{"id":431,"date":"2010-05-09T13:38:42","date_gmt":"2010-05-09T18:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/humanspark\/?p=431"},"modified":"2011-01-19T14:47:40","modified_gmt":"2011-01-19T19:47:40","slug":"experimenting-with-experiments-lesson-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/humanspark\/uncategorized\/experimenting-with-experiments-lesson-activities\/431\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesson Activities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introductory Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Let students know that today\u2019s lesson is about designing, conducting and evaluating experiments. Ask students to brainstorm what steps are involved in an experiment? <\/em><\/p>\n

Possible answers: <\/em><\/p>\n

1) <\/em>Come up with a question<\/strong> to explore. <\/em><\/p>\n

2) <\/em>Make a hypothesis or prediction <\/strong>about the results of the experiment. <\/em><\/p>\n

3) <\/em>Determine the methods<\/strong> involved in conducting the experiment.<\/em><\/p>\n

4) <\/em>Acquire necessary helpers and materials<\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n

5) <\/em>Test<\/em><\/strong> the materials and the experimental design, as needed, before conducting the experiment.<\/em><\/p>\n

6) <\/em>Recruit subjects and reserve a venue<\/em><\/strong>, if needed.<\/em><\/p>\n

7) <\/em>Conduct<\/em><\/strong> the experiment. <\/em><\/p>\n

8) <\/em>Record findings<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n

9) <\/em>Analyze the results\/data<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

10)<\/em> Present findings<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Ask students to describe some experiments they have conducted. Ask students to discuss difficulties they encountered in the process, as well as some of the positive highlights of their experiments.<\/p>\n

3. Explain that today\u2019s lesson focuses on observing, designing and conducting experiments with living subjects (humans or animals).<\/p>\n

4. Let students know that you will now be showing a video segment from the PBS program The Human Spark<\/em><\/strong>. This segment features an experiment with rhesus monkeys conducted by Yale Professor Laurie Santos and her students. Ask students to observe the steps involved in conducting this experiment.<\/p>\n

5. Play Monkey See, Monkey Take<\/a>.<\/span> After showing the segment, ask students to list the steps involved in conducting the experiment. <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Possible answers: <\/em><\/p>\n

a) <\/em>Researchers A, B and C stand facing a monkey. Researcher A tempts a monkey by showing it two grapes.<\/em><\/p>\n

b) <\/em>The researcher hands the grapes to Researchers B & C (one grape to each researcher), who are both wearing short-sleeved white t-shirts and dark pants, with their hair in a ponytail.<\/em><\/p>\n

c) <\/em>When directed by Researcher A, Researchers B & C each place one grape on a skewer which is attached to a flat surface (paper, cardboard, Styrofoam or similar material.)<\/em><\/p>\n

d) <\/em>When directed by Researcher A, Researchers B & A place the grape skewers on the ground and then one researcher turns around, facing away from the monkey.<\/em><\/p>\n

e) <\/em>The researchers then stand still until the monkey has stolen a grape from one of the researchers. Researcher A films the event.<\/em><\/p>\n

f) <\/em>One of the researchers says \u201cgood\u201d after the monkey has made its selection to indicate that the researchers can move from their testing positions.<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Ask students to explain what the goal was of this experiment and what the researchers discovered. (Possible answer: The goal was to examine monkeys\u2019 understanding of human perceptions and mental states. They discovered that monkeys were good at thinking about where eyes are pointed, but only in the restricted context of stealing food. The experiment indicates that monkeys have a \u201cglimmer of awareness of others\u2019 minds.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n

7. <\/em>Ask students to describe what gave Laurie Santos the idea to conduct this experiment. (In previous experiments, monkeys had stolen food from her and her colleagues when they weren\u2019t looking.)<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

8. Ask students to describe some of the ways that the researchers\u2019 controlled for factors that might cause monkeys to approach one researcher rather than the other. (Researchers dressed in similar attire- white short-sleeved t-shirts, dark pants and ponytails. The researchers were both women, similar in height and wore eyeglasses. A third researcher called out the commands, so that each researcher did her action at the same time. Researchers stood the same distance away from the monkey. Researchers used the same sized grapes, skewers and paper\/cardboard. Researchers A & B took turns turning around and switched positions.)<\/em><\/em><\/em> <\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

9. Discuss the experiment with the students and solicit their feedback about the experiment. Discuss the importance of controlling for external factors in order to reduce the variables that might impact the results. Discuss the following terms and challenge students to identify each type of variable in the Laurie Santos\u2019 experiment.<\/p>\n