Planning a First-Hand Investigation
| Grade | Work Samples |
|---|---|
| End of Stage 4 (end of Year 8) | |
| Grade B | Darcy Bobby Chris |
| Grade C | Dale Jo Lou |
| Grade D | Sam Terry Rania Lee |
Description of activity
Students investigate the claim made by a hypothetical manufacturer that the use of their commercial growth-enhancing product increases the growth rate of a named plant. They plan and present a safe first-hand investigation, keeping appropriate variables the same and selecting appropriate scientific equipment/resources.
A scaffold is provided to assist students in presenting a plan for their investigation and identifying the equipment/resources to be used.
Context
In a unit about plants, students have gained an understanding of plant structure and requirements for growth. They have extended their understanding of the nature and practice of science through designing and performing first-hand experiences to test the questions being investigated.
This group activity builds on students’ skills in problem-solving to plan a safe first-hand investigation to test the claim of the manufacturer of a commercial plant-growth enhancer. Students use a scaffold and with guidance work in groups to describe a logical and safe procedure for testing the claim being made. They will select appropriate equipment and resources, identify variables to be controlled, and identify how data will be collected.
Areas for Assessment
Outcomes
A student:
4.10 identifies factors affecting survival of organisms in an ecosystem
4.13 clarifies the purpose of an investigation and, with guidance, produces a plan to investigate a problem
4.20 uses an identified strategy to solve problems
4.21 uses creativity and imagination to suggest plausible solutions to familiar problems
Criteria for assessing learning
(These criteria would normally be communicated to students with the activity.)
Students will be assessed on their ability to:
- plan an investigation that tests the manufacturer’s claim that the plant product increases the growth of a named plant
- select a range of appropriate scientific equipment/resources to collect the relevant data
- with guidance, use a scaffold to present a plan for their investigation that includes a reliable method for the collection of data and details some safety precautions to be used.
Resources
Scaffold for Planning a First-Hand Investigation Worksheet