SIMply Prairie - Planning & Conducting Your Investigation

Online Resources
Investigation
Assessment
Prairie Data
Visualization Tools
Site Index

Defining the Problem

Good research teams begin work by discussing the main research question, developing a list of other questions they need to answer in order to address the overall question. They discover what they know and what they need to know. Teams update this document during their work because as they learn more, they answer some questions and ask others. There are different ways to record know/need to know information. For ideas check out these samples of student work:

Research teams keep logs or journals where they describe their work, noting questions and how they go about answering them. These journals are bound books with page numbers to make it easy to find information. Scientists record not only what worked but what did not. Page from the log book of a researcher who studied bumblebees at Fermilab.

Telecommunicating with Experts

Good research teams learn from other researchers. Most Web sites in the online resources have an e-mail address for a contact person who may be able to help with your research.

Creating and Implementing a Work Plan

Good research teams set up a work plan outlining key steps in their work and the team member who will have primary responsibility for helping the team complete that step accurately and on time. Sample Student Work Plans

These online resources help you implement your plan.

  • What is a real prairie like? You can learn about prairie plants, forbs and grasses by checking out summaries of student data collected at the Fermilab prairie from 1992-1998. Find the percentage of each plant found in a prairie quadrat, a square meter of prairie.

  • Visualization tools allow you to visualize a real prairie based on Fermilab data or create your own virtual prairie. You may use these virtual prairies in your presentation.

  • Quadrat Study Information:
    • Background information including keys to indentify prairie plants
    • Worksheets to practice a quadrat study
    • Pages to gather, enter and graph your data if you do a prairie quadrat study

Sharing What You Have Learned

After you have done your research, you must present your prairie restoration plan to your principal, PTA officers and maybe even members of the school board and the park district. Convince them to support your plan. Use the results of your research to be a prairie advocate! Check with your teacher about the format for your presentation.

Your teacher may have specific plans for forming research teams. Make sure you understand how you will:
Begin your research, sharing ideas with your classmates.
Record your progress.
Give your presentation.