Ms105

01.05 – DESIGNING YOUR OWN EXPERIMENT Lesson Organizer
Use this document to help you design your experiment about one of the scenarios from the activity. Copy and paste the template then insert your information for each of the steps of the scientific method.

Scenario Topic: Sea Turtle Nesting Nightmare________________________________________________

Problem
(2 Points)

Sea turtle populations are falling due to human interference with nesting.
Research
(2 Points)
Coastal development and human activity are disturbing turtle nesting cycles.
Due to this, sea turtle populations are falling.

Hypothesis
(4 Points)
If the drop in sea turtle population is caused by human interference, then areas with lower human interference will have more successful sea turtle nesting.

Procedure
(4 Points)

1. Choose a large area of coastline and ocean (25 mi. wide) that is known to host sea turtle nests and make sure half is a place where humans can go freely while the other half is not permitted for human access.
2. Check twice every week for sea turtle nests.
3. Record sea turtle nests on each side and check previously recorded nests for updates on condition of nest and record conditions.
4. Repeat for 3 months.
Analysis
(4 Points)

Month
Human Access Side Nests
Non-Human Access Side Nests
1
5
12
2
4
15
3
7
13
Total
16
40

It should also be noted that the condition of the nests on the human access side were much less suitable for successful offspring than the nests of the non-human access side.

Conclusion
(2 Points)

The results of my experiment supported my hypothesis that areas with lower human interference/development had more successful nesting.

Grammar/Spelling
(2 Points)

Once you complete designing your own experiment, check the assignment for directions on how to submit your final product to your instructor.