Investigation Design and Perform

INITIATE
& PLAN

Step 1:Observing & Questioning

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WHAT DID I OBSERVE?

WHAT AM I WONDERING?

(What do you notice about the object or event?

Use your senses to describe the object or event.)

(What questions or predictions do you have about

the object or event?)

- liquid at room temperature

- white liquid/ milk
- food colouring stayed at the surface of milk
[when 1st dropped]
- no mixing of reactants
- different dots
- colours swirling
(other possible observations by students)

the amount of fat present in milk

the dish detergent (brand)
size of the dots of the food colouring
amount of dish detergent used
"animal milk" vs. nut milk
depth of the container used
location of food colouring
location of detergent.
(other prediction by students)

How can the questions be answered?

(Question Sort)

LABELLED DIAGRAM:

depends on each student whether they want to add a labeled diagram or not
(but it is recommended)

Level: 2

1 of 4

Youth Science Canada 2011, Some Rights Reserved. Except where otherwise noted,
this work is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Smarter Science and ducasciences are registered trademarks of Youth Science Canada.
Adapted with permission from Thames Valley District School Board

Experiment Design and Perform

INITIATE
& PLAN

Step 2(a):What could I measure or observe about the object, or event?

Brainstorm (Place sticky notes of the same colour in the space below.)

room temperature
fat content
milk
dish detergent
(other variables suggested by students)

Possible Dependent Variables

Step 2(b):What could I change or vary about the object or event that may
affect what I could measure or observe?

Brainstorm (Place sticky notes of a new colour in the space below.)

1,2 and 3.5% milk

nut milk
different brands of dish detergent
different brands of food colouring
different brands of 2% milk
depth of the container used
different liquids (water, oils)
(other possible dependent variables suggested by students)

Variables

Level: 2

2 of 4

Youth Science Canada 2011, Some Rights Reserved. Except where otherwise noted,
this work is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Smarter Science and ducasciences are registered trademarks of Youth Science Canada.
Adapted with permission from Thames Valley District School Board

Experiment Design and Perform

INITIATE
& PLAN

Step 3(a):What will I change?

ONE VARIABLE I WILL CHANGE:

I WILL MEASURE OR OBSERVE THISRESULT:

Independent
temperature
Variable

Dependent
Milk (behaviour)
Variable

(Place a sticky note from Step 2(b) here)

(Place a sticky note from Step 2(a) here)

Step 3(b):What will I not change?

VARIABLES I WILL NOT CHANGE:
What conditions will be held constant so it is a fair test? Place remaining sticky notes from Step 2(b) here.

depth of the
container

Controlled
Variable

same size/amount of
food colouring

Controlled
Variable

same brand of food

colouring

Controlled
Variable

Controlled
Variable

location of food
colouring

same brand of
dish detergent

Controlled
Variable

Controlled
Variable

same amount of dish

detergent

Level: 2

3 of 4

Youth Science Canada 2011, Some Rights Reserved. Except where otherwise noted,
this work is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Smarter Science and ducasciences are registered trademarks of Youth Science Canada.
Adapted with permission from Thames Valley District School Board

Experiment Design and Perform

INITIATE
& PLAN

Step 4:What is the question I want to explore?

Independent
temperature
Variable

IF I CHANGE

WHAT WILL
HAPPEN TO

Dependent
milk behaviour
Variable

COMPARED TO THE CONTROL?

Step 5:What is my hypothesis (what and why)?

BASED UPON MY QUESTION, I PREDICT THAT:

if the

temperature
Independent Variable

is

increased

How the independent variable will be changed

(e.g. increased or decreased, heated or cooled, stirred or not stirred)

then the

milk behaviour
Dependent Variable

will get faster

How the dependent variable will be affected

(e.g. increased or decreased, heated or cooled, stirred or not stirred)

I think this will happen because the nature of the milk might be altered and therefore
when we increase the temperature the milk molecules will move faster and thus the food colouring
will move faster in hot as the milk is heated.

Level: 2

4 of 4

Youth Science Canada 2011, Some Rights Reserved. Except where otherwise noted,
this work is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Smarter Science and ducasciences are registered trademarks of Youth Science Canada.
Adapted with permission from Thames Valley District School Board