Unit One Final Assessment:

Mock Experiment Paper

Due Date: Friday, February 26th on Turn-it-in.com

11:59 PM

60 points
INTRODUCTION (10 points) ( about 2 paragraphs)
1. Your research question needs to be related to classroom/school learning, and
must have a connection with the two articles we read in class (listed below).
a. Brain Research on Rats
b. Tapping Educational
Potential
2. You will explain why you are interested in this specific topic, and briefly
describe some of the research that has already been done that helped you
come up with your own topic.
- Correctly incorporate a reference (quote or summary) from two readings,
including a description in your own words why it is important to understand
and how it led you to determine your research question. (8 pts)
3. You will state your hypothesis here at the end of your INTRODUCTION using
the following format. IF _______(Describe your independent variable, or the
difference between the groups you will experiment on)________________ than
____________(Describe what will happen to your dependent variable, or what
you measured in your experiment)____________ because _________ (give an
explanation of why you think you will find these results). (2 pts)
EXPERIMENT/METHODS: (20 points) (about 3-4 paragraphs)
1. You will explain IN DETAIL the experiment you will conduct including:
a. Your population you are studying and WHY (2 pt)
b. Your random sample size and WHY you chose that number, and WHY it
is important to have a random sample. (2 pt)
c. Your random assignment to your different groups (describe your
different groups in your paper, you will need AT LEAST a CONTROL
group and an EXPERIMENTAL group). Please explain why RANDOM
assignment is important. (4 pt)
d. Operationally defined Independent variables and how EXACTLY you are
going to change them. This should be very detailed. (4 pt)
e. An operationally defined Dependent variable (including the description
of how you will measure the before and after scores) (4 pt)
f. At LEAST 3 specific variables you will need to control and WHY you will
need to control them. (4 pt)
ETHICAL GUIDELINES: (5 points) (1-2 paragraphs)
-You will specifically describe how your research study will follow all 5 Ethical
Guidelines we have discussed in class. You will simply state how you will ensure

your experiment follows each Guideline specifically, showing understanding of the

guideline. (Informed consent, risk, etc.)
RESULTS: (3 points) (1 paragraph)
-You will give made up results of your dependent variable (what you measured
before and after the experiment was conducted) and then explain what they mean.
This will include a discussion of the difference between outcomes of your CONTROL
and EXPERIMENTAL group.
CONCLUSION: (10 points) ( about 3-4 paragraphs)
1. Here you will analyze your findings, and discuss the importance of this
research by answering the following questions:
a. How do the results specifically affect teachers? (give at least 2 ideas)
(2pts)
b. How do the results specifically affect students? (give at least 2 ideas)
(2 pts)
c. How do they specifically relate to your own life? (give at least 2 ideas)
(2 pts)
2. Give 1 potential confounding variable that could have thrown off your
experiment. You must include a WHY it is a potential confounding variable. (2 pts)
3. Include ideas on future research that would further develop your research
question/experiment (basically think about the next experiment you would do to
continue your research). Give at least two specific ideas that may be studied in the
future and make sure to include an explanation of WHY they would be important to
study. (2 pts)

Additional 10 points:
Formatting (3 pts)
Double Spaced, indented paragraphs, titles of sections, Title of Article and Author as
references at the end of the paper:
(3 pts)
Grammar/Spelling (7 pts)
*NO contractions (cant, dont = cannot, do not)
1-2 mistakes = 7 pts
3-4 mistakes = 6 pts

5-6 mistakes = 5 pts

7-8 mistakes = 4 pts
9-10 mistakes = 3 pts
11-12 mistakes = 2 pts

Any more than 13 = 0 points