Practice 3

Planning and carrying out investigations

Next Generation Science Standards

Materials related to this Standard

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Blank data spreadsheet (mercury project)

Blank data spreadsheet (mercury project)

Details

For data management in the mercury project.

Grades:

Topics:

Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, organizing data

Handout for:

Environmental Sampling--Mercury Project

Data Organization

Outlining the project

Experimental Design - Mercury Project

Collecting dragonfly larvae and water for mercury

Collecting dragonfly larvae and water for mercury

Details

National Park Service citizen science field protocol for collecting draginfly larvae and water samples for mercury analysis

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Field datasheet explained: nitrogen project

Details

A primer for filling out the field data sheet

Grades:

Topics:

Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, observing, sampling

Handout for:

Environmental Sampling - Nitrogen Project

Experimental Design - Nitrogen Project

Field sampling datasheet: culvert project

Details

Datasheet to be used to record data from the field sampling event

Grades:

Topics:

Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, sampling, observing

Handout for:

Environmental Sampling--Culvert Project

Experimental Design--Culvert Project

Field sampling datasheet: mercury project

Details

Datasheet to be used to record data from the field sampling event

Grades:

Topics:

Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, observing, sampling

Handout for:

Environmental Sampling--Mercury Project

Experimental Design - Mercury Project

Graphing data sheet with questions (Data Analysis)

Details

Once the data have been graphed this is a very effective worksheet to state simply what the data say.

Grades:

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data, Constructing explanations, Using mathematics and computational thinking, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Skills:

graphing data, representing data, analyzing data, interpreting data

Handout for:

Data Interpretation

Data Presentation

Outlining the project

Authoring a research poster

Hypothesis, or Scientific Claim, worksheet

Details

A worksheet for students to use to clearly state their hypothesis, or claim, and the reasoning behind that claim (with space for hypothetical graphs).

Grades:

Topics:

Asking questions, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Skills:

argument, asking questions, communicating, formulating hypotheses, thinking about patterns

Handout for:

Developing research questions and hypotheses

Hypothesis peer review

Meaningful difference example

Details

A graphic about what a meaningful difference looks like.

Topics:

Analyzing and interpreting data, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

interpreting data

Handout for:

Data Interpretation

Data Organization

Data Presentation

Organizing data worksheet

Details

A worksheet to pull together all of the lines of data.

Topics:

Constructing explanations, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Analyzing and interpreting data

Skills:

collecting data, organizing data

Handout for:

Outlining the project

Data Organization

Presenting data worksheet

Details

A guidance document for presenting and understanding the data.

Topics:

Planning and carrying out investigations, Analyzing and interpreting data, Using mathematics and computational thinking

Skills:

collecting data, organizing data

Handout for:

Data Presentation

Data Organization

Data Interpretation

Protocol 10: Collecting samples for and determining the snow water equivalent (SWE)

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on snow water equivalent

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 11: Soil Characterization

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on sampling site soils

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 12: Macroinvertebrate collecting for abundance and diversity

Details

A field protocol for collecting macroinvertebrates for abundance and diversity

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 1a: Macroinvertebrate Sampling with D-net

Details

A field protocol for using clean techniques to collect macroinvertebrates for mercury analysis

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Grades:

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 3: Determining Stream Slope with Topo Map or Clinometer

Details

A field protocol for using topo maps or clinometer to collect data on stream or watershed slope

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, map reading, measuring, sampling

Protocol 3a: Map determination of stream slope

Details

A field protocol for using topo maps to collect data on stream or watershed slope

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 3b: Using a clinometer to measure height

Details

A field protocol for using clinometer to collect data on stream or watershed slope or tree height

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, measuring, sampling

Protocol 4: Canopy Cover

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on sampling site canopy cover

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 5: Vegetation Type

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on sampling site vegetation

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 6: Substrate Sampling

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on stream bottom substrate

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 7: Sampling water for chemical analysis

Details

A field protocol for using clean techniques to collect water samples for nitrogen analysis

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 8: Stream Stage

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on stream height

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Protocol 9: Snowpack Depth and New Snowfall Depth

Details

A field protocol for collecting data on snow depth and new snowfall depth

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling

Research Question and Hypothesis Brainstorming Worksheet

Details

Worksheet for developing research questions and also developing hypotheses from those questions.

Grades:

Topics:

Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Skills:

asking questions, formulating hypotheses, thinking about patterns

Handout for:

Developing research questions and hypotheses

Hypothesis peer review

Sampling quick guide: Mercury in dragonfly larvae

Details

A field protocol for using clean techniques to collect dragonfly larvae for mercury analysis

Types of Instruction:

Fieldwork

Subjects:

Earth Science, Life Science

Topics:

Earth's Surface Systems, Human Impacts, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Planning and carrying out investigations

Skills:

collecting data, following protocols, information gathering and interpreting, measuring, sampling