2. CFU GUIDELINES
• Take out a piece of lined paper and write your
name on the top. Title it "Scientific Method CFU".
• Number the lines on your paper 1-5.
• Read each question as it appears on the board.
• Review each question and write your answer on
your paper. No notes allowed!
• Turn in your CFU on your way out at the end of the
period. We will review the answers tomorrow.
3. A student is doing an investigation into how
different types of water affect plant growth.
He is currently collecting data on his plants by
measuring their height, as well as their
number of leaves. He will continue to do this
for four weeks. What stage of the scientific
method is this student engaged with?
QUESTION 1
4. A student wants to do an investigation on how
different types of water affect plant growth.
He got the idea when he saw a large selection
of bottled water at a store, and he wondered
if there were any real differences between
them. What stage of the scientific method is
this student engaged with?
QUESTION 2
5. QUESTION 3
The same student reflects on his experience
with different brands of water. He doesn't
remember any of them tasting different from
each other. From this, he forms the opinion
that there aren't any differences between
them. What stage of the scientific method is
this student engaged with?
6. The student reviews his graphs and
determines that different types of water do
have an impact on plant growth. He realizes
that he still does not know why that is, and
decides that he needs to do more research to
understand. What stage of the scientific
method is this student engaged with?
QUESTION 4
7. The student thinks that different types of
water are equally healthy. He predicts
that if this is true, his plants will all grow
about the same amount, no matter what
type of water they receive. What stage of
the scientific method is this student
engaged with?
QUESTION 5
8. The student calculates the mean, median,
and mode for his plants' growth in terms of
both height increase and new leaves
sprouted. He then creates a graph that
depicts the trends in his data. What stage of
the scientific method is this student
engaged with?
QUESTION 6
9. The student decides that he will use five
groups with three plants each. Each group will
receive a different type of bottled water, and
he will measure the plants' growth to
determine if the type of water has any impact
on the plants. What stage of the scientific
method is this student engaged with?
QUESTION 7
11. LET'S REVIEW!
Collect your CFU from yesterday and check
your answers on the board. Use your
performance to study any material that you're
struggling with.
12. A student is doing an investigation on how different
types of water affect plant growth. He is currently
collecting data on his plants by measuring their
height, as well as their number of leaves. He will
continue to do this for four weeks. What stage of
the scientific method is this student engaged with?
QUESTION 1 SOLUTION
This student is engaged in Step 4: Collecting and
Analyzing Data (collecting data, specifically).
13. A student wants to do an investigation on how different
types of water affect plant growth. He got the idea when he
saw a large selection of bottled water at a store, and he
wondered if there were any real differences between them.
What stage of the scientific method is this student engaged
with?
QUESTION 2 SOLUTION
This student is engaged with Step 1 of the scientific
method: Observing and Asking Questions. She made an
observation while at the store, and asked a question about
what she saw, leading her to her research question.
14. QUESTION 3 SOLUTION
The same student reflects on his experience with different
brands of water. He doesn't remember any of them tasting
different from each other. From this, he forms the opinion
that there aren't any differences between them. What
stage of the scientific method is this student engaged with?
The student is engaged with Step 2: Inferring and
Forming Hypotheses. He has made an inference about
the different brands of bottled water based on his
personal experience, but he does not yet have any
scientific evidence to support his inference.
15. The student reviews his graphs and determines that different
types of water do have an impact on plant growth. He
realizes that he still does not know why that is, and decides
that he needs to do more research to understand. What
stage of the scientific method is this student engaged with?
QUESTION 4 SOLUTION
The student is engaged with Step 5 of the scientific
method: Drawing Conclusions. His data has already been
collected and analyzed because he has created graphs
for it. Based on those graphs, he concludes that different
types of water do affect plant growth.
16. The student thinks that different types of water are equally
healthy. He predicts that if this is true, his plants will all
grow about the same amount, no matter what type of
water they receive. What stage of the scientific method is
this student engaged with?
QUESTION 5 SOLUTION
The student is on Step 2: Inferring and Forming
Hypotheses. After inferring that there aren't any
differences between the types of water, he hypothesizes
that they are equally health. From this, he makes a
prediction that he can use during an experiment.
17. The student calculates the mean, median, and mode
for his plants' growth in terms of both height increase
and new leaves sprouted. He then creates a graph that
depicts the trends in his data. What stage of the
scientific method is this student engaged with?
QUESTION 6 SOLUTION
The student is now engaged in Step 4 of the scientific
method: Collecting & Analyzing data. Mean, median,
and mode are all basic statistical analyses, and
graphs are a way to make data trends clearer.
18. QUESTION 7 SOLUTION
The student is engaged with Step 3: Designing
Experiments. He has decided on the question he wants
answered and designs and investigation that will allow
him to make an evidence-based conclusion.
The student decides that he will use five groups with three
plants each. Each group will receive a different type of
bottled water, and he will measure the plants' growth to
determine if the water have any impact on the plants. What
stage of the scientific method is this student engaged with?
