A
Desert Oasis: Keystone Park and Wetlands
Studying a Real Wetland
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. Teams develop at
least one specific research question to answer based on an analysis of their data.
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. Need
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.
Back
to top
Collaborating with Other Students
Fall and
summer are probably the best times to study wetland grasses and forbs.
Therefore, there will be a number of student research studies underway at the
same time. Good researchers are interested in knowing the results of other
studies in their field. You may want to communicate with other active research
groups to see how their data compares with yours. Your research will be richer
if you collaborate with students from other schools who are doing similar
research. In a collaboration you work together to design and conduct your
research. For example, you may report your data separately but publish a joint
research report.
Get a List of Student Research Groups.
Good
research teams learn from other researchers.
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
Online resources can help you implement your plan.
Wetlands Data has:
Background information including keys to identify plants from wetlands.
Back
to top
Sharing Your Research
What were your research questions?
What data did you collect? What
other data did you use?
What other resources did you use?
What did you
find out?
What other questions do you have?
Scientists must publish
their work to report what they have learned and to have their results confirmed
by other scientists. Share the results of your research by e-mail. Send us:
The title of your research study with a short abstract (25 words or less).
A contact e-mail address for your teacher or leader.
The URL if the
study is served from your computer.
Or a request to publish your work on the
Keystone Website.
Check this example of student work:
Student Study Report Webpage
Back
to top
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.
- Publish your results.
Authors: Michele Stafford-Levy, Shirley
Davis, Albert Alvarez Ortiz, and Ellen
Treadway.
School: New Mexico State University
Created for the NTEP II Fermilab LInC program sponsored by Fermi National Accelerator
Laboratory Education Office and Friends of Fermilab, and funded by United States
Department of Energy, Illinois State Board of Education, North Central Regional
Technology in Education Consortium which is operated by North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory (NCREL), and the National Science Foundation.
Web Maintainer: ed-webmaster@fnal.gov
Last updated: April 12, 2001
/lincon/w01/projects/nmsuwet/invest.html