LESSON PLAN: Experimental Design
Title of lesson: Introduction to Experimental Design
Date of lesson: 3rd Wednesday of Project
Length of lesson: 45 minutes
Description of the class: Project based biology course
Name of course: Biology
Grade level: 10th grade
Honors or regular: regular
Source of the lesson:
Peter Rispin
TEKS addressed:
(2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(B) collect data and make measurements with precision;
(C) organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data; and
(D) communicate valid conclusions.
I. Overview
The students will get a broad introduction to using statistics when designing and analyzing experiments.
II. Performance or learner outcomes
Students will be able to: calculate the mean, median, and standard deviation to tell the difference between two groups of data gathered in class in a simulated experiment that they design. The students will then redesign the experiment to take into account the variation they find in the data.
III. Resources, materials and supplies needed
Computers or graphing calculators, rulers.
IV. Supplementary materials, handouts.
None needed
Five-E Organization
Teacher Does Probing Questions Student Does
Engage: Learning Experience(s)The students will measure the lengths of a folder and a stem.
Time: 5 minutes |
Critical questions that will establish prior knowledge and create a need to know Which item will have the most variable measurements? How can we figure out the true length of the variable one? |
Expected Student Responses/Misconceptions Stem Get a better way of measuring. WonÕt come up with idea of using more measurements. |
Explore: Learning Experience(s)The students will find objects that will also provide variability in measurements, and hypothesize the # of times required to get enough data to give a meaningful idea of the ÔtrueÕ length. Use student data and earlier measurements to produce histograms on the board for each item. Have students calculate means.
Time: 15-20 minutes |
Critical questions that will allow you to decide whether students understand or are able to carry out the assigned task (formative) How could we graphically represent the different measurements of the same item to see the difference between the way the items were measured? What do the histograms tell us about the measurements? About the items? |
Expected Student Responses/Misconceptions |
Explain: Learning Experience(s)Discuss the histograms, talk about the shapes, introduce concept of standard deviation to help mathematically describe the ÔshapeÕ of variability. Time: 5 minutes |
Critical questions that will allow you to help students clarify their understanding and introduce information related to concepts to be learned How can the mean help us understand the measurements? What happens if the means of the folder and the stem were different? How would we represent the difference between the two objects mathematically? |
Expected Student Responses/Misconceptions |
Extend / Elaborate: Learning Experience(s) If there is time, use standard error calculations to compare two means. Time: 5 minutes |
Critical questions that will allow you to decide whether students can extend conceptual connections in new situations |
Expected Student Responses/Misconceptions |
Evaluate: Summarize: Ask students to propose how they could use the idea of variability in measurement to help them plan the data collection in their experiments. Time: 5 minutes |
Critical questions that will allow you to decide whether students understood main lesson objectives |
Expected Student Responses/Misconceptions . |