Big Idea 1 &2 Review

 Jane is investigating to find out if bean plants grow taller in ordinary topsoil or special potting soil over a three week period. She sets up her investigation with 10 bean plants of equal size in each type of soil.
What should Jane do each day to make sure she gets valid results?

• Water only the plants in special potting soil.
• Calculate the average plant height for each soil type.
• Move the plants in ordinary topsoil to different locations.
• Estimate the height of each plant's stem and record the estimate.

For her science fair project, Marcy is investigating how levels of carbon dioxide affect plant growth. Which of the following is most important for Marcy to do?

• She needs to make sure her results match her predictions.
• She needs to make sure that her results contain both words and numbers
• She needs to make sure that the explanation of her results is based on evidence.
• She needs to make sure her results get published so that everyone can read them

 Maria and her brother like to go fishing at the lake on Saturdays. They wondered if fish were more likely to bite at one time of day than another. They decided to try an experiment the next two Saturdays. 
On the first Saturday, it was hot and sunny, and they went fishing in the morning. Maria and her brother caught a total of five fish. On the second Saturday, it was overcast and cool, and they went fishing in the afternoon. They only caught a total of three fish this time. Can they conclude that fish bite better in the morning?

• Yes. They caught more fish in the morning, so morning is a better time to fish.
• Yes. It is more likely to be sunny in the morning, and fish bite better when it is sunny.
• No. They will need to repeat their experiment several times, since the weather conditions and times were different both days.
• No. They only did their experiment on Saturdays, so they don't know if they would get the same results on other days.

Jamal and Billy are testing paper airplanes to see which design makes a plane fly farther. Jamal's design has straight wings and Billy's has bent wings. They stood side by side and each threw their planes at the same time. They did this six times, measuring how far each plane went from the starting line in meters. They decided that Billy's design with bent wings travels farther.
What should they do next to see if their results are valid? 

• Have other friends try the same experiment.
• Have them throw planes in different locations.
• Have them throw with their eyes shut each time.
• Have Billy bend the wings up even more on his plane.

Ellie conducts an investigation to determine if size or weight affect how fast objects fall. Her investigation includes repeatedly dropping a basketball and a golf ball at the same time. After many trials, she determines that both balls land at the exact same time.
Why would Ellie's investigation be valid?

• It includes her opinion.
• It is based on evidence.
• It uses objects that move.
• It proves her predictions are correct.

Jonathan and Sarah have performed an experiment and are not sure their results are valid.
What should they do to check their results? 

• average their data
• change their lab report
• perform a new experiment
• repeat the same experiment

Jordan wants to find out if a hamster can learn a maze as quickly as a mouse can. She has researched mice and hamsters and predicts which rodent she thinks will learn more quickly.
What should her next step be?

• analyze hamster behavior in the maze
• research how a rabbit would behave in a maze
• observe the behavior of both rodents in the maze
• make conclusions about rodent behavior in the maze

 Stephen and his classmates are going on a field trip to a nature preserve. His teacher has told the class that when they return to school, they will be required to give a report on their trip and the animals and plants they saw while walking through the preserve.
What is the BEST method Stephen can use to make sure he remembers everything he sees?

• He should bring a pad and pen to write down his observations.
• He should do research on the computer when he returns to class.
• He should ask his classmates to help him remember what he saw.
• He should look for a map of the nature preserve at the visitors' center.

Which of the following must be true for scientific results to be valid?

• The results should be drawn in a graph.
• The results should be based on evidence.
• The results should support the ideas of other scientists.
• The results should match the predictions of the scientist.

 Kyle completes his science project for his 5th grade teacher by carrying out a scientific investigation.
Which statement about Kyle's investigation is true?

• Kyle's investigation must include observation and evidence.
• Kyle must have an investigation with steps that follow a set pattern.
• Kyle's project is valid only if the teacher personally likes the results.
• Kyle must include all the steps of the scientific method for his results to be valid.