Design an Experiment

I first did this in around 1985.   Got a bit hysterical when one of my student teachers brought it from her University seminar. . . came from a classmate teaching two counties away!!!  It was even from MY typewriter!(Which tells you how old it was!)  Guess a good thing goes on and on.  Wonder if my typewriter font is still floating in classrooms out there!?!

DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS.   DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT

 TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.   TELL WHICH IS THE CONTROL, THE

 VARIABLE, AND YOUR HYPOTHESIS.

            1.  Farmer Brown sees a new type of  fertilizer on sale.   The bag says it is better than any other fertilizer on the market.  How could she design an experiment to see if the fertilizer really is better?

   

            2.  Mary owns 20 guinea pigs.   How could she prove whether they prefer guinea pig chow or oatmeal cookies?

            3.  How could Mary prove which would be better for her guinea pigs- oatmeal cookies or guinea pig chow?

            4.  Jose wonders if watering his plants with warm water would make them grow more quickly.   Design an experiment that would show whether warm water has an effect on the

 plants' growth.

            5.  Mayor Crabb needs to know if using a new type of paint on city hall will last longer than the usual type of paint.   How could she find out for sure which is better?

            6.  Suppose that you have invented a rubber band which you are sure will stretch farther than any other.   How could you design an experiment to prove your invention is better than

 other rubber bands?

            7.  Alf wants to know the best kind of bait to use in his cat trap.  How could he experiment to find the most successful bait to use?

   

            8.  Singh would like to know which would be the best kind of gasoline to use in his go kart.  How could he scientifically prove whether regular, unleaded regular, premium, or unleaded premium gasoline would be better?

  

            9.  Moe would like to know the best study method to help him do well on tests.  How could he find out if watching T.V.while he studies makes a difference in how well he learns?

   

            10. Does playing music help plants grow better?  How could you test if music makes a difference in how plants grow?   You may want your experimental design to include different

 kinds of music such as hard rock, classical, easy listening and rap.  What will be your control?

Ida Swenson, 1995, idathefriz.blogspot.com