Scientific Method vs. KWL Chart
Scientific Method or KWL?
Which Do I Use?
There are two basic kinds of projects: Experimental Projects and Research Projects
In an ‘Experimental’ project, you are trying to make something happen based on a scientific principle. For example, you could grow plants under different conditions to see what affect the changed condition has.
In a ‘Research’ project, you study something in the world of science and present what you have learned. For example, you could study how muscles move your arm, then create a display or build a model showing how it works.
Usually, ‘Experimental’ projects use the Scientific Method, and ‘Research’ projects should have a KWL chart. However, if your project doesn’t fit cleanly into these descriptions, use your own judgment.
Using the SCIENTIFIC METHOD
The Scientific Method is a tool for figuring out how or why something happens.
There are so many factors that have an effect on the outcome of an experiment that it could be hard to pinpoint which one is responsible for what happens.
For example, let’s say your flashlight doesn’t work. It could be a dead battery or a burnt-out bulb. If you change the battery AND the bulb at the same time and the thing lights up, you don’t know what was wrong, and you don’t know whether or not to recycle the battery. So, change ONLY the battery. If the flashlight works, the old battery is bad and out it goes. If it still doesn’t work, then you try a new bulb.
This is called a ‘Controlled Experiment’: one that you perform several times, changing only one thing each time. By doing this, you know that any differences in the results are because of the factor you changed.
Keep good notes; write down everything. Here’s a suggested order for getting things done:
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Write down the purpose of your experiment (what you are trying to find out).
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Select and describe a variable (something you will change/vary) that will help you find your answer.
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Write down your hypothesis (your guess about what the answer will be).
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Decide on and describe how you will change the thing you selected.
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Decide on and describe how you will measure your results.
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Try your experiment several times, changing your variable each time.
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What happened? Describe your results.
When you put together your display, be sure to include EVERYTHING! Your notes and the things listed above should be the core of your presentation. Use graphs or charts if they’ll help make your project more organized and clear.
KWL Charts
KWL stands for ‘Know, Want to Know, Learn’.
The Science Fair is all about learning new stuff. A KWL Chart is a tool for summarizing how well you accomplished that goal.
It describes:
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What you knew when you started,
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What you set out to discover, and
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What you actually found out.
The format of the KWL chart you use is not important as long as it describes each of these three things separately. A sample KWL chart is included below.
Do not complete the entire KWL chart before you begin or after you finish your research.
Instead, record the first two columns before you begin working. Start with a statement outlining what you already know about the subject. Then record what you want to learn. Then, when you finish your research record what you’ve discovered.
Note: If what you write in the ‘What I Learned’ column is material you already knew when you started, perhaps you are not really finished!