The

 Pectinase  Professionals  Project     Becca’s Biome © 2015

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You  have  been  invited  to  participate  in  cutting  edge  research  to  reveal  the  optimal  conditons  for  pectinase  use.  Your  
mission  should  you  choose  to  accept  it  (p.s.  this  is  a  trick  question  –  there  is  only  one  right  answer  .  .  .  YES!):    determine  
the  optimal  conditions  for  pectinase  enzyme  activity  through  experimentation.    Your  task  is  to  determine  the  conditions  that  
render  the  largest  yield  of  juice  from  applesauce  in  10  minutes  by  harvesting  the  power  of  enzymes!    After  completing  this  
research  you  will  be  prepared  to  become  a  pectinase  professional!    
 
 
Each  person  will  turn  in  their  own  lab  report  and  a  confidential  group  work  evaluation  of  the  lab  partnership/team.  
 
Name:________________________________________________________________________    Class  period:  __________________  
Lab  Partner(s):    _______________________________________________________________________________________________  
 
Pectinase  Lab  Report  
Descriptive  lab  titles  are  usually  formatted  as:    The  effect  of  ______INDEPENDENT  VARIABLE___  on  DEPENDENT  VARIABLE___  

Descriptive  Title:  
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Background  information  
 First  section:    What  enzymes  are,  how  they  work,  and  what  factors  can  affect  enzymatic  activity.    Second  section:  What  is  
pectinase?  Where  is  pectinase  used?    Why?      
**  Important  –  document  all  of  your  sources.    Use  in-­‐text  citations  and  a  bibliography**:  You  should  have  a  minimum  of  3  
LEGITIMATE  sources.      
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Purpose:  
The  purpose  of  this  experiment  is:    –  what  are  you  trying  to  find  out?  
 
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Independent  variable  
 –  what  are  you  going  to  manipulate?    pH,  temperature,  concentration.    Be  specific  
In  this  experiment,  my  independent  variable  is  
 
 
Dependent  variable:    
-­‐  What  you  test  or  measure  during  the  experiment,  the  outcome.    Be  specific.  
In  this  experiment,  my  dependent  variable  is    
       
Measured  in  (unit):      
 
Investigable  question  format:  How  does  the  INDEPENDENT  VARIABLE  affect  the  DEPENDENT  VARIABLE?    
Question:  The  question  that  we  will  investigate  during  this  lab  is:  
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Hypothesis:      
Your  hypothesis  is  a  statement  that  tells  the  reader  what  you  believe  the  answer  to  our  question  will  be  along  with  the  
reasoning  that  supports  your  statement.      If    (change  of  indepdent  variable)_______then  (affect  on  dependent  variable)_____    
BECAUSE    -­‐  give  at  least  one  reason  that  is  based  on  scientific  knowledge  –  this  is  a  great  place  to  tie  in  information  from  your  
background  research.  
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Materials:      
List  items  you  need  to  complete  the  experiment.    Include  quantities!    Ex.  One  25  mL  graduated  cylinder.  
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Procedure:        
The  control  group  procedure  is  explained  below.    Your  job  is  to  create  a  comparable  experimental  group  procedure.    Be  sure  to  
hold  your  controlled  variables  constant.    Remember  that  controlled  variables  are  any  variables  that  could  potentially  mess  up  
your  results  if  they  are  not  kept  the  same  from  one  experimental  trial  to  another.    Controlled  variables  could  include  things  
like  the  amount  of  applesauce  used  in  each  trial,  the  size  of  measuring  tools  (beakers),  the  accuracy  of  the  measurements,  etc.    
 
Control:      
1.Applesauce  only  –  no  enzyme:    The  class  control  will  test  25  mL  of  applesauce  at  room  temperature  (70  degrees),  with  3  ml  
of  distilled  water  (added  to  equal  the  liquid  added  for  the  pectinase  solution)  and  at  the  unadjusted  pH  of  applesauce  as  it  
comes  out  of  the  bottle  of  approximately  4.    The  amount  of  apple  juice  extracted  from  the  applesauce  will  be  measured  as  it  
filters  through  a  coffee  filter  into  a  funnel  that  pours  into  a  250  mL  beaker.    The  juice  will  be  poured  into  a  25  mL  graduated  
cylinder  and  allowed  to  drip  for  10  minutes.  After  10  minutes,  the  amount  of  juice  will  be  measured,  and  recorded  on  a  table.    
This  will  be  measured  over  3  trials.    An  average  for  the  control  without  enzyme  added  will  be  computed.    
2.  Applesauce  WITH  enzyme:    The  class  control  will  test  25  mL  of  applesauce  with  3  ml  concentration  of  2%  pectinase  solution  
(in  distilled  water)  at  room  temperature  (70  degrees),  and  at  the  unadjusted  pH  of  applesauce  as  it  comes  out  of  the  bottle  of  
approximately  4.    The  amount  of  apple  juice  extracted  from  the  applesauce  will  be  measured  as  it  filters  through  a  coffee  filter  
into  a  funnel  that  pours  into  a  250  mL  beaker.    The  juice  will  be  allowed  to  collect  for  10  minutes.    The  juice  will  be  poured  into  
a  25  mL  graduated  cylinder,  measured  and  recorded  on  a  table.    This  will  be  measured  over  3  trials.    An  average  for  the  control  
with  enzyme  added  will  be  computed.    
 
Experimental:      
Design  a  procedure  to  test  your  independent  variable  as  described  in  your  research  question.    Be  sure  to  include  your  control  
procedure,  and  your  IV  enzyme  change  procedure.      A  detailed  list  of  steps  describing  to  someone  how  to  complete  the  
experiment.  S.I.R  (Specific,  In  order,  and  Replicable)  –  if  someone  had  never  seen  your  experiment,  they  should  still  be  able  to  
repeat  it.  
 
3
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Data:    Make  a  table  of  the  observations  and  data  you  collected  during  the  experiment.    
 
Descriptive  title  of  table:  _____________________________________________  
         
Trial   time  elapsed   Control  group   Experimental  group  
number   amount  of  juice  in  mL   amount  of  juice  in  mL  
   
no  enzyme                        with  enzyme   no  enzyme                        with  enzyme  
1            
 

2            

3            

Average            

 
 
 
 
 
 
4
  
Graph:    
Make  a  Bar  graph  that  visually  represents  the  amount  of  juice  collected  by  each  trial.    Label  mL  
Don’t  forget  to  LABEL  your  graph!    Add  all  control  and  experimental  data  and  their  averages.  The  x-­‐axis  is  labeled  for  you.  You  
will  need  to  label  the  y-­‐axis.    Be  sure  to  add  a  legend  that  interprets  the  bar  graph  colors  or  patterns  you  choose  to  use  to  
represent  the  control  and  experimental  groups.      
 
Title  for  your  graph:    ________________________________________________________________________________________  
 
 
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       
    Trial  1                    Trial  2       Trial  3              Averages  
 
 
Results:    This  is  not  the  place  to  state  whether  or  not  your  hypothesis  was  supported  or  not  supported  –  only  a  place  to  
state  verbally  what  your  data  tables  and  graphs  show  visually.  
 
My  results  indicate  that  (what  did  your  data  show  .  .  .  this  is  a  literal  restating,  not  an  interpretation  place  for  what  you  think  
happened)  
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5
Analysis  and  Conclusion:  The  critical  analysis  section;  the  place  to  interpret  and  evaluate  your  data  
and  to  speculate  on  other  possibilities.    Also,  remember  that  you  can  ONLY  state  that  your  evidence  supported  your  hypothesis,  or  
your  evidence  did  not  support  your  hypothesis.  Your  hypothesis  is  never  “right”  or  “wrong”  or  “correct”  or  “incorrect.”      
 
In  this  laboratory  investigation,  we  explored  the  following  research  question:  (list  your  question):  
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The  _________________________________________________________________________(your  independent  variable)  
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(your  dependent  variable  =  what  you  measured).    Thus  my  original  hypothesis  of  (re-­‐state  your  
hypothesis  here):    ______________________  
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was  not  supported  by  the  data  collected  as  shown  by  (give  2-­‐3  specific  examples  of  the  data  that  either  
supported  or  did  not  support  your  hypothesis  –  use  individual  data  points  as  well  as  the  averages)    
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What  evidence  leads  you  to  this  conclusion  (cite  specific  evidence  from  your  data!)  How  did  the  
independent  variable  _________  affect  the  dependent  variable  _______?    How  do  you  know?  (what  was  your  
evidence?)  
What  patterns,  cause/effect  can  you  infer  from  your  data?  
How  do  you  know  this  was  the  case?  Refer  to  your  data  for  all  of  the  statements.  
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At  what  point  did  you  observe  the  greatest  yield  of  apple  juice?      
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Why  do  you  think  this  is  the  case?  (background  information  can  be  a  great  tool  for  explaining  at  this  
point)  What  other  experiences  can  you  draw  on  that  would  support  your  reasoning?    Be  specific  in  your  
examples!      
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Discussion:  
What  factors  could  potentially  have  confounded  your  results?    
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How  did  you  control  for  these  variables?    Was  the  control  method  effective?      
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Were  there  any  other  weaknesses  in  your  testing  that  could  potentially  have  altered  your  results?    (yes  –  you  will  have  some  –  
think  about  them  and  identify  them)  
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Future  considerations:    
Ways  to  improve  this  experiment  include…      
What  variables  could  have  had  an  unintended  impact  on  your  experimental  results?    What  could  you  do  to  control  those  
variables  if  you  were  to  do  this  experiment  again?  What  flaws  did  you  notice  in  your  experimental  design?  How  could  those  
flaws  be  remedied  if  you  were  to  do  the  experiment  again?    
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7
  
Why  does  your  experiment  matter  to  other  researchers?    Can  you  generalize  your  results  to  other  situations  where  the  
information  you  gained  from  your  experiment  could  be  helpful?    (HINT:    go  back  to  the  purpose  of  your  lab  at  the  top)  
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What  suggestions  do  you  have  for  the  direction  future  research  could  take  from  your  research  –  what  questions  are  still  
unanswered  that  are  specific  to  the  research  that  you  just  completed?    What  other  questions  does  your  research  lead  you  to?    
What  other  question  would  you  ask  and  investigate  as  a  continuation  of  the  research  you  just  completed?    Why?  
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Bibliography  
All  citations  and  background  information  sources  should  be  listed  here  in  alphabetical  order  by  Author’s  last  name.    Use  APA  
formatting.    
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8
  

Pectinase  Lab  Group  Evaluation  

 
Your  name:    __________________________________________________________________________________                              Class  period:    ________________  
Lab  group  number  (if  applicable):  ________  
Members  of  lab  group:    
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Please  rate  the  participation  and  contribution  of  each  of  your  group  members.    Honest  feedback  is  important;  dishonesty  will  
adversely  impact  your  grade.      
 
Use  the  following  scale  to  rate  each  group  member’s  contributions:    1  =  disagree,  2  =  agree,  3  =  strongly  agree  
 
Lab  group  member  #1:    _______________________________________________________________________________________  
  This  lab  group  member  contributed  meaningfully  to  planning  and  carrying  out  the  
Rating:    _____________   experiment  
  This  lab  group  member  did  his  or  her  fair  share  of  the  work  
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  stayed  on  task    
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  collaborated  and  contributed  meaningfully  to  your  group’s  data  
Rating:    _____________   analysis,  conclusion  and  discussion  
  You  would  choose  to  work  with  this  lab  group  member  again  
Rating:    _____________  
  Write  down  3  words  that  describe  the  work/contributions  of  this  lab  group  member:      
Rating:    _____________    
Any  feedback  or  items  that  your  teacher  needs  to  be  aware  of?    
 
 
 
Lab  group  member  #2:    _______________________________________________________________________________________  
  This  lab  group  member  contributed  meaningfully  to  planning  and  carrying  out  the  
Rating:    _____________   experiment  
  This  lab  group  member  did  his  or  her  fair  share  of  the  work  
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  stayed  on  task    
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  collaborated  and  contributed  meaningfully  to  your  group’s  data  
Rating:    _____________   analysis,  conclusion  and  discussion  
  You  would  choose  to  work  with  this  lab  group  member  again  
Rating:    _____________  
  Write  down  3  words  that  describe  the  work/contributions  of  this  lab  group  member:      
Rating:    _____________    
Any  feedback  or  items  that  your  teacher  needs  to  be  aware  of?    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9
Lab  group  member  #3:    _______________________________________________________________________________________  
  This  lab  group  member  contributed  meaningfully  to  planning  and  carrying  out  the  
Rating:    _____________   experiment  
  This  lab  group  member  did  his  or  her  fair  share  of  the  work  
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  stayed  on  task    
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  collaborated  and  contributed  meaningfully  to  your  group’s  data  
Rating:    _____________   analysis,  conclusion  and  discussion  
  You  would  choose  to  work  with  this  lab  group  member  again  
Rating:    _____________  
  Write  down  3  words  that  describe  the  work/contributions  of  this  lab  group  member:      
Rating:    _____________    
Any  feedback  or  items  that  your  teacher  needs  to  be  aware  of?    
 
 
 
Lab  group  member  #4:    _______________________________________________________________________________________  
  This  lab  group  member  contributed  meaningfully  to  planning  and  carrying  out  the  
Rating:    _____________   experiment  
  This  lab  group  member  did  his  or  her  fair  share  of  the  work  
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  stayed  on  task    
Rating:    _____________  
  This  lab  group  member  collaborated  and  contributed  meaningfully  to  your  group’s  data  
Rating:    _____________   analysis,  conclusion  and  discussion  
  You  would  choose  to  work  with  this  lab  group  member  again  
Rating:    _____________  
  Write  down  3  words  that  describe  the  work/contributions  of  this  lab  group  member:      
Rating:    _____________    
Any  feedback  or  items  that  your  teacher  needs  to  be  aware  of?    
 
 
 

10
 Teacher  Information  
 
This  lab  is  designed  for  students  who  are  learning  about  enzymes.    The  skills  that  are  the  focus  of  this  lab  
activity  include:      
• Generalizing  information  about  factors  that  affect  enzymatic  activity  (pH,  temperature  and  
concentration  of  enzyme/substrate)        
• Formatting  a  testable  question  
• Stating  a  hypothesis  that  is  supported  by  scientific  reasoning  
• Developing  a  procedure  to  test  the  hypothesis  that  is  specific,  written  in  order,  and  is  replicable  
(S.I.R.  is  the  acronym  I  use  for  procedures)  
• Becoming  aware  of  potential  sources  of  error  
• Measuring  data  
• Analyzing  data  to  draw  a  conclusion  .  .  .  and  making  sure  that  the  conclusion  can  be  tied  back  to  
the  original  lab  question  and  hypothesis  
• Discussing  the  nature  of  scientific  research  and  conclusions  based  on  evidence    
• Creating  a  formal  lab  write  up  based  on  information  collected  in  the  lab  packet  
 
I  use  this  lab  in  a  MYP  International  Baccalaureate  biology  class,  though  it  is  really  appropriate  for  any  
advanced  middle  school  or  high  school  class.      We  are  on  a  block  schedule  with  80-­‐minute  class  periods.    
   
The  timeline  I  use  for  this  lab  is:    
Day  1:      
• Brief  introduction  to  the  upcoming  lab    
• Homework  assignment:    complete  background  research.    
 
Day  2:      
• As  soon  as  students  walk  in  the  door  I  stamp  their  lab  packets  for  completion  of  background  
information.    Students  who  are  missing  a  stamp  when  the  packet  gets  turned  in  lose  points  on  the  
background  research  portion  of  the  lab  grade.      
• Lab  groups  assigned  (I  try  to  keep  the  labs  as  either  partners  or  3  people  in  a  lab  group  –  no  
more).      Lab  groups  work  together  to  compare  background  information  and  collaborate  to  create  a  
cohesive  background  information  section  (with  all  citations).    
• By  the  end  of  class  students  should  have:      
o Cohesive  and  relevant  background  information  with  citations  
o Clearly  identified  independent  and  dependent  variables  
o Question  
o Hypothesis  with  supporting  information  from  background  research  
o Experimental  procedure  that  is  detailed  and  meets  the  S.I.R.  requirements  
o Bibliography    
• I  have  groups  raise  their  hands  each  time  they  finish  a  section  so  that  I  can  give  feedback  during  
the  process  of  planning  their  experiments.    If  they  have  met  the  requirements  for  the  section  that  I  
review,  I  stamp  their  lab  packet  (i.e.  When  student  questions  are  phrased  in  a  way  that  is  
measurable,  I  stamp  the  “question”  part  of  the  lab  packet)  
• Students  should  be  ready  to  conduct  their  lab  experiment  by  the  end  of  class.    
 
Day  3:    
• As  soon  as  students  walk  in  the  door  I  review  their  lab  packets  for  stamps.    Students  missing  
stamps  may  not  proceed  to  the  experiment  until  all  sections  are  stamped.    Students  who  have  
11
 wasted  time  and  do  not  get  the  lab  packet  completed  in  a  timely  manner  (for  me  this  means  within  
10  minutes  of  the  start  of  class)  must  write  a  report  about  enzymes  rather  than  completing  the  
lab.      
• Students  complete  all  of  the  data  collection  by  the  end  of  class.    
 
Day  4:      
• Students  collaborate  to  analyze  their  data  and  generate  a  conclusion.      
• In  my  class  I  allow  students  to  begin  working  on  their  formal  lab  write  up  in  class  using  laptop  
computers.    
• By  the  end  of  class  students  should  have:    
o A  completed  lab  packet  
o If  doing  a  formal  lab  write  up,  students  should  have  started  the  initial  portions  of  their  lab  
write  up.      
• Homework:    Finish  the  formal  lab  write  up.      
 
Helpful  hints  for  grading:      
I  grade  this  lab  in  two  parts:    the  lab  packet,  and  the  formal  lab  write  up.    I  also  include  a  group  
participation  grade  and  look  carefully  at  the  ratings  that  the  team  members  give  to  each  other  to  try  and  
identify  areas  of  weakness,  students  who  might  be  struggling  with  group  work,  etc.    I  also  look  at  the  
group  evaluations  and  compare  them  against  my  own  observations  of  student  group  work.    When  
students  are  obviously  dishonest  in  their  evaluations,  I  talk  with  them  privately  to  figure  out  if  there  is  
more  to  the  story  –  and  depending  on  the  situation  I  may  give  them  a  chance  to  revise  their  group  
evaluation  scores.    If  a  student  is  blatantly  dishonest  or  is  covering  for  a  friend  who  did  not  contribute,  
the  student  who  was  dishonest  loses  group  work  points.      
 
Because  I  teach  in  the  International  Baccalaureate  Programme,  I  use  IB  rubrics  to  grade  labs.      The  last  
pages  of  this  lab  packet  are  the  MYP  rubrics  that  I  use  to  grade  the  lab  write  up.      Students  review  the  IB  
rubrics  prior  to  starting  the  lab.    In  addition,  I  have  students  highlight  their  “evidence”  within  their  paper  
of  where  they  accomplished  the  task  descriptor  as  set  forth  in  the  rubric  and  I  have  them  write  the  
location  of  the  “evidence”  on  their  rubric  page.    This  helps  me  to  see  if  students  understand  what  the  task  
descriptors  or  mark  bands  require.    Any  grading  rubrics  for  labs  can  be  applied  to  this  lab  –  not  just  IB  
rubr.          
 
Happy  Pectinasing!      
 
If  you  would  like  a  more  advanced  version  of  this  lab,  please  check  back  to  my  store.    The  advanced  
version  requires  students  to  include  a  null  hypothesis,  standard  error,  multiple  group  comparisons,  and  a  
more  complex  analysis  and  discussion.      
 
 
Rebecca Peterson, M. Ed.
Rebecca  Peterson,  M.  Ed.    
 
 
 
 
 
Becca’s Biome © 2015
Pabcdefghijklmnoqrstp

12
 Pectinase  Lab  
Criterion  B:    Inquiring  and  Designing    
i.  Explain  a  problem  or  question  to  be  tested  by  a  scientific  investigation.      
ii.  Formulate  a  testable  hypothesis  and  explain  it  using  scientific  reasoning.      
iii.Explain  how  to  manipulate  the  variables,  and  explain  how  data  will  be  collected.      
iv.  Design  scientific  investigations.  
Achieve Task  Specific  Level  Descriptors   Evidence in your work of achievement level
ment  
Level    (The  descriptors  that  are  made  more  specific  for  this  particular  task)   • Be  specific.      
• Highlight  the  criteria  key  words  
• Highlight  where  you  demonstrated  the  key  items  in  your
• Write  where  your  “proof”  can  be  found  in  this  column  ne
0   Student  does  not  complete  the  assignment.    
 
1-­‐2   i.    State  a  question  about  factors  that  affect  pectinase  activity     i.
o minimal  background  information  to  provide  context  for  the  
question.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ii.
     
ii. State a testable hypothesis that is brief.
iii. State the dependent and independent variables with minimal success. iii.
iv.  Design  a  method,  with  limited  success.    
o Step-­‐by-­‐step  instructions  are  outlined  in  general  terms.         iv.
o Elements  of  S.I.R.  (Specific,  In  order  and  Replicable)  are  partially  
present.      
3-­‐4     i.    Outline  a  question  about  factors  that  affect  pectinase  activity.   i.
o Question  contains  the  independent  and  dependent  variable.      
o  Question  is  appropriate  for  the  background  information  and  
context.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ii.
ii.    Formulate  a  testable  hypothesis  using  basic  scientific  reasoning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
iii.    State  the  dependent  and  independent  variables  with  success.      
o Outline  how  to  manipulate  the  independent  variable.     iii.
o Outline  how  relevant  data  will  be  collected.                                                                                                                                        
iv.  Design  a  safe  method  in  which  he  or  she  selects  materials  and  
equipment.         iv.
o Write  a  procedure  that  is  Specific,  In  Order,  and  Replicable  with  
moderate  success.      
o Someone  following  your  procedure  could  partially  replicate  your  
experiment  using  only  your  procedure  for  direction.  
5-­‐6     i.  Describe  a  problem  or  question  to  be  tested  by  a  scientific  investigation   i.
about  factors  that  affect  pectinase  activity.      
o Description  contains  the  independent  and  dependent  variable,  as  
well  as  detail  about  the  problem  to  be  investigated.                                                                      ii.                                                                                                                                                                              
ii. Formulate and explain a testable hypothesis using scientific reasoning.
o Reference  is  made  to  your  background  information  as  support  for  
your  reasoning.     iii.
iii. Describe how to manipulate the variables, and describe how sufficient,
relevant data will be collected.
iv.  Design  a  complete  and  safe  method  in  which  he  or  she  selects   iv.
appropriate  materials  and  equipment.    
o Write  a  procedure  that  is  Specific,  In  Order,  and  Replicable  with  
success.      
o Someone  following  your  procedure  could  replicate  your  
experiment  using  only  your  procedure  for  direction  with  only  a  
few  questions.  

13
7-­‐8   i.    Explain  a  problem  or  question  to  be  tested  by  a  scientific  investigation   i.
about  factors  that  affect  pectinase  activity.      
o Explanation  contains  the  independent  and  dependent  variable,  
as  well  as  detail  about  the  relevance  of  the  problem  to  be  
investigated     ii.
o Context  for  the  experiment  is  established  (what  is  the  question  
and  why  does  it  matter?).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
ii. Formulate and explain a testable hypothesis using correct scientific
reasoning. iii.
o Reasoning  is  evident  in  statements  and  explanatory  sentences  in  
your  lab  write-­‐up.      
o Answer  the  question,  “why  do  I  think  this  hypothesis  may  be  
supported  by  my  data?”           iv.
o Background  information  is  used  to  support  scientific  reasoning  
for  the  hypothesis.      
iii. Explain how to manipulate the variables, and explain how sufficient,
relevant data will be collected.
 iv.  Design  a  logical,  complete  and  safe  method  in  which  he  or  she  
selects  appropriate  materials  and  equipment.    
o Write  a  procedure  that  is  Specific,  In  Order,  and  Replicable  with  
clear  success.      
o Someone  following  your  procedure  could  replicate  your  
experiment  using  only  your  procedure  for  direction  without  any  
questions.  

14
 Pectinase Lab
Criterion c: Processing and Evaluating
i. Present collected and transformed data.
ii. Interpret data and explain results using scientific reasoning.
iii. Evaluate the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of the scientific investigation.
iv. Evaluate the validity of the method.
v. Explain improvements or extensions to the method.
Achiev Task Specific
ement
Evidence in your work of achievement level
Level
(The descriptors that are made more specific for this particular task) • Be specific.
• Highlight the criteria key words
• Highlight where you demonstrated the key items in
your work.
• Write where your “proof” can be found in this column
next to the level you achieved.
0 Student does not complete the assignment.

1-2 i. Collect and present data in numerical and/or visual forms. i.

o A  data  table  or  graph  is  present.      
o Or,  both  may  be  present  but  labels  are  missing  or  other  identifying  
information  is  missing.   ii.
ii. Accurately interpret data to determine the results of your experiment based
on the data.
iii. State the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific iii.
investigation.
o Is  your  hypothesis  supported  or  not?  Is  this  in  the  form  of  a  simple  
statement?                                                                                                                                                         iv.
iv. State the validity of the method based on the outcome of a scientific
investigation.
o Does  your  procedure  help  you  to  investigate  your  hypothesis  and   v.
answer  your  question?                                                                                                                                                            
v. State improvements or extensions to the method in the discussion section of
your lab write-up.
3-4 i. Correctly Collect and present data in numerical and/or visual forms. i.
o A  data  table  or  graph  is  present  and  either  is  correctly  formatted  
with  labels.      
o Or,  both  may  be  present  with  minimal  errors  such  as:  labels  are   ii.
missing  or  other  identifying  information  is  missing  on  graph  axes,  
or  on  table  title.  
ii. Accurately interpret data and explain the results of your experiment based iii.
on the data.
o Have  you  included  data  from  your  experiment  in  your  results  
section?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     iv.
iii. Outline the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific
investigation.
o Is  your  hypothesis  supported  or  not?        
o Is  this  outlined  with  more  than  one  sentence  to  support  your   v.
statement?  
iv. Outline the validity of the method based on the outcome of a scientific
investigation.
o Does  your  procedure  help  you  to  investigate  your  hypothesis  and  
answer  your  question?        
o Have  you  outlined  in  a  list  or  in  a  few  sentences  how  your  method  
will  answer  your  question?                                                                                                                                                        
v. Outline improvements or extensions to the method in the discussion section
of your lab write-up with more than one sentence to support your statement.

15
5-6 i. Correctly collect, organize and present data in numerical and/or visual i.
forms.
o Tables  and  graphs  have  labels  identifying  what  they  represent.      
o Only  very  minor  errors  are  present.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
ii. Accurately interpret data and explain results using scientific reasoning. ii.
o Have  you  discussed  how  you  interpreted  your  data?      
o Have  you  identified  any  patterns  or  trends?        
o Have  you  included  data  from  your  experiment  in  your  results  
section?          
iii. Discuss the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific iii.
investigation.
o Is  your  hypothesis  supported  or  not?        
o Is  this  discussed  with  3-­‐4  sentences  to  support  your  statement?    
iv. Discuss the validity of the method based on the outcome of a scientific
investigation. iv.
o Does  your  procedure  help  you  to  investigate  your  hypothesis  and  
answer  your  question?        
o Have  you  discussed  how  your  method  will  answer  your  question?      
o Why  do  you  think  your  procedure  will  work?    
v. Describe improvements or extensions to the method that would benefit the v.
scientific investigation.
o What  could  you  change  to  improve  your  experiment?      
o Describe  those  changes  
7-8 i. Correctly collect, organize, transform and present data in numerical and/or i.
visual forms.
ii. Accurately interpret data and explain results using correct scientific
reasoning.
o Explain  what  significance  any  errors  in  measurement  might  have   ii.
on  your  data.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
iii. Evaluate the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific
investigation.
o Is  your  hypothesis  supported  or  not?      
o  Is  this  explained  so  that  your  reasoning  is  clear?     iii.
o How  do  you  know  your  hypothesis  is  or  is  not  supported?      
iv. Evaluate the validity of the method based on the outcome of a scientific
investigation.
o Does  your  procedure  help  you  to  investigate  your  hypothesis  and  
answer  your  question?         iv.
o Have  you  explained  how  your  method  will  answer  your  question?      
o Why  do  you  think  your  procedure  will  work?      
o Have  you  compared  your  method  compared  to  other  options?      
o Have  you  stated  why  or  why  you  would  not  choose  another  
method?    Advantages?  Disadvantages?   v.
v. Explain improvements or extensions to the method that would benefit the
scientific investigation.
o What  could  you  choose  to  improve  your  experiment?    Why?      
o What  is  your  reasoning  for  making  those  recommendations?      
o What  questions  are  a  logical  extension  of  your  research?      

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