Problem
Find a situation in your everyday life that you would like to test using the scientific method.
For example, Theo has a favorite cookie recipe that makes delicious chewy cookies. He read online that brown sugar tends to make cookies chewy, while regular granulated sugar makes them crispy. He decides decided to put together a hypothesis:
If I swap brown sugar for white sugar in the cookie recipe, then the cookies will be crispy instead of chewy.
1. Start by providing information regarding the problem. Did you provide a description of the situation (these are your observations)? What is your question (be specific)?
2. What is your hypothesis? A hypothesis can be stated in the following format: "If ......., Then......". Your hypothesis is a statement, and never a question.
3. State your Control and Treatment groups. What is the difference between control and treatment groups?
4. Describe your experimental design. How will you conduct your experiment? Could you repeat the experiment and get similar results? What factors will you keep constant (i.e. control variables)?
5. What is your conclusion? Your conclusion should specifically state whether your hypothesis is supported by the results.
For your main post, you will want to be sure to verify you understand what independent and dependent variables are, and what a control group is. Your experiment needs to have an independent variable that can be changed for your treatment group, and a correctly identified control group.
Here is some information that can help with the concept of "independent" and "dependent" variables:
Take a look at the following short video for an explanation regarding independent and dependent variables.