Independent and Dependent Variables

Multiple Choice

How does the temperature of a room affect student learning?

• SCIENTIFIC Question

• NOT a Scientific Question

Multiple Choice

How do plants grow?

• SCIENTIFIC Question

• NOT a Scientific Question

Multiple Choice

How does the amount of water affect plant growth?

• SCIENTIFIC Question

• NOT a Scientific Question

Today, we are going to continue learning about experiments by learning about Variables

Open Ended

What does the word "varies" mean?

Variable: something that changes in an experiment

Ms. Shar is trying to decide where to seat Mya so she won’t talk as much during class. Ms. Shar moves Mya to different seats and tallies her shout outs in each location.

Multiple Choice

Ms. Shar is trying to decide where to seat Mya so she won’t talk as much during class. Ms. Shar moves Mya to different seats and tallies her shout outs in each location.

What is Ms. Shar changing?

• Mya's seat

• How many times Mya shouts out

• The time of day

• The class

Multiple Choice

Ms. Shar is trying to decide where to seat Mya so she won’t talk as much during class. Ms. Shar moves Mya to different seats and tallies her shout outs in each location.

What is Ms. Shar measuring?

• Mya's seat

• How many times Mya shouts out

• The time of day

• The class

Multiple Select

Ms. Shar is trying to decide where to seat Mya so she won’t talk as much during class. Ms. Shar moves Mya to different seats and tallies her shout outs in each location.

What should Ms. Shar keep the same?

• Mya's seat

• How many times Mya shouts out

• The time of day

• The class

Ms. Shar wants to know the best plant food for her tomato plants. She tests four different types of fertilizer on four different tomato plants and measures their heights each day. She gives them the same sunlight and water.

Multiple Choice

Ms. Shar wants to know the best plant food for her tomato plants. She tests four different types of fertilizer on four different tomato plants and measures their heights each day. She gives them the same sunlight and water.

What is the Independent Variable?

• Sunlight

• Type of Fertilizer

• Water

• Plant Height

Multiple Choice

Ms. Shar wants to know the best plant food for her tomato plants. She tests four different types of fertilizer on four different tomato plants and measures their heights each day. She gives them the same sunlight and water.

What is the Dependent Variable?

• Sunlight

• Type of Fertilizer

• Water

• Plant Height

Multiple Select

Ms. Shar wants to know the best plant food for her tomato plants. She tests four different types of fertilizer on four different tomato plants and measures their heights each day. She gives them the same sunlight and water.

What are the Controlled Variables?

• Sunlight

• Type of Fertilizer

• Water

• Plant Height

Open Ended

Why is it important to only change one variable in an experiment?