your blog must have (feel free to title them as you see fit):

1. Summarize the experiment and identify the population of interest and the experimental units.  Include the bibliographical information of the article.  If you found the article online, include a link.  If you did not find it online, make a copy of the article and turn it in to Ms. Peterson.

2. How were the experimental units selected?

3. Describe and critique the design and administration of the study.  Include specific comments on control, randomization, and replication.  What was measured and how?

4. Comment on any bias and confounding variables present in the experiment.  Is there a possible placebo effect?

5. Comment on the graphical and numerical analysis of the data.  Should anything have been done differently?

6. What conclusions were drawn from this study?  Do you agree?  Do you feel that the results of the experiment can be generalized to the population of interest?

This part of the project is due on Tuesday, December 10th.  The rubric is posted below. 

There will be one final part of the project - reading and commenting on a classmate's blog - but this won't be assigned until after December 10th.

Post any questions you may have in the comment section below!

Make the Blog!

Alright, so to get started, you'll need a gmail account.  I'm pretty sure you should have a district gmail account, but I don't know how to access it.  If you don't have your own gmail account, just make one quick.  It's free and pretty easy!

Next, go to blogger.com and create a new blog by clicking the "New Blog" button.  Make sure the name of your blog has something to do with the experiment you selected.

Write your blog address and gmail address in this document once they have been created.

To make a post, click the orange "New Post" button in the upper left hand corner of the page.  Look at the project description to see what to put in each post.

You can change the published time by clicking the "Published on" box on the right.  You can change the time of each post.  The oldest posts show up at the bottom of the page.

Once you have your content set, feel free to personalize the set up of your blog!

Rubric

You can earn four points per blog post plus two points for the correct source citation and four points for mechanics.  This project is worth 30 points.  Detailed grading guidelines below:

1. Summarize the experiment and identify the population of interest and the experimental units.  

4 points: includes accurate and well written summary, correctly identifies the population and units

3 points: minor error in summary, population, or units

2 points: major error in summary, population, or units (or two minor errors)

1 point:  two major errors in summary, population, or units

2. How were the experimental units selected?

4 points: accurately explains how units were selected, using vocabulary from class

3 points: accurately explains how units were selected, without using vocabulary from class

2 points: makes minor error in explaining how units were selected

1 point:  makes major error in explaining how units were selected

3. Describe and critique the design and administration of the study.  Include specific comments on control, randomization, and replication.  What was measured and how?

4 points: discusses the design (including control, randomization AND replication) accurately

3 points: discusses the design (including two of: control, randomization and replication) somewhat accurately

2 points: discusses the design (including two of: control, randomization and replication), but not accurately

1 point:  discusses the design (including one of: control, randomization and replication), but not accurately

4. Comment on any bias and confounding variables present in the experiment.  Is there a possible placebo effect?

4 points: accurately and thoroughly  addresses bias, confounding variables, and placebo effects

3 points: minor error in addressing bias, confounding variables, and placebo effects

2 points: major error in addressing bias, confounding variables, and placebo effects (or two minor errors)

1 point: two major errors in addressing bias, confounding variables, and placebo effects

5. Comment on the graphical and numerical analysis of the data.  Should anything have been done differently?

4 points: accurately identifies and explains any misleading graphs or numerical analysis

3 points: accurately identifies any misleading graphs or numerical analysis, but does not explain

2 points: minor error in identifying and explaining any misleading graphs or numerical analysis

1 points: major error in identifying and explaining any misleading graphs or numerical analysis

6. What conclusions were drawn from this study?  Do you agree?  Do you feel that the results of the experiment can be generalized to the population of interest?

4 points: accurately and thoroughly discusses conclusions and generalizations

3 points: minor error in discussing conclusions and generalizations

2 points: major error in discussing conclusions and generalizations (or two minor errors)

1 point:  two major errors in discussing conclusions and generalizations

Additional Points:

2 points: Include the bibliographical information of the article.  If you found the article online, include a link.  If you did not find it online, make a copy of the article and turn it in to Ms. Peterson.

4 points: English mechanics (grammatically correct, punctuated properly, no spelling mistakes, well written, etc.)

Tips for Finding Articles

In Databases:
- go to Mayo Library homepage
- click "Subscription Databases" on the right side
- try searching for "experiments" in the following:

• Ebsco Student Research Center
• Discovery Collection
• CQ Researcher (Username: rochester Password: researcher)
• Gale - General Science Collection

In Print:

Talk to a librarian about the Encycopedia Set of Scientists, Great Events from History II, or the Science and Technology Series.

Online:

Be careful of web searches .. make sure you find a reliable source that has enough information for you to answer all the questions.

If you find a helpful source, write about it in the comments below!