Preparing for the 6 th Grade Science MOSL ** DO NOT WRITE IN PACKET **

1. Preparing for the6th Grade Science MOSL** DO NOT WRITE IN PACKET ** A step by step guide to exceeding expectations on the assessment

2. Evaluating Others Work • In any experiment their can be limitations that would decrease the reliability of a conclusion. • What does the term limitation mean? • A Reliable experiment can be repeated and produce the same results many times. • How can changing more than one variable become a limitation in an experimental design (experiment)

3. Constructing/ Evaluating Explanations

4. Possible limitations in Sample: • Malcolm changed his bike tire during the experiment. • Timekeeping is not clearly defined, he could be using a timer and Chris said it can be hard to be very accurate with a stopwatch. • Time of day was not specified, Energy level can be impacted during the race • The test conditions for not oiling the gears. We don’t know if Malcolm rode his bike for the same amount of time in between each of these time periods. • How hard Malcolm pedaled would affect his speed and could be difficult to control during all trials.

5. Writing an Answer to # 1 • Based on the results, Malcolm found out that the fastest average speed came from… • A limitation that could have affected his results is…. • In the text it says that friction can …

6. Question # 1 • Although Malcolm’s experiment produced data, Chris has doubts about Malcolm’s conclusion. • Explain the limitations of Malcolm’s conclusion by using the data and evidence from Malcolm’s Experimental Design.

7. What rating should this receive? • Malcolm’s conclusion is limited because be didn’t try many different hills during his experiment. • One of the limitations of Malcolm’s experiment is that his tire popped and he had to replace it with a new one halfway through his experiment

8. What rating should this receive? C. Although Malcolm tried to control for many variables in his experiment by using the same bike, making sure his tires were inflated to the same pressure, and he tried to ride his bike the same way every time, during his experiment his tired popped and he needed to replace it. Since we don’t know if it was the same kind of tire, the surface of it could have been different impacting the amount of friction.

9. What rating should this receive? D. Although Malcolm’s data suggests that when you don’t oil your bike for 30 days it goes faster, Malcolm did not take into account having to change his bike tire during the experiment. It was stated in the story that friction can affect the speed of the bike, and a more smooth surface will produce less fiction. If the surface of the tire changed when he replaced it, that could produce more or less friction and would impact his data results in addition to the impact of oil on the chain.

10. Scoring Rationale • In order to receive a level 4 score response students must: • Acknowledge that the data provided would suggest the conclusion is correct BUT also points out the error in design which would make the experiment non-relaible. • The student should also explain how this confounding variable (a variable that is changed in addition to the independent variable) might affect the conclusion and the data collection.

11. Asking Questions • All Testable Questions Should: • 1. Include the independent and dependant variables • 2. Be written in the form of a question (End with a ? mark) • 3. Be related to the topic or experiment (Current Phenomena) you are reading/testing. • 4. Normally start with HOW. Never start a testable question with WHY (Why is an opinion, not testable)

12. Formulates a Testable Question

13. Question # 2 • To help Malcolm figure out what makes his bike go fast, write a testable question for an experiment that would identify specific variables under investigation. • Be sure your new testable question is connected to the current phenomena under investigation from the original experiment.

14. What rating should this receive? A. How fast will it take to race down a bike path? B. Does oiling my chain more frequently make my bike go faster on average? C. How does oiling my bike chain more often affect my bike's average speed? D. Do new tires make a bike go faster? E. Does oiling my bike chain with greater frequency cause it to go a further distance in the same amount of time?

15. Formulating a Hypothesis • All hypotheses need to show the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. • Also you need EVIDENCE from the text to support WHY this relationship would happen. • IF…Then…Because

16. Formulating a Hypothesis

17. Question # 3 • In order to help Malcolm strengthen his experimental design, he must create a hypothesis as well. State a hypothesis for your testable question. Explain the rationale behind your hypothesis using any information presented in this document.

18. What rating should this receive? • If I oil my bike chain, then the bike will go faster. The text says • If I oil my bike chain more often, then my bike will achieve faster speeds because in the text it says “greased cogs have very little friction” • If I oil my bike chain more often, then my bike will reach faster speeds because I reduced the amount of friction on the cogs. In the text it says “greased cogs have very little friction” and “friction is a force that slows objects down” Based on this information if you can lower the amount of friction, the bike will go faster not slower.

19. Planning Investigation • In every experiment, there are step by step instructions to follow. Either these steps are given to you, or you need to write them down on your own. • Procedures are important for all experiments because they allow you to repeat the experiment to see if your results will be reliable.

20. Designs Procedures

21. Question # 4 • Design an experiment that improves upon Malcolm’s design. You may use a similar investigation. Be sure your procedure: • Tests your Hypothesis • Accounts for the interaction of relevant variables • Follows a logical sequence

22. Logical Sequence A procedure should be a VERY DETAILED description of steps to follow in an experiment. Each step should lead into the next one so that it makes sense. Lets think about making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can’t start with eating the sandwich without buying the ingredients first!

24. Support Your Claim • When creating a conclusion to an experiment you must review your procedure and results. Things to keep in mind: • Was your hypothesis supported by the data you collected? • Was your hypothesis NOT supported by the data you collected? What limitations could have occurred during the experiment? • What were your independent, dependent and constants in the experiment?

25. Supports Claim

26. Question # 5 • Reread Malcolm’s experimental design and compare it to the one you just created in Question # 4. Be sure to: • Explain why your procedure is more likely to produce reliable data • Explain how and why the variables are isolated and controlled.

27. How can I get a level 4 score? • State and explain how your procedure will yield more reliable results (What are you going to make sure to KEEP CONSTANT during the experiment) • Explain how the limitation in the original experiment to could make the original data unreliable • Describe why it is important to only change one thing (the independent variable) during an experiment.