Study Tips, Help with H.W., Managing Anxiety

Class, I'm uploading a few files that I believe can help you with writing, reading, speaking, and presenting throughout the year. It could even help you when you have to present for the Science Fair. Take a look at them by clicking on the links below. Also, there are some Study Skills tips below too, and a number to call for free help with homework. Check it out:

GUIDELINES- Writing, Speaking, Listening

GUIDELINE- The Writing Process

Study Skills

Free Help with Homework

Managing Back-to-School Anxiety

*When studying for Science Tests/Quizzes, it's always good to use a combination of these resources:
- Read and study all your class notes
- Study worksheets given (highlight them too)
- Look at Videos/links on my blog (YouTube helps too)
- Look at the different websites on the Websites and Resources for Science folder on my blog, including Ducksters.com (for Fact information)
- Make Flashcards of important Vocabulary terms
- Practice on Quizlet website (Flash cards, Match games)
- Take practice Quizzes (on my blog, under Quizzes folder)
- BrainPop videos + Review Quizzes (and take notes on the videos)
- Read Summary Notes (if given) or Study Guides, including the      Study packet that covers all 3 years of Science
- Practice past 8th Grade Science State Exams (link on my blog)
- Practice on IXL + Khan Academy

- Study Textbook (look at Chapter Tests, Vocabulary words)
- Make a study group with friends (you can test each other on different topics)


Here's a quick video on BrainPop with tips on how to study and prepare for a test --> BrainPop- Test Preparation

Topics for the Scientific Method Test

Topics on the Scientific Method Test:

-Observations

-Inferences

-Predictions

-Data

-Independent, Dependent Variables

-Constants (controlled variables)

-Control group, Experimental group

-Steps of the Scientific Method, including Conclusion

*If you would like to review the Vocabulary for the test, check out this site, it has important Vocabulary--> Reviewing Variables

Independent & Dependent Variables

*This is an excellent video that goes over Independent and Dependent Variables, and it explains why we need to only change 1 variable at a time.

Here's another great video showing the differences between independent and dependent variables:

1) The 1 thing we test, change, or is different between groups in an experiment is the independent variable (we control it!)

2) What we measure or observe at the end is the dependent variable. It's the data we collect.

3) Constants (controlled variables)- Variables that are kept the same, do not change.

TIPS:

Independent variable- "I" change it.

Dependent variable- depends on the independent variable.

Think of Cause (IV) and Effect (DV). The IV comes first (the cause) and the DV comes after (the effect).

So when writing a Hypothesis, the format should be: If the (independent variable) changes, then the (dependent variable) will change because...

Click on the picture below to see it bigger:

Remember, the ONLY variable we change in an experiment is the independent variable. Scientists control all other variables so they can be sure that the results are caused by the independent variable only! This is called a controlled experiment. And it allows the experiment to be fair.

Also, you need to repeat an experiment several times to make sure your results are reliable or valid (accurate).These are called trials. If you do an experiment just 1 time, you might make a mistake or get a strange result.

More Vocabulary:

1) Experimental group- the group that is tested or receives the change.

2) Control group- the group that is not really being tested (gets no special treatment). It's the standard, used for comparison only.

3) Sample size- the total number of people/animals/plants being studied in an experiment. 

4) Placebo- a fake pill that contains no active ingredients but is used as a control in testing how well another, real pill works.

5) Trials- the number of times you do a test in an experiment. The more trials you do, the more reliable the experiment is.

*A control group is used to see if the change actually works (compared versus the experimental group).

*A large sample size is better for an experiment because your results will be more reliable or accurate since you have more data to count on.