Physiology Monitoring and Cycles Lab with Report
Initial Publication Date: August 25, 2009
Summary
In this activity students will discuss scientific methods for collecting data, from observing and creating hypotheses to controls and variables. They will also discuss the meaning of homeostasis and complete a formative assessment on circadian. Students will then complete 5 days of recording 3 physiological factors of their choice from a list on themselves. Students write a lab report based on given requirements including graphs and data tables that they construct. Students also complete a reflective portion in the lab report where they formulate questions for further study.
CollapseLearning Goals
This activity is designed for students to explore scientific methods, complete data tables and graphs, analyze data, and consider controls and variables. They will write a laboratory report and create an argument for their conclusions about their hypothesis.
Concepts:
Body rhythms and homeostasis are interconnected features of the human body.
Stressors and chemicals in the student's environment or diet can affect their rhythms.
Vocabulary:
Hypothesis, control, variable, homeostasis, circadian rhythm.
Concepts:
Body rhythms and homeostasis are interconnected features of the human body.
Stressors and chemicals in the student's environment or diet can affect their rhythms.
Vocabulary:
Hypothesis, control, variable, homeostasis, circadian rhythm.
Context for Use
This is an early lab in the semester, to get students interested in body cycles, used to talking about homeostasis, and to help to illustrate for them how to communicate information in a scientific manner. The only 'equipment' needed for this lab may be handouts. Students should know how to take their temperature, heart rate, and how to create a data table before starting this lab. This lab should not be difficult to adapt for use in other settings, changing the number of days the students monitor themselves or the lab report requirements, or the number of choices of factors the students have.
Time: Parts of 2 lab periods for discussion, 2 weeks for completion of the report after the second lab session.
Time: Parts of 2 lab periods for discussion, 2 weeks for completion of the report after the second lab session.
Description and Teaching Materials
Students will be able to...
Identify circadian rhythms within humans.
Discuss how rhythms are related to homeostasis.
Complete scientific tests of circadian rhythms in themselves.
Record data on their own physiological changes over time.
Make a hypothesis.
Write a lab report with a well constructed argument.
Discuss the effect of stressors and chemicals in their environment/diet that may influence rhythms.
Identify the scientific methods, variables, and controls in their study.
Formative activities and discussion prior to the activity:
Scientific Methods:
What is the scientific method? What are the parts, and how do we use it to investigate natural phenomena?
What is a hypothesis? Can you prove a hypothesis to be correct?
How do you construct a graph of a set of data over time?
What is a control in an experimental test? What is a variable?
Homeostasis and Physiological rhythms:
Have you ever been jet lagged? Do you feel different in summer than winter? What is it like? What caused the condition?
Define homeostasis.
How can we define a physiological rhythm? When homeostasis is considered, how can we make sense of jet lag?
Circadian rhythms: mood, hand-eye coordination, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, waking/sleeping, physical vigor. (Formative assessment worksheet).
What stressors or chemicals are present in your environment or diet that may affect your physiological rhythms?
Student activity:
Pick 3 physiological factors from the following list: mood, hand-eye coordination, temperature, heart rate (bpm), blood pressure, physical vigor/alertness. Monitor these factors 3 times a day for 5 days. Complete a practice reading of each in class. For mood and vigor, you will need to use a given scale of 1-7.
Record your data in a data table that can be added to your lab report. Your data table should have a column for stressors and chemicals that could have affected the data.
Write a scientific lab report. The following sections need to be included:
Introduction: discuss homeostasis and circadian rhythms and include your hypothesis. Results from YOUR tests do not belong in this section.
Methods: describe your methods for obtaining data. Include your controls and variables.
Results: include your data table as well as a graphical representation of your data.
Argument: discuss your results as they pertain to cycles, homeostasis, and your lifestyle. Include your interpretation of trends tell whether or not you consider your hypothesis to be supported or not. The argument should be more specific to your data than the introduction.
Reflection: what would you do to further experiment with this topic? What are further questions that you have? What did you learn in this lab?
References: make sure to list your sources, from websites to the text if you use it.
Assessment:
Your lab report will be graded based upon on the basis of quality of writing, quality of data interpretation, quality of use of the scientific methodology, completeness, and demonstration of understanding of the topics of homeostasis and body rhythms. The grade will be out of 50 possible points (10 points per section).
Identify circadian rhythms within humans.
Discuss how rhythms are related to homeostasis.
Complete scientific tests of circadian rhythms in themselves.
Record data on their own physiological changes over time.
Make a hypothesis.
Write a lab report with a well constructed argument.
Discuss the effect of stressors and chemicals in their environment/diet that may influence rhythms.
Identify the scientific methods, variables, and controls in their study.
Formative activities and discussion prior to the activity:
Scientific Methods:
What is the scientific method? What are the parts, and how do we use it to investigate natural phenomena?
What is a hypothesis? Can you prove a hypothesis to be correct?
How do you construct a graph of a set of data over time?
What is a control in an experimental test? What is a variable?
Homeostasis and Physiological rhythms:
Have you ever been jet lagged? Do you feel different in summer than winter? What is it like? What caused the condition?
Define homeostasis.
How can we define a physiological rhythm? When homeostasis is considered, how can we make sense of jet lag?
Circadian rhythms: mood, hand-eye coordination, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, waking/sleeping, physical vigor. (Formative assessment worksheet).
What stressors or chemicals are present in your environment or diet that may affect your physiological rhythms?
Student activity:
Pick 3 physiological factors from the following list: mood, hand-eye coordination, temperature, heart rate (bpm), blood pressure, physical vigor/alertness. Monitor these factors 3 times a day for 5 days. Complete a practice reading of each in class. For mood and vigor, you will need to use a given scale of 1-7.
Record your data in a data table that can be added to your lab report. Your data table should have a column for stressors and chemicals that could have affected the data.
Write a scientific lab report. The following sections need to be included:
Introduction: discuss homeostasis and circadian rhythms and include your hypothesis. Results from YOUR tests do not belong in this section.
Methods: describe your methods for obtaining data. Include your controls and variables.
Results: include your data table as well as a graphical representation of your data.
Argument: discuss your results as they pertain to cycles, homeostasis, and your lifestyle. Include your interpretation of trends tell whether or not you consider your hypothesis to be supported or not. The argument should be more specific to your data than the introduction.
Reflection: what would you do to further experiment with this topic? What are further questions that you have? What did you learn in this lab?
References: make sure to list your sources, from websites to the text if you use it.
Assessment:
Your lab report will be graded based upon on the basis of quality of writing, quality of data interpretation, quality of use of the scientific methodology, completeness, and demonstration of understanding of the topics of homeostasis and body rhythms. The grade will be out of 50 possible points (10 points per section).
Teaching Notes and Tips
The time that students collect data may be lengthened to provide a more comprehensive look at homeostatic mechanisms.
Notebooks should be checked weekly to make sure students are completing the data collection.
This activity is much more open-ended than I had done in the past, and the lab report is more intensive than I had asked for.
Notebooks should be checked weekly to make sure students are completing the data collection.
This activity is much more open-ended than I had done in the past, and the lab report is more intensive than I had asked for.
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Assessment
Students will complete a lab report as outlined in the activity. They will also keep a journal of their data in their lab notebook, and this will be monitored for participation.
Standards
9.4.1.1.1 – Homeostasis (internal and external factors), 9.4.4.2.4 – Environmental factors and health , 9.1.1.2.1 - Formulate Hypothesis