2017-2018 Science Fair

Assess how you conducted your experiment.

● Please move this document to your shared Biology folder.

● To complete this, you will need to refer to your project proposal.
● After you answer all the questions, remember to submit the document in Canvas.

Sample size
1. Below, put what you planned for sample size and/or repeated measures (#9 in experimental proposal).
At least 40 dreams (or 8 people)

2. Below, put the actual sample size and/or repeated measures you completed by the deadline (February
12).
52 dreams (~10 people)

3. If there are differences between your initial plan and what you completed by the deadline, explain
a) why they are different, and
b) what you could have done differently to reach your goal on time.

Procedure
4. Below, paste a copy of your planned steps from your design document (#15).
1) Create either a digital or physical survey about dreams for students to fill out
2) Begin to collect data from various subjects in a consistent timeframe (January 2 - 19)
3) Once all the data has been gathered, fill it out out on the spreadsheet linked in the bottom of the
proposal.
4) After all of the data is input in the spreadsheet, take out the graph measuring the hours of sleep and
“How did your dream make you feel?” and fill out according to data
5) Observe.
5. Carefully look over your initial plans. In a numbered or bullet-pointed list below,
a) identify in detail things you actually did differently, and
b) explain why you made each change.
● Consistent time frame was changed to various dates, and somewhat consistent
○ Wasn’t able to get much data during excursion, since many people in my excursion did not
dream
● Graph measuring hours of sleep and “How did your dream make you feel?” Now changed to two
different graphs
○ One measuring hours of sleep, if they remembered their dream and how the dream
made them feel
○ The other measuring if they did or didn’t remember their dream & average hours of
sleep
■ Too many variables for one graph, didn’t really know what I was doing at the time
■ Will be easier to see, observe, and sort the data
Variables
6. In your proposal, find your standardized (#8) and extraneous variables (#10) and list them in the table
below.
Standardized variables Extraneous variables

The person’s attitude Not a lot, except changing the actual Extraneous variable (EV)
person

Amount of sleep Again, not much except hope that Control group
the subject got enough sleep

The person’s life Ask how stressed they are, if EV

something bad happened;
HOWEVER, I will not get personal
(Ask about their background if
something bad happened to them; I
will not ask them something they
may be uncomfortable with
sharing)

Accurate data Be SURE the subjects are SURE they EV

are SURE about the dream or
dreams they might’ve or SUREly
had.

Sleeping Environment Not able to control; Just have to EV

hope for the best

People actually participating I can enforce it, but it will be Standardized/ Extraneous
difficult, because this is something variable
that I have to rely on.
7. Standardized variable review:
Did you successfully standardize all the variables you planned to? Yes.
If not, explain why not.
8. Extraneous variable review:
Were there other factors (that you did not originally list) that you think could have affected your results?
Identify them and explain your answer.
If the person doesn’t dream; I did not think this would be something to take in. This might be
sorted into the EV of the person’s life, but I never considered it. It occured to me when a bunch of people
in my excursion told me they don’t dream, which set my data collecting back a few people and weeks. If
this EV didn’t exist, I would have much more data.

Impact on Results
9. Think about all the ways the implementation of your experiment differed from your initial plans (your
answers to questions above).
Discuss how these changes may make your project stronger and/or make it weaker (i.e. make your results
more reliable or less reliable).
These changes will most likely make my project stronger. Since I obtained more data than I
presumed, my project will have more data, which means better averages. Since I had mainly a few people
do about a whole week’s worth of data, and they actually cooperated is what will definitely make my data
stronger.

Reflection on learning
In August, y’all shared your thoughts on what the point of school is. Many of your responses involved
building skills. You may recognize some of them in this list below, which has a few of my top priorities for
skills to build in this class.

10. Read over the skills and indicate (with an X or a comment) where you feel you are with each, at this
point in the year.

I think I have I’m making progress. I’m struggling: I see This is a very weak
very strong I feel pretty good some improvement area for me. I don’t feel
skills in this about it. but it’s really hard. I’ve improved at all.

Design X
experiments

Manage time & X

long term work

Work well X
independently:
with focus, self-
reliance, &
initiative

Own your own X

learning: take
responsibility for
your work;
know when you
need help and
ask for it.