P H A S E

C H E C K L I S T

Student Name: _______________________ Group: _______

Your portfolio must include, the student agreement (signed) and the portfolio checklist

Act
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Description
Sign Agreement

Activity
Points

Diagnostic Activity

Knowledge Acquisition (Reading 1-1)

Organization Activity The Discovery of the

penicillin

25

Reading and Workbook 1-2

Application Activity Science and Society

Foldable

Reading and Workbook 1-3

Metacognition The fields of Biology

Chapter 1 Assessment

Integrative Activity 1

50

Lab #1 Using a Compound Microscope

Total

Earned
Points

100

STUDENTS REFLECTIONS ABOUT HIS/HER WORK:

Presentation/Content/Activities
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Feedback to Teacher:_______________________________________________________________
Students Signature____________________________________ Date:____________

P H A S E

A G R E E M E N T

I ______________________________________________________ understand that my

portfolio is a collection of my school work and related achievements. The contents exhibit
my effort and progress as these elements relate to the goals represented in my
instructional program.

I agree to accept the responsibility for creating and managing my portfolio as I complete
each requirement. I will submit its content for periodic review to my instructor. In doing
so, I understand that the contents of my portfolio, as well as the way in which I have
presented the contents, will be evaluated for the purpose of judging my performance in
school.

Student Signature: _______________________________ Date: ____________________

Parent Signature:
I have read and understand the above portfolio agreement and have reviewed my childs
portfolio requirements.
________________________________ Date: ______________________

Stage 1: Biology as a Science

Diagnostic Activity
1- Answer the following questions.
a- What do you understand for science?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

b- What are the main characteristics of science?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

c- What is the scientific method?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

d- What are the characteristics of living things?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

2- Comment with your classmates.

 Knowledge Acquisition Activity

1-

Read your textbook on the following topics.

What is science?
Communicate the results.
Scientific theories

1-1 WHAT IS SCIENCE

1- Science is ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2- The goal of science is to ______________________________ for events in the natural
world. It also aims to use those ____________ to understand ______________ in nature and
to make useful predictions about ____________________________.
3. _____________________ involves observing and asking questions, making
inferences and forming hypotheses, conducting controlled experiments,
collecting and analyzing data, and, drawing conclusions.
4. Scientific investigations begin with __________________ the act of noticing
and describing events or processes in a carefully, orderly way.
5. An ______________________ is a logical interpretation based on prior
knowledge or experience. A ___________________ is a scientific explanation for
a set of observations that can be tested.
6. A controlled experiment is __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. Variables are:
- Independent variable- _________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
- Dependent Variable- __________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. What are the two main categories of data?
a)___________________________________________________________________________
b)
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. Some hypotheses are tested by performing _________________ _________________.
Other hypotheses are tested by gathering more _________________.
10. To be valid, a conclusion must be based on _________________ interpretation of data.

HOMEWORK --- Answer Workbook 1-1

 Organization Activity
1- Read The discovery of Penicillin and write a report that includes the following:
- Description of the application of the scientific method.
- Personal Conclusions.

Discovery of Penicillin
The discovery of penicillin has been used as a clear example to show how the scientific method
works, through the observation and the ability to interpret a casual phenomenon.
Alexander, Fleming, biologist, in 1928, while studying bacterial culture media, he noticed that
accidentally, one of the petri dishes had been contaminated with a blue mould called Penicillium
(microscopic fungi). At the beginning, Fleming was about to get rid of the petri dish, but as he
observed that in the zone where the mould was, bacteria were not growing; he asked himself how
the fungus affected bacterial growth.
Fleming, for his research, suggested that the fungus produces a substance that inhibits bacterial
growth and predicted, if they were in contact, both bacterial and fungal cultures, then bacterial
death would occur. In order to test it, and learn if he was right he cultured bacteria in different
petri dishes. Then he separated the dishes in two groups and gave each a different treatment.
Group A: bacterial culture in contact with the fungus.
Group B: bacterial culture without the fungus.
For each petri dish, he observed and registered the presence of live or dead bacteria after the
treatment. He got to kinds of results once he checked the growing of bacterial colonies (a bacterial
colony is a group of thousands of bacteria that can be seen with the naked eye). The petri dished
in group A showed a lower amount of colonies after being exposed to the fungi, particularly in the
areas closer to the fungus. The dishes in group B showed normal growth. Fleming explained that
the lower amount of colonies in group A was because the fungus secretes a substance that causes
death to bacteria.
He concluded that as fungi and bacteria compete in nature for the same resources contained in
organic matter, certain species as Penicillium had been able to synthesize a chemical that would
get rid of bacteria. He called the substance, penicillin, because the fungus that produced it as
Penicillium.
We now know that the researched developed by Fleming was the base to obtain a substance to
destroy pathogenic bacteria that we call penicillin, one of the most important antibiotics in
history. Surprisingly, it wasnt until 10 years after Flemings findings that penicillin was used in a
practical way.

Help yourself filling the following chart as you read the article.

Observation

Inference

Hypothesis

Variables
- Independent

Dependent

Controlled

Procedure

Analysis of data

Conclusion

Rubric
Criteria
Observations
Hypothesis

Variables
Describes all of the
procedure.
Conclusion

0
FAIR
The observations
were incorrect.
The hypothesis is
incorrect.
The variables are
incorrect.
The procedure is
incorrect.

2.5
GOOD
The observations
were missing ideas.
The hypothesis had
the idea but is missing
information.
The variables were
confused.
The procedure was
missing information.

The conclusion is
incorrect.

The conclusion was

not complete.

5
EXCELLENT
The observations
were accurate.
The hypothesis was
correctly written.
All of the variables
were correct.
The procedure was
described step by
step.
The conclusion is
accurately explained.

1.2 Science in Context

1. Scientific attitudes involve:

a. ______________________________
b. ______________________________

c. _____________________________
d. _____________________________

2. Ideas for scientific investigations arise from _______________________.

3. ______________________________, __________________________, and society are closely
linked. Discoveries in one field of science may lead to new technologies.
4. Publishing ________________ -- _______________________ articles in scientific journals allows
researchers to share ideas and to test and evaluate. Scientific articles contain details about
experimental conditions, ________________, __________________, ______________________,
and conclusions.
5. During peer review they look for oversights, unfair influence, _______________ or
__________________ in techniques or reasoning.
6. A scientific theory is a ___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

7. Using science involves understanding its context in ________________ and its

__________________.
8. Bias is a ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
9. Science will keep ________________ as long as humans keep ________________ about
__________________.

HOMEWORK -- Answer Workbook 1-2

Application Activity
1- Read from your textbook the topic Science and Society Pg. 14 and 15.
2- Answer the following questions:
- What are some of the limitations of science?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
-

What is the relationship between science and society?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

How is the use of science related to its context in society?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Describe some of the limitations of science.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

A study shows that a new pesticide is safe for use on food crops. The researcher who
conducted the study works for the pesticide company. What potential biases may have
affected the study?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Give an example of an ethical or moral question that science cannot address.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

3- Research a historical example of how scientific advancement was impeded by the society
in which a scientist lived. You might research on Galileo, Copernicus, Wegner or Darwin to
find out how the acceptance of ideas was influenced by prevailing social beliefs and
attitudes.
Galileo

Copernicus

Wegner

Darwin

4- Share your answers with the rest of your class. Make sure to write notes about what is
said.

Objective- Review all of the characteristics of Living things.

Instructions- Make a foldable on big ideas in Biology. Take 5 pieces (the example bellow uses only
3) of paper and arrange them with 5 cm of difference. Fold the papers in half making sure all of the
front pieces are like a stair. Staple and get ready to work.

1-3 Studying Life...............................................................Name: ___________________________

1. What does the word biology mean?
___________________________________________________________________________

2. List the 8 characteristics of living things (see page 16):

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3. Circle the letter of each sentence that is TRUE about cells.

a. A cell is the smallest unit of an organism that is considered alive.
b. A multicellular organism may contain trillions of cells.
c. A living thing that consists of a single cell is a multicellular organism.
d. Organisms are made up of cells.
4. A type of asexual reproduction where a portion of the organism splits off to form a new
organism is called _____________________.
5. What is metabolism? _____________________________________________
6. Plants, some bacteria, and most algae obtain their energy directly from ___________.
7. A _______________ is a signal to which an organism responds.
8. Give 2 examples of external stimuli: _______________________________________.
9. The process by which organisms maintain constant internal conditions if referred to as
_______________.
10. ___________________ is any change in a kind of organism over time.
(Some) BRANCHES OF BIOLOGY:
11. A biologist who studies animals is called a ____________________________.

12. A plant biologist is referred to as a _________________________________.

13. Someone who studies ancient life is a ________________________________.

14. The __________ __________ is a decimal system of measurement whose units are based on
certain ______________ standards and multiples of _______________.

15. The meter is used to measure _______________.

16. kg stands for what unit of measurement? _______________

17. Answer the following:
1 Kilometer = __________________ meters
0.45 liter = ____________________ milliliters
5000 milligrams = ___________________ grams
130 meters = ________________ kilometers
2500 milliliters = _____________ liters
0.017 grams = ________________ milligrams
18. What is the single most important rule for your safety?
________________________________________________________________________________

19. It is essential that you ___________ your hands thoroughly after every scientific activity.

Homework Answer Workbook 1-3

 Metacognition
1- Read in your textbook the topic The fields of Biology Pg.

2- Analyze the following information in the paragraph and answer the question.
Now a day, the Biological Science Faculty of the Universidad Autnoma de Nuevo Len,
works in investigation projects with microorganisms that improves the water treatment
that are disposed. They also develop strategies for microbial bioremediation to lower the
negative impact of the polluting compounds in the ecosystems.
In which field or fields of biology does this type of investigation located? Justify your
answer.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Answer Chapter Mystery in Workbook

Chapter 1 Assessment
1.1 What is science?
1- Which of the following statements about the image shown on page 28 is NOT and
observation?
a- The insect has three legs on the left side.
b- The insect has a pattern on its back
c- The insects pattern shows that it is poisonous.
d- The insect is green, white and black.
2- The statement The worm is 2 centimeters long is a (n)
a- Observation
b- Theory
c- Inference
d- Hypothesis
3- An inference is
a- The same as an observation
b- A logical interpretation of an observation.
c- A statement involving numbers
d- A way to avoid bias.
4- To be useful in science, a hypothesis must be
a- Measurable
b- Observable
c- Testable
d- Correct
5- Which of the following statements about a controlled experiment is true?
a- All the variables must be kept the same.
b- Only one variable is tested at a time
c- Everything can be studied by setting up a controlled experiment.
d- Controlled experiments cannot be performed on living things.
6- What are the goals of science?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
7- How does an observation about an object differ from an inference about the object?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
8- How does a hypothesis help scientists understand the natural world?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
9- Why does it make sense for scientists to test just one variable at a time in an experiment?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
10- Distinguish between an experimental group and a control group.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
11- What steps are involved in drawing a conclusion?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
12- How can a graph of data be more informative than a table of the same data?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
13- Design an Experiment. Suggest an experiment that would show whether one food is better
than another at speeding an animals growth.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
14- Control Variables. Explain why you cannot draw a conclusion about the effect of one variable
in an investigation when the other key variables are not controlled.

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

1.2 Science in Context

15- A skeptical attitude in science
a- Prevents scientists from accepting new ideas.
b- Encourages scientists to readily accept new ideas.
c- Means a new ideas will only be accepted if it is backed by evidence.
d- Is unimportant
16- The purpose of peer review in science is to ensure that
a- All scientific research is funded
b- The results of experiments are correct.
c- Published results are published
d- Published results meet standard set by the scientific community.
17- A scientific theory is
a- The same as a hypothesis
b- A well- tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observation.
c- The same as the conclusion of an experiment.
d- The first step is a controlled experiment.
18- Why are scientific theories useful?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
19- Why arent theories considered absolute truth?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
20- Evaluate. Why is it misleading to describe science as a collection of facts?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

21- Propose a Solution. How would having a scientific attitude help you in everyday activities, for
example, in trying to learn a new skill?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
22- Conduct Peer Review. If you were one of the anonymous reviewers of a paper submitted for
publication, what criteria would you use to determine whether or not the paper should be
published?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

1.3 Studying Life

23- The process in which two cells from different parents unite to produce the first cell of a new
organism is called
a- Homeostasis
b- Development
c- Asexual reproduction
d- Sexual reproduction.
24- The process by which organisms keep their internal conditions relatively stable is called
a- Metabolism
b- A genome
c- Evolution
d- Homeostasis.
25- How are unicellular and multicellular organisms alike? How are they different?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
26- Give an example of changes that take place as cells in a multicellular organism differentiate.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

27- List three examples of stimuli that a bird responds to.

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
28- Measure. Use a ruler to find the precise length and width of this book in millimeters.
_____________________________________________________________________________
29- Interpret Visuals. Each of the following safety symbols might appear in a laboratory activity in
this book. Describe what each symbol stands for. (Hint: Refer to Appendix B.)
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Use the graphs on Pg 30 to answer the following questions.
30- Analyze Data. Write a sentence summarizing what each graph shows.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
31- Interpret Graphs. Before any of the graphs could be used to make direct comparisons among
the populations, what additional information would be necessary?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
32- Compare and Contrast. Graphs of completely different events can have the same appearance.
Select one of the graphs and explain how the shape of the graph could apply to a different set
of events.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Guided Inquiry Skills Lab

Lab Session: Using a Compound Microscope
Objective: Learn how to properly use and care a compound microscope. Estimate the size of
objects using a compound microscope.
Instructions: Read through the laboratory practice and listen to your teachers instructions.
Answer the question and tables from what you learn and investigated on compound microscopes.

Using a Compound Microscope

Problem
What is the proper way to use a compound microscope and prepare a wetmount slide?
Introduction
A microscope is a device that magnifies objects that are too small to be seen
by the eye alone. A compound microscope has three main parts that work
together to bring a magnified image to your eye. A light source illuminates,
or lights up, the object being observed. A lens on the nosepiece magnifies the
image of the object. A lens in the eyepiece further enlarges the image and
projects the image into your eye.
Thin glass plates, or slides, are used to observe biological samples under a
microscope. The slides are made in one of two ways. A prepared slide is
made by enclosing a sample in glass. This permanent slide can be stored and
viewed many times. A wet-mount slide is made by placing a drop of liquid
containing the sample between the slide and a thin glass coverslip. This
temporary slide is made to last only a short timeusually one lab period.
Build Vocabulary
Term

Definition

magnify

To cause an object to appear larger than it is

magnification

The amount by which an image is made larger, or

magnified

objective lens

The lens nearest to the object being viewed with a

microscope

focus

To alter the location or shape of a lens so that an image

seen with the lens is clear and sharp
A change that is made to make something work better

adjustment
fine

Very tiny, as in the small distance a lens moves when

the fine adjustment knob is turned

Name

Class

Date

The microscope you will use will be similar to the one shown in Figure 1.
A microscope is an instrument that requires careful handling. In this lab,
you will learn how to use a compound microscope. You will also learn how
to prepare a wet-mount slide.
Figure 1 Parts of a microscope

Skills Focus
Observe, Calculate, Compare and Contrast

Materials
compound microscope
lens paper
prepared slide
scissors
newspaper

microscope slide
dropper pipette
coverslip
dissecting probe

Safety
To avoid damaging a microscope, follow the rules that are stated in this lab.

Handle slides gently to avoid breaking them and cutting yourself. Alert your
teacher if you break a glass object. To avoid electrical shocks, make sure
that cords, plugs, and your hands are dry when using the light source. Use
the scissors only as instructed. Do not direct the points of the scissors
toward yourself or others.

Pre-Lab Questions
1. Infer Why is it important to keep a microscope away from the edge of the
table?

2. Predict How will the image of the letter e change when you switch from
low power to high power?

Procedure
Part A: Prepare the Microscope
1. Collect a microscope and bring it to your workstation. Grasp the arm of
the microscope with one hand, and place your other hand under the base.
Place the microscope at least 10 cm from the edge of your table or desk
with the arm facing you.
RULE 1: Always carry a microscope with both hands.

2. You can find the magnification for a lens on the side of the objective. In
Figure 2, the lens has a 10 magnification. This value means that the lens
will produce an image that is ten times the actual size of the object being
viewed.
Figure 2 Nosepiece with objective lens

11

Name

Class

Date

3. Find the magnification for each objective lens and record this data in the table.
Then find and record the magnification for the eyepiece. To find the total
magnification under each power, multiply the objective magnification by the
eyepiece magnification. Record the results in the table.
Total magnification = Objective magnification Eyepiece magnification
Data Table
Objective

Objective
Magnification

Eyepiece
Magnification

Total
Magnification

Low power
Medium power
High power

4. Before you use a microscope, you should clean the objective lenses and the lens
in the eyepiece.
RULE 2:

To avoid scratching the lenses, always use lens paper to clean the
lenses. Never touch a lens with your finger.
5. Look at the microscope from the side. The low-power objective should be about
3 cm from the stage. Rotate the nosepiece until you hear the high-power
objective click into position. Note that the high-power objective is longer than
the low-power objective.
RULE 3:

Always view the microscope from the side when you move an objective
to avoid damaging the lens or a slide.
6. Rotate the nosepiece until the low-power objective clicks into position. Find the
coarse adjustment knob and practice using it to raise and lower the nosepiece.
7. Plug in the cord attached to the light source. Look through the eyepiece. Practice
using the diaphragm to adjust the amount of light entering the microscope.
RULE 4:

To avoid eyestrain, keep both eyes open while looking through the
eyepiece.

Part B: View a Prepared Slide

8. Center the prepared slide over the opening in the stage. Hold the slide by its
edges to avoid leaving fingerprints that could blur the image. Use the stage
clips to hold the slide in place.

9. Make sure the low-power objective is still in position. While you look from
the side, use the coarse adjustment to move the objective as close to the stage
23

as possible without touching the stage.

10. Use both eyes to look through the eyepiece. Turn the coarse adjustment to
move the low-power objective away from the stage until the object comes into
focus.
RULE 5: To avoid hitting a slide, never move an objective toward the stage
while looking through the eyepiece.

11. Use the fine adjustment to bring the object into sharp focus. You may need to
adjust the diaphragm to see the object clearly. Draw what you can see under
low power in Figure 3.
12. While you view the lenses from the side, rotate the high-power objective into
position. Look through the eyepiece and use the fine adjustment to bring the
object into focus. Draw what you can see under high power in Figure 3.
RULE 6:

Never use the coarse adjustment when you are using a high-power
objective.
13. Move the low-power objective back into position. Remove the slide from the
stage.
Figure 3 Prepared slide under low power and high power

Part C: Prepare a Wet-Mount Slide

14. Look for the smallest lowercase letter e you can find in a newspaper. Cut out
the letter and place it on the center of a slide.

15. Use a dropper pipette to place one drop of water on the letter, as shown in
Figure 4.
Get Ready! When you place a coverslip on a slide, you need to lower it

slowly to keep air bubbles from being trapped between the slide and the
coverslip.
16. Place a coverslip so that one edge touches the side of the drop at a 45 angle,
as shown in Figure 4. Use a dissecting probe to slowly lower the coverslip
onto the paper.
24

Figure 4 How to prepare a wet-mount slide

17. If necessary, use a paper towel to dry the bottom of the slide. Center the slide on
the stage with the e right side up.
18. Rotate the high-power objective into position and bring the e into focus. Draw
what you can see under high power in Figure 5.
19. As you look through the eyepiece, move the slide to the left. Notice the way the
image of the letter moves. Now move the slide to the right and notice the way
the image moves. Move the slide toward the arm and away from the arm and
observe how the image of the letter moves.
20. Rotate the high-power objective into position and focus the e. Draw what you
can see under high power in Figure 5.

Figure 5 Wet-mount slide under low power and high power

21. Take apart the wet mount. Discard the newspaper. Clean the slide and
coverslip with soap and water. Carefully dry the slide and coverslip with paper
towels and return them to their boxes.
22. Rotate the low-power objective into position and use the coarse adjustment to
place it as close to the stage as possible without touching the stage.
23. Carefully pick up the microscope and return it to its storage area.

25

Analyze and Conclude

1. Apply Concepts The adjective compound means made by the combination
of two or more parts. In a compound microscope, which are the parts that are
being combined? Why are they being combined?

2. Compare and Contrast How is the image of an object seen through a highpower objective different from the image seen through a low-power objective?

3. Observe How did the position of the e appear to change when it was viewed
through the microscope?

4. Draw Conclusions You observe an ant through the eyepiece of a microscope. The ant moves
toward the bottom of the slide and then it moves to the right. In which direction is the ant
actually moving?

5. Form a Hypothesis Why must scientists cut a thin slice from a biological sample before
they can view it with a microscope?

26

Build Science Skills

Criterio

Si

No

1 Pre- Lab Complete

0.2

Sigue las instrucciones y

2 procedimientos
3 Trabaja colaborativamente
4 Bata de Laboratorio

0.2
0.2
0.2

Observa las normas de

seguridad durante el desarrollo
5 de la practica.

Calificacion

Cumple

Ponderacion

Use the microscope to view a small piece of a color photograph from a magazine
or newspaper. Draw or describe the details you are able to see when the
photograph is magnified.

Observaciones

0.2
TOTAL

Integrative Project
Make teams of 4 or 5
Design an experiment that can be developed in school grounds, laboratory and nearby outskirts. The
topics such as: healthy foods against junk food, food and health (being in good shape), the
photosynthetic process, coca cola-Pepsi-big cola, the effect of light and other factors in the growth of
plants, pollution, among others.
The experiment must:

Investigate on the topic you decide. (1 page long)

Include a variable dependent, independent and a control.
Establish a control and experimental groups.
A hypothesis
Write step by step the procedure you will develop
A record of the results of the experiment. You must prove your results taking pictures that show
the progress of the experiment as well as your final result.
A conclusion that accepts or rejects the hypothesis.

27

What to hand in:

A written report. It must be clean organized and include the steps of the scientific method in
order. Your report must include:
References in introduction and wherever required and as described by the teacher. Ask your
teacher assistance in case you dont understand what to do.
A topic. In bold type.
Introduction (introduce the topic of your project and give reasons that support your working
with it, make sure you write references that support your comments).
State the problem. Define what you are looking for in your experiment.
The hypothesis. State an appropriate hypothesis for your work.
The procedure followed during the experiment. Describe step by step, use numbers.
A record of results pictures included. The pictures must be real, pictures you took during the
experiment. You or your partners must be in it to guarantee it is your real experiment.
A conclusion explaining why your hypothesis was accepted or rejected (support your results
with data taken from other books or the internet, include the reference).
Bibliography
The written paper must not have mistakes, grammar, spelling or mistakes in the process.

A power point presentation must be made so the team shows the experiment to the group.
Your power point presentation must:

Include in every slide background color combination. Letter size good for clear reading. Make
sure the letters can be read clearly even if you have a background.
Include no errors, grammar or spelling.
Not have lots of words in a slide. Just basic key words that help the speaker expand the content.
Include the step of the scientific method mentioned in every slide.
Include full student names and correctly spelled.
Rubrics will be used for both written paper and presentation.

28

RUBRIC FOR WRITTEN REPORT SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Concept to evaluate

FAIR

GOOD

EXCELLENT

Hypothesis was clear

and specific

No hypothesis

The hypothesis is
incorrectly, or not
clear.

The hypothesis was

written correctly

Content

Two or more of the steps

stated in directions are
missing

At least one of the

points is not
included, such as
conclusion,
introduction, etc.

It includes everything
required: topic,
introduction, state
problem, hypothesis,
procedure, results,
conclusion and
bibliography

Presentation

It is not clean. It is not

organized. It does not
respect the sequence
according to the scientific
method

It is clean, but it is
not organized or it
does not follow the
sequence according
to the scientific
method

This report is clean

and organized. It
follows an order
according to the
scientific method

Results

There are no pictures that

support results or there is
no description, in writing, of
the results

There is a description
of results, but it is
not clear or does not
correspond to the
pictures

It clearly describes the

results and shows
pictures of the
experiment that
support them

Errors

There are lots of grammar

mistakes or some sentences
are not understood. There
are different mistakes in the
process

There are just a few

grammar mistakes or
misspellings or there
is just one mistake in
the process

No grammar mistakes
are observed. There
are no errors in the
process.

This Rubric prepared by M.C. Alejandro Cruz Biology Coordinator

29

RUBRIC FOR PRESENTATION SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Concept to evaluate

FAIR

GOOD

EXCELLENT

Technical
specification

Limited images or images

are not adequate for a class
presentation

Over use of
animations to the
point they are
distracting and have
nothing to do with
topic. Or color
combination
inadequate you
cannot read clearly

Every slide contained

at least one graphic
combination of
background color and
letter size good for
clear reading

Mechanics

Presentation contained
three or more errors
(spelling or grammar)

Presentation
contained 1 or 2
spelling or grammar
errors

Presentation had no
misspelling or
grammatical errors

Presentation of the
information

There is a lot of information

written on the slide

There isnt a lot of

information, but it
doesnt help the
speaker to expand
the content

The information
presented allows the
speaker to expand the
content

Organization

Slides do not have written

the step of the scientific
method, it is only
mentioned when the topic
begins

Some slides specify

the step mentioned
(written), but not
every slide. Or the
order of the steps is
not correctly placed
in the presentation

The presentation
shows in each slide
the step of the
scientific method
being mentioned

Author

Student names are not

mentioned in the
presentation

Student names
included although
there are mistakes or
at least one is not
complete

Full student names

included and correctly
spelled

This Rubric prepared by M.C. Alejandro Cruz Biology Coordinator

30