Science: Conclusion

A summary and discussion of the experiment and its results

See checklist on page 13 of STEM booklet part 2
Include:
Restate the overall purpose of your experiment
Does the data (evidence) support or not support your hypothesis?
DONT use the words right, wrong, prove or disprove!
Always include factual evidence from your results/data.
Do NOT include any opinions or inferences here
Make sure all of your statements are backed up with examples from your
data.

Writing conclusion paragraphs in a science lab report

A conclusion paragraph contains a description of the purpose of the experiment and what you found out by conducting your
experiment.
Address the following points in paragraph form:

1. Restate the overall purpose of the experiment (include IV and DV in this sentence.)
One format: The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the effect of the (IV) on the (DV)

Example: The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the effect of stress on the growth of
bean plants by comparing the growth of bean plants subjected to stress for 15 days with a
control (non-stressed plants.)
Source: Cabell County Schools, How to write a conclusion

2. Was the hypothesis supported by the data?

One format: The hypothesis that (insert your hypothesis) was (supported, partially supported, or not
supported.) Please do not ever use the word prove we do NOT prove hypotheses true in science.
Example: The hypothesis that stressed plants would have a dramatically lower mean height was
not supported.
Source: Cabell County Schools, How to write a conclusion

3. What were the major findings? (Summarize your data and graph results)

Example: No significant difference existed between the height of stressed plants and non-stressed
plants. As the graph shows above, the average height of all the stressed plants was 10.2 cm and
the average height of all the non-stressed plants was 10.4 cm.
Source: Cabell County Schools, How to write a discussion

So, by putting all those parts together, the final

conclusion would look like this:
Conclusion:
The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the effect of stress on the growth of bean plants by
comparing the growth of bean plants subjected to stress for 15 days with a control (non-stressed plants).
The hypothesis that stressed plants would have a dramatically lower mean height was not supported. No
significant difference existed between the height of stressed plants and non-stressed plants. As the graph
shows above, the average height of all the stressed plants was 10.2 cm and the average height of all the
non-stressed plants was 10.4 cm.

Source: Cabell County Schools, How to write a discussion

Science: Discussion

NOW you can use your inferences!

This is an explanation of WHY you got your results.
See checklist on page 13-14 of STEM booklet part 2
Include:
A brief summary of what happened during your experiment.
Clearly interpret your results
Explain the patterns and trends that you wrote about in your data analysis.
What do the patterns/trends mean that you saw on your graph? If you didnt see any,
then what does THAT mean?
Describe what you learned
Bring in key terms from your background research
How can your results apply to real-life situations or help out society?
Discuss any errors that could have affected your data
What do these errors mean? What do any outliers mean?
How could you improve your experiment next time?
Make sure all of your statements are backed up with examples from your data.
Back up all of your inferences with specific examples from the data.

Writing a Discussion
1.

Give a brief summary of what happened.

Example: In this experiment, three bean plants were subjected to stress through the action of
digging established plants out of the ground and replanting them in a different location.
Source: Cabell County Schools, How to write a conclusion

2.

Clearly interpret the results from your data analysis.

Example: Both the experimental and the control groups of bean plants showed a steady increase
in height over the 15 days of the study. This is to be expected since both groups were receiving
the same amount of water and sunlight. However, both groups showed about the same amount of
growth over that time period. Both groups were only 0.2 inches different in the average height at
the end of the study. The experimental group grew to an average of 10.4 inches and the control
group grew to an average of 10.2 inches. This shows that the experimental group of bean plants
seemed to adapt just fine to the added stress of being dug out of the ground and replanted.

Writing a discussion:
3. Describe what you learned.
Example: I learned that bean plants are a resilient species of plant. In my background research, I
found that some plant species, such as pineapples, are very susceptible to environmental stress,
but in my experiment, I discovered that bean plants can survive conditions that other plants
cannot.

4. Related your results to real-life situations to help out society.

Example: Many people eat black beans because they are good for you. Since they are good at
overcoming environmental stress, this would be a good choice for people to plant for food in
areas that have less than ideal growing conditions, like in small containers on a lanai.

4. Discuss any errors that may have occurred.

Example: On day 4, it rained and the plants in the study received an abnormal amount of water.
Since all plants in the study each received this extra water, the experiment did not need to be restarted.

4. How could this experiment be improved?

Example: This experiment relied on a very artificial source of stress just digging out the plants at
one time and replanting them. This experiment could be improved by using more real-life
stressors like drought and lack of nutrients in soil.
NOT acceptable: This experiment would have been better if we had done it correctly we did sloppy
work and made careless measurements.
NOT acceptable: This experiment would have been better if we had more time to do more trials.

5. What could be studied next after this experiment? What new experiment could continue study of this
topic?
Example: Additional experiments using other sources of stress at more frequent intervals would
be a good additional experiment. Also, other crops could be subjected to the same experiment,
such as corn and squash. Perhaps scientists could find a chemical that the plants release during
stress.
Source: Cabell County Schools, How to write a conclusion

So, by putting all those parts together, the final discussion would look like this:

Discussion:
In this experiment, three bean plants were subjected to stress through the action of digging established plants out of the ground
and replanting them in a different location. Both the experimental and the control groups of bean plants showed a steady increase in
height over the 15 days of the study. This is to be expected since both groups were receiving the same amount of water and sunlight.
However, both groups showed about the same amount of growth over that time period. Both groups were only 0.2 inches different in
the average height at the end of the study. The experimental group grew to an average of 10.4 inches and the control group grew to
an average of 10.2 inches. This shows that the experimental group of bean plants seemed to adapt just fine to the added stress of
being dug out of the ground and replanted.
I learned that bean plants are a resilient species of plant. In my background research, I found that some plant species, such as
pineapples, are very susceptible to environmental stress, but in my experiment, I discovered that bean plants can survive conditions
that other plants cannot.
Many people eat black beans because they are good for you. Since they are good at overcoming environmental stress, this
would be a good choice for people to plant for food in areas that have less than ideal growing conditions, like in small containers on a
lanai.
On day 4, it rained and the plants in the study received an abnormal amount of water. Since all plants in the study each
received this extra water, the experiment did not need to be re-started.
This experiment relied on a very artificial source of stress just digging out the plants at one time and replanting them. This
experiment could be improved by using more real-life stressors like drought and lack of nutrients in soil.
Additional experiments using other sources of stress at more frequent intervals would be a good additional experiment. Also,
other crops could be subjected to the same experiment, such as corn and squash. Perhaps scientists could find a chemical that the
plants release during stress.
Source: Cabell County Schools How to write a discussion and Ms. Bayne

Engineering: Results of Prototype Test

A summary and discussion of the prototype and its results

See checklist on page 15 of STEM booklet part 2
Include:
Does the testing (evidence) meet or not meet your requirements that you
specified (page 2 of booklet)?
Does the testing (evidence) meet or not meet your constraints that you
specified (page 2 of booklet)?
Did you use factual evidence from the results/data?
Make sure you address if your device met each of the requirements and
constraints.
ALL of this needs to be backed up with specific examples from your test
data.
Do NOT include any opinions or inferences.

1.

Does the testing of your device meet the requirements you specified? How so?

Example: The homemade air conditioner was supposed to meet the requirements that it must cool
the air at least 10 degrees F and it must be able to run continuously for 4 hours without any human
intervention needed. The final prototype did meet the first requirement because it cooled the air
on average 12 degrees F in all three trials. It did not meet the second requirement because it only
worked for 1 hour before it stopped cooling all together.

2.

Does the testing of your device meet the constraints you specified? How so?

Example: The constraints that the air conditioner needed to meet was that it must not cost more
than $15 to build and it must not expose the user to any safety hazards. Both constraints were
met with the final prototype because the final cost was only $12.98 in materials. The design of the
sealed water tank inside an ice chest and the fan wires being kept outside of the ice chest kept the
melted water completed separated from any wiring in the device. This made sure the human
operator wouldnt be accidentally electrically shocked.

So, put all together, the results of the prototype test

would look like this:
Results:
The homemade air conditioner was supposed to meet the requirements that it must cool the air at
least 10 degrees F and it must be able to run continuously for 4 hours without any human intervention
needed. The final prototype did meet the first requirement because it cooled the air on average 12
degrees F in all three trials. It did not meet the second requirement because it only worked for 1 hour
before it stopped cooling all together.
The constraints that the air conditioner needed to meet was that it must not cost more than $15 to
build and it must not expose the user to any safety hazards. Both constraints were met with the final
prototype because the final cost was only $12.98 in materials. The design of the sealed water tank inside
an ice chest and the fan wires being kept outside of the ice chest kept the melted water completed
separated from any wiring in the device. This made sure the human operator wouldnt be accidentally
electrically shocked.

Engineering: Evaluation of Solution and Discussion

An explanation of WHY you got your results

See checklist on page 16 of STEM booklet part 2

Include:
Describe the tradeoffs that had to be made in the process of designing, building and testing
the prototype
How can you improve your design (be very specific)?
Which requirements and constraints need to be more closely matched?
Explain the patterns (or lack of pattern) that you wrote about in your data analysis.
How can your invention apply to real-life situations or help out society?
Discuss future proposals that you could make based off of this design.

Make sure you use the results from testing your prototype and what you have learned about science
to support your ideas in this section
Use inferences and opinions here!

1.

Describe the tradeoffs that had to be made in the process of designing, building and testing the
prototype.

Example: The air conditioner had to be under a certain price, so it was constructed mostly out of
recycled materials found around the house. This meant that the air conditioner wasnt as new and
well-insulated as would be ideal, so the ice didnt last long enough to meet the requirement of it
needing to cool for 4 hours.

2. How can you improve upon your design?

Example: The main problem with the prototype was that the ice in the air conditioner didnt last
long enough. Adding an additional cooling element such as dry ice to the inside could be a
relatively inexpensive way to keep the ice lasting longer and therefore increase the time it is able
to run.

3. Explain the patterns you wrote about in your data analysis.

Example: During all three test trials, the homemade air conditioner cooled the room on average 12
degrees lower than regular room temperature. This makes it better at cooling the room than a fan
because that only lowered the room temperature 3 degrees overall. This pattern shows that the air
conditioner would be beneficial to have, even if it only ran for one hour.

4. How can your invention apply to real-life situations?

Example: Using this prototype along with a fan would be the ideal use for this homemade air
conditioner. This would be a useful product for someone to make themselves in situations where
running a true compressor-style air conditioner would be too expensive.

5. Discuss future proposals that you could make based off this design.
Example: The basic design in this air conditioner works well. A future design would be to
improve upon the cooling time but also to increase the output of cool air so it can be used in a
larger room. I would do this by using a larger ice chest and attaching multiple fans pointing
different directions to the ice chest design. More ice would increase cooling power and more fans
would increase the square footage of the space that it cooled.

So, put all together, the discussion would look like

this:
Discussion:
The air conditioner had to be under a certain price, so it was constructed mostly out of recycled materials found around the
house. This meant that the air conditioner wasnt as new and well-insulated as would be ideal, so the ice didnt last long enough to
meet the requirement of it needing to cool for 4 hours.
The main problem with the prototype was that the ice in the air conditioner didnt last long enough. Adding an additional cooling
element such as dry ice to the inside could be a relatively inexpensive way to keep the ice lasting longer and therefore increase the
time it is able to run.
During all three test trials, the homemade air conditioner cooled the room on average 12 degrees lower than regular room
temperature. This makes it better at cooling the room than a fan because that only lowered the room temperature 3 degrees overall.
This pattern shows that the air conditioner would be beneficial to have, even if it only ran for one hour.
Using this prototype along with a fan would be the ideal use for this homemade air conditioner. This would be a useful product
for someone to make themselves in situations where running a true compressor-style air conditioner would be too expensive.
The basic design in this air conditioner works well. A future design would be to improve upon the cooling time but also to
increase the output of cool air so it can be used in a larger room. I would do this by using a larger ice chest and attaching multiple fans
pointing different directions to the ice chest design. More ice would increase cooling power and more fans would increase the square
footage of the space that it cooled.