Strawberry Creek Lab Report Criteria

The following are the standards for your Strawberry Creek Lab Report. Please follow them carefully (final due date to be determined):

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PAPER

Format:
12-point “normal” font
Double-spaced
1” margins
Headers (titles) at the beginning of each paper section

Writing Quality:
Pay attention to: legibility, spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence and paragraph structure. Be DETAILED and DESCRIPTIVE!

Sources:
For this paper, please compile a bibliography at the end of the paper, at least including: author, title, URL (if applicable), and publication date.

SECTIONS OF THE PAPER

Introduction: A few sentences introducing the reader to what follows in the paper

Hypothesis:
• Should be an “If….., then…..” statement.
• Should show cause and effect with one independent and one dependent variable.
• State your reasoning for the hypothesis (i.e. past observations, experience, research, etc.).
• Needs to be TESTABLE.

Experiment Methodology:
• What will you test for and why?
• What equipment will you use?
• What sites will be tested and why?
• What will be the frequency, duration, timing, and number of samples you will use and why?

Performing the Experiment:
• Describe your testing sites in as much detail as possible.
• Explain why you chose to use the data that you did.
• Explain how and by whom the data were collected.
• Describe what the field experience was like.

Data Analysis:
• Describe the data that you used, and what they mean.
• Compare the results from your different test sites and/or conditions.
• You must have at least one graph, well labeled with your independent variable on the x-axis and your dependent variable on the y-axis.

Conclusion:
• Explain whether your hypothesis was confirmed, disproved, or partially confirmed/disproved, and why you say this.
• What were some occurrences in the lab process that may have affected your results unintentionally? (e.g. human error)
• What are the next steps for this scientific process?
• What further questions or possible future research do you come away with from this experiment?

Water Quality Hypothesis and Methodology

Hi All,

For today, you should have typed and printed your hypothesis and experiment methodology. For tomorrow, Wednesday 2/25, make sure the two following assignments are completed: 1. IMPROVE your hypothesis and methodology based on the criteria from today's class. and 2. Make sure that you have a hypothesis in your notebook for how you think our Ecolab riparian model (willows) will affect nitrate levels in our "stream" (water bottle).

Water Quality Continued

Hi All,

Hope you all are having a good break! Reminder about our work as we move ahead. After developing good hypotheses related to water quality and land use in the Strawberry Creek Watershed, we really dug into our field work last Thursday in the muddy canyon. By that point, you should have had your hypothesis and experiment methodology. I will check on these in class on Thursday, and we will take a look at the data that we have so far.

Thursday Field Trip Postponed

Hey All,

Due to predicted rain on Thursday, we will be postponing the trip to Strawberry Canyon. Instead we will do some monitoring of the creek in Strawberry Creek Park before the rains (Wednesday morning), and during the rains (Thursday afternoon).

Continuing Water Quality

Hey All,

Don't forget the field trip on Thursday. Still need two or three drivers for it to happen.

For tomorrow, Tuesday, February 3rd, make sure you have read the "Land Use in the Strawberry Creek Watershed," and have addressed the following prompt:
How you think this distribution of land uses may affect the water quality of Strawberry Creek? Be detailed and descriptive in showing your thinking!