Name: __________________________________ Date: _____________________________

Making Connections Part 4: I nvestigating Claims

Pre-Lab
There is no pre-lab activity for this lab. Please continue to read the introduction
and start working through the procedures.

Introduction
In this part of the laboratory activity, you will conduct an investigation to
determine which of two opposing claims can be supported with evidence. First
read the section below. It describes two opposing claims. Then investigate to wee
which claim if either is supported.

Procedure: Conflicting Claims
Student A claims that a person will be able to squeeze a clothespin more
times in a minute if the person exercises first. Student A suggests that
exercising produces a faster pulse rate, which indicates that the blood is
getting to the muscles faster.

Student B claims that a person will be able to squeeze the clothespin more
times in a minute if the person does not exercise first. Student B suggests
that exercise takes energy away from the muscles, and a person who has
been resting will have more energy.

1. Which of the two students do you agree with? Answer: ________________

2. How could out find out for sure which claim is correct?
Answer:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Procedure: Designing an Experiment
On the backside of the page you will find a template for designing a controlled
experiment. Generate your own ideas about conducting an experiment to support
the claim of the student you agreed with above. Fill in the template, conduct your
experiment based on your generated ideas and collect your data.


Experimental Design Template
What question are you trying to
answer?
In the box to the right generate a
question that this investigation will
answer

Generate a hypothesis.
In the box to the right use an If/Then
Statement to modify the question you
want to answer into a testable action and
identify the desired results.
If:




Then:





Title
Generate a title that will give readers an
idea of what the experiment is about.

Identify the dependent variable.
This is the data that you will collect
while your experiment is being
conducted. An example would be the
number of repetitions of opening and
closing your clothespin

Identify the independent variable.
This is the one aspect of your
experiment that will be different
between both groups conducting your
procedure.

Groups
In a controlled experiment there are two
different groups of people conducting
the experiment where both groups
perform the exact same experiment but
the experimental group has one thing
(the independent variable) that is
different.
Experimental



Control

Data Table
Like the other labs weve conducted you
will need to collect data. Create a table
that will allow you to organize all the
information easily during the
experiment. All aspects of your
experiment such as trials, number of
people, number of repetitions etc.
should be included.



Procedure
Use the box to the right to generate a list
of steps for the participants in your
experiment to follow.
























Teacher Approval Signature: _______________________