Lesson 7 of 9 · Data and Evidence

Experiment⭐ 30 XP

Counting What You Cannot Count

🧪Lab Brief #7

Data and Evidence.

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

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Mind = Blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

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Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

What You'll Learn

Nobody counts every tree in a forest. Instead you count carefully in a small measured area and multiply up. The estimate is only as good as how typical that small area was.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

metre rule
string
notebook
calculator

Safety First

Check the ground for glass or litter before kneeling, and wash hands afterwards.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Count daisies in five 1 m squares placed at random on a lawn, average them, and multiply by the lawn's area. Then count one full 10 m strip and compare your estimate with the real number.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

Scaling up from a sample gives you:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Where you see this in real life

This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

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For the dinner table

“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

🦠Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

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