Title: Bean Experiment

Performance Task: Students will use the following checklist and outline to create an experiment to study the

effects of an independent variable on the growth of a germinating plant. They will design the experiment, collect

data, analyze their data, and write a conclusion about their findings.

Directions: Complete the checklist to help you write a lab report about the Bean Experiment. The
checklist is not your lab report. The information must be typed in a scientific lab report format (will be
provided by your teacher).

Checklist for scientific lab report:

Scientific Question- a question identifying Scientific Question:

the independent and dependent variables.
Example: Does the amount of water affect
plant growth?
Hypothesis- a possible answer to your Hypothesis:
scientific question.
Example: Too much water will prevent the
plant from growing.
Variables: Independent Variable:
Independent Variable- the factor being
tested
Example: the amount of water
Dependent Variable- the factor being Dependent Variable:
observed to see the effect of the factor
being tested.
Example: the plant growth
Controlled Variables: the factors that will Controlled Variables:
stay exactly the same in the control and
experimental group.
Example: the amount of soil, the type of
soil, the type of water, the amount of
sunlight, the type of cup, the type of seeds,
the amount of seeds, and the amount of
holes poked in the cup.
Experimental Procedure- this will include Experimental Procedure: Separate sheet of paper
the list of materials needed for the
experiment and the step by step procedure
for the control and experimental group.
Data Table- this is an organized table that Data Table: Separate sheet of paper
contains the data from your experiment. It
should identify your control group,
experimental group, and the data you
collected. Make sure it has a title that
clearly states what the information in the
data table is about.
Graph- this is a visual representation of Graph: Must be done on graph paper
your data. Make sure you follow all of the
graphing rules we have gone over in class.
Label your axes, use an appropriate number
scale, space your numbers properly, give it
a title, make a key, and make sure your
points are plotted correctly.
Conclusion- This is a summary describing to Conclusion: Separate sheet of paper
the reader what you were investigating,
what data you collected, if your data
supports or refutes your hypothesis, and
explains what you learned from the
experiment.

Conclusion Outline:

1. Introductory Sentence: This sentence should state what you were studying in the experiment.

a. Example: In this experiment we tested to see if the amount of water would affect the
growth of a plant.

2. Body Sentences: These sentences should include specific data from your experiment and if the
data supported or refuted your hypothesis. Remember the reader will need to be reminded of
what your hypothesis is before you explain if it is supported or refuted.

a. Example: The plant that received more water grew a total of 3cm and the plant that
received less water grew 16cm. I hypothesized that the plant receiving more water
wouldn’t grow as much as the plant receiving less water. The data supported my
hypothesis.

3. Concluding Sentence: This sentence should state what you learned from this experiment.

a. All in all, a person should not use too much water when growing a plant; it will prevent a
plant from growing well.
Rubric for Lab Report Conclusion:

5 4 3 2 1

The lab report One portion of Two portions of

conclusion the conclusion the conclusion
explained the was left out of the were left out. The
purpose of the conclusion, but reader was able
experiment. The the student to understand
student identified showed an what the lab was
his/her understanding of about, but was
hypothesis and the lab and unable to
explained if it was analysis of the determine what
supported or data. the data showed.
refuted by the
data. The student
summarized the
data. The student
explained to the
reader what they
learned from the
lab.