2018-2019 Science Fair

Assess how you conducted your experiment.

● Please move this document to your s​ hared Biology folder.

● To complete this, you will need to refer to your project proposal.
● After you answer all the questions, remember to ​submit the document in Canvas​.

Sample size
1. Below, put what you planned for sample size and/or repeated measures (#9 in experimental proposal).
I planned to send out my test to the entire grade, and have a good size (~45% participation)

2. Below, put the actual sample size and/or repeated measures you completed by the deadline (February
5).
I got about 12 participants/test scores for my project

3. If there are differences between your initial plan and what you completed by the deadline, explain
a) why they are different, and
b) what you could have done differently to reach your goal on time.

a) I originally thought that people would be more willing to participate in each others projects
(myself included), but in reality, I had no control over whether or not people would take the time
to do my google form.
b) I should have offered an incentive to do my project (like giving out candy upon proof of
completion), but that would not even guarantee even half the grade doing my test.

Procedure
4. Below, paste a copy of your planned steps from your project proposal (#15).

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat

7
Proposals and
signed parent
form due

9 10 B-ball 11 B-ball 12 B-ball 13 B-ball 14 B-ball 15

guitar

16 17 18 19 20 LA 21 LA 22 LA

23 LA 24 LA 25 LA 26 LA 27 28 29

30 31 1 2 3 4 5
 5 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 Send out 18 New 19 New

Fourmulate Fourmulate Fourmulate Fourmulate test email Orleans Orleans
email email email email

20 New 21 New 22 23 24 25 26
Orleans Orleans

27 28 Reminder 29 30 31 1 2
email

3 4
Make sure Data is due
all data is in
table

5. Carefully look over your initial plans. In a numbered or bullet-pointed list below,
a) identify in detail things you actually did differently, and
b) explain why you made each change.

● I was able to stick to my plan almost exactly, except for the fact that I sent the email out 4 days
later than anticipated. I think that it ended up not changing things that much because that was
about the time when I saw most other science fair emails come to me.

Variables
6. In your proposal, find your standardized (#8) and extraneous variables (#10) and list them in the table
below.
Standardized variables Extraneous variables

- Equipment (quality of speakers/headphones) - Lying about results

- Song - Testing environment (although instructions
said to go to a place with minimal distractions,
subjects weren’t all in the same room)
- Intelligence level

7. Standardized variable review:

Did you successfully standardize all the variables you planned to?
If not, explain why not. ​YES
- I standardized the song that the groups listened to (except for the control group, which had no
song). I don’t know the type of earbuds/headphones people used, but everyone used them so the
 sound went directly into their ears.

8. Extraneous variable review:

Were there other factors (that you did not originally list) that you think could have affected your results?
Identify them and explain your answer.

- No other extraneous variables that I didn’t already think of

Impact on Results
9. Think about all the ways the implementation of your experiment differed from your initial plans (your
answers to questions above).
Discuss how these changes may make your project stronger and/or make it weaker (i.e. make your
results more reliable or less reliable).

- My data sample size was much less than I expected, so it will definitely hurt the strength and
validity of my project.

Reflection on learning
In August, y’all shared your thoughts on what the point of school is. Many of your responses involved
building skills. You may recognize some of them in this list below, which has a few of my top priorities for
skills to build in this class.

10. Read over the skills and indicate with a comment where you feel you are with each, at this point in the
year.

I think I have I’m making progress. I’m struggling: I see This is a very weak
very strong I feel pretty good some improvement area for me. I don’t feel
skills in this about it. but it’s really hard. I’ve improved at all.

Design My
experiments experiment
was designed
as good as it
possibly
could be, the
problem was
just
participation.

Manage​ time & I mostly stuck to my

long term work original plan, but I
was unable to get
my email out as soon
as I hoped.

Work​ ​well I never got

independently: distracted
with focus, from my
self-reliance, & goal, and I
initiative really tried
my hardest
to get
responses.

Own ​your own I emailed and visited

learning: take Mrs. Sanders
responsibility for multiple times, but
your work; I’m slightly irritated
know when you that my 2 emails I
need help and sent to the grade
ask for it. didn’t get that many
responses.