Name___________________________________ Date__________ Period_______

As a future scientist, you have the opportunity to show your laboratory skills by designing your own experiment. Your
teacher will provide you with an experimental question to address, and you will do the rest!

All good scientists follow similar scientific methods when conducting an experiment. Use the outline below as a guide
to design your experiment and prepare to collect your experimental data. In your lab journal or on notebook paper,
copy the outline headings below and fill in the information for the experiment you and your partner(s) design.

In order to begin your experiment, your teacher MUST approve of your experimental design. Once your teacher
initials by your procedure, you and your partner may begin your experiment.

I. Title
a. This should be short, but describe the experiment.
II. Problem Statement
a. What scientific question are you planning to investigate?
III. Background Information
a. Write a short paragraph describing some background information that you have learned about the topic of
your investigation.
IV. Hypothesis
a. You will propose a possible outcome for your experiment that includes the data that will support your
hypothesis.
V. Materials List
a. Make a list of all of the materials you will use to complete your experiment.
b. Include consumable supplies and lab equipment in your list.
VI. Procedure
a. This section must be written in a step-by-step numbered format, so that another student who is not in your
group can follow it.
b. You can draw a picture to show how you will set-up your experiment (optional).
c. SAFETY – List what lab safety equipment you will need.
VII. Data Table
a. Your data table should include a title, column headings, units (if needed) and a place to record all data from
your experiment.
b. You must show at least three trials of data for your experiment, so be sure to leave room in your data table
for all trails.
VIII. Conclusion
a. Paragraph 1 –
i. Your conclusion should state if your data DID support your hypothesis or your data did NOT support
your hypothesis and why (use data for support).
ii. Summarize your data in a few sentences.
b. Paragraph 2 –
i. Explain what you learned about the problem statement from the experiment.
ii. List some errors you and your partner(s) could have made while conducting the experiment that
could affect your results. YOU MAY NOT SAY “NOTHING WENT WRONG” OR “THE EXPERIMENT
WENT WELL”. Think here!!!!