Guidelines for Stomata Research Proposal:
At the end of class after the first lab period, you and your partner should submit your research proposal. This document
should fit on one page and should contain three sections:
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Guidelines for Data Analysis:
After you have collected your stomata data you are ready to test your hypothesis. Enter
your data in a spreadsheet available in lab (such as Microsoft’s Excel). Find the averages, standard deviations for your data groups. Also,
construct a graph summarizing your stomata results.
Consult with your instructor if you have questions about graphics generation using available
software and about exactly what statistical test is best for your data; however, in our experience, data from the vast majority of projects
may be analyzed using a t-test.
We have created a detailed PDF of “Appendix 1: Guidelines for Statistical Analysis" of your stomata data that includes information on basic descriptive statistics
and the t-test. Please read these pages carefully and consult with your instructor if things are still unclear.
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Guidelines for Oral Presentations:
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Guidelines for Written Reports:
You have not done science until you have presented your data and interpretations in a way that is usable by your colleagues.
Dozens of books have been written on how to write a research paper, how to write a thesis, etc. Although it is true that the style and
content of most scientific papers are fairly consistent, it is not true that good scientific writing is dry and dull. Good writing is catalytic
to learning and understanding, and your development as scientists (whether or not you choose a career in science) requires proficiency
in oral and written communication.
At the beginning of Week 3 you and your research partner will submit your written report and
you will present your research results to your peers in an in-class symposium. Your written report should conform to a standard format
for scientific papers that contains the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited
(if any), and an Appendix containing the original data. Each section serves a specific and unique function, the details of
which are given in the PDF "Appendix 2: Detailed Guidelines for Stomata Lab Written Reports"
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Guidelines for Data Management:
Your research team will be given a data disk on which you will keep all of your data, analyses, Tables and Figures,
and the current version of your manuscript (you must provide a backup disk). *** WARNING *** beware of swapping disks while running MS-Word or Excel -
you might get a lockup and lose all unsaved information. We suggest saving all work on the hard disk (or ram disk) of whatever computer you are using
(such as in the “My Documents” folder), and then every 10 minutes while working and when done, use MS Windows Explorer to copy your work to
your principal and backup disks on the A: drive. Ask if you are unsure about how to do this. You will turn in your data disks to your instructor when
you turn in your report. There should be 3 files on your disk (1) your manuscript in MS-Word, (2) your Tables and Figures in MS-PowerPoint, a
nd (3) your data in MS-Excel. Details follow:
(1) MS-Word manuscript file (*.doc extension):
(2) MS-PowerPoint presentation file (*.ppt extension):
(3) MS-Excel date file (*.xls extension):
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Guidelines for Reflective Reviews of Lab Activities:
No lab activity is perfect and its participants, YOU, are the best judges of what
changes need to be made to make things run more smoothly so that you can get the most out of it. In addition, numerous studies
have shown that students learn more if they are involved in the teaching process. This activity is specifically designed to meet both
objectives: improve the labs and help you get more out of your time and effort here.
After the completion of this lab activity, we want you to write a brief reflective review. The text should be
formatted double spaced, 12 point, 1" margins, and minimum 300 words in length. Your charge is to convey your most pressing
concerns regarding the strengths AND weaknesses of the lab activity. In addition, explain exactly how the lab activity should be
modified to improve it. Be constructive. For example, if the lab was in your opinion "too long" which particular activities would you
omit and why? If an activity in a lab was "a waste of time," why was it so? Re-examine the objectives of the lab on the first page
of the lab write-up. What specific lab objective(s) were or were not met, and what specific activity should be used instead that
would accomplish these lab objective(s) that were not met? To repeat, your comments must be constructive to be given credit.
Your critical/constructive review of the lab activity is due at the beginning of the
following Wednesday noon hour meeting. Clear, concise, and insightful reviews that demonstrate your reflection and constructive
criticism of a lab activity will earn +20 points.