Name: _________________ SBI4U0: Scientific Investigations Skills Date: _________________

Practice Scientific Skills & Writing Your Formal Lab Report

Learning Goals: I can develop and apply my scientific investigations skills to solve real world problems

Title: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Introduction: (Research key background information that starts from broad topic then narrow down to the question
relating to your chosen question; provide what is currently known about the topic & what is still needing investigation
which should lead to your work/question)

Example: ______________________________________________________________________________
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Pre-observation experiment: (to explore the problem/situation so that you may establish a baseline knowledge of it)

Labelled diagram of control or base model Pre-observation table: note what you observe while exploring

Trial # Outcome (unit) Average result

Questions – science starts when we ask questions (come up with questions associating with water bottle & liquids)

1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose: (choose one (1) from the list of questions above to test) – rewrite as a statement
The experiment was to investigate/determine ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Name: _________________ SBI4U0: Scientific Investigations Skills Date: _________________

Hypothesis: (a testable explanation) – has an if … then … because … statement (include an embed reference)
(Independent variable) (Dependent variable)
If ___________________________________________, then __________________________________________
because ____________________________________________________________________________________
(citation – author’s last name, year: ___________________________)
Variables:
• Independent variable: (what change are you making to the setup?) ________________________
Range of conditions (series of values used): _______, _______, _______, _______, ________.
Positive control experiment: (identify which of those 5 conditions is the + control?) _________
Negative control experiment: (identify which of those 5 conditions is the - control?) _________
• Dependent variable: (what is the outcome of that change?) ______________________________
• Control variables: (what factors/aspects of the test you must keep the same for fair test?) – give 4
___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________

Materials: list in bullets, remember to specify the quantity of equipment used if possible eg. 250 ml beaker (3)
• _________________________ • _________________________
• _________________________ • _________________________
• _________________________ • _________________________

Procedure: write out everything you did in steps (one step at a time), start with an action word (verb), be safe
should be past tense eg. gathered all materials, measured 2mL of water using a 10mL cylinder

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________________________________
7. ____________________________________________________________________________________
8. ____________________________________________________________________________________
9. ____________________________________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________________________________

Providing labelled diagram or photo of set-up if relevant or a flow chart of the steps here: [optional]
Name: _________________ SBI4U0: Scientific Investigations Skills Date: _________________

Observation: record exactly what has occurred when you do the test. Organize your notes in a chart. Take pictures!
Qualitative observations: information you collect using your senses (eg. sight, touch, smell, hear, taste)
Quantitative observations: information you collect that involves measurements

Dependent Variable (What are you looking for or measuring?)

(Independent
Variable)
Qualitative Observations Quantitative Observations Pattern or Trend?
Draw & Label to show Description of Trial #1 Trial #2 Trial #3 Average of Rank the
physical properties events observed (unit) (unit) (unit) trials (unit) outcome
+ control

condition 2

condition 3

condition 4

- control

Graphing your data: when there are quantitative data, you will need to graph them.
Example:
1. Scattered Plot graph (use best fit line
(Dependent to show linear trend)
variable) 2. Line graph (connect the dots
continuously to show changes)
3. Bar graph (use bar height to compare
different values)
4. Pie graph (use section percentage to
show distribution)

(Independent variable label)

Name: _________________ SBI4U0: Scientific Investigations Skills Date: _________________

Your graph here …

TITLE: ____________________________________________________

Results: write observations in full sentences but DO NOT provide any analyses. State the facts
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Name: _________________ SBI4U0: Scientific Investigations Skills Date: _________________

Conclusion: Summarize results (2 sentences). See if you have answered your purpose.
Compare your hypothesis (is it being accepted or rejected?)!
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Discussion: Interpret the meaning of the observations. Explain how or why the results came out they did (will need
to do research; include embedded citation of resources used).
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Error Analyses: Were there anything you did that could affect the accuracy and precision of your results?
(eg. were you able to carry out the control variables correctly? If not how would they change your results?
And how can you improve so that you can carry out the control variables correctly?)
______________________________________________________________________________________
Error #1: ______________________________________________________________________________
How it affects the truth? _________________________________________________________________
How to avoid this error in repeated trial? ____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Error #2: ______________________________________________________________________________
How it affects the truth? _________________________________________________________________
How to avoid this error in repeated trial? ____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Error #3: ______________________________________________________________________________
How it affects the truth? _________________________________________________________________
How to avoid this error in repeated trial? ____________________________________________________
Name: _________________ SBI4U0: Scientific Investigations Skills Date: _________________

Future Implications: Explain how you can apply this knowledge for different situation or in real life
______________________________________________________________________________________
a) How does the result impacting economy (eg. job gain/job loss/ spending cost/ revenue/ trades/ etc…)?
______________________________________________________________________________________
b) How does the result impacting society (eg. improving it or harming it / pros & cons / etc…)?
______________________________________________________________________________________
c) How does the result impacting environment (eg. disrupting natural cycles thus polluting soil, water, air)?
______________________________________________________________________________________

d) Can the experimental set up be used at a large scale in society to solve problem or not? Explain. What
needs to change from the lab test model to successfully implement in society? ______________________

e) How else can the results (learning) from this investigation be use?
______________________________________________________________________________________

f) What further testing(s) can be done as a follow up? (i.e. for improvement, to fill other missing data)
______________________________________________________________________________________

Appendix: This is where you include photos, additional diagrams to help readers understand your report better.
Also, all calculations relating to the experiment are shown in full solution format in this section! You will use
embed referral when you want to direct readers to the Appendix eg. Appendix A., B., C.,

eg. Appendix A: ________________ (title) Appendix B: ________________ (title)

Brief description: _____________ Brief description: _____________

References: If you research for information, you will need to tell the reader where you get it. This is called citation.
If you don’t, you will be seen as stealing other people’s work (plagiarism). In Science, we use APA format. The
librarian should be able to help you. Or use [Link] or [Link]