Foxcroft Student Scientists Hypothesize, Test, and Learn

Reflecting on work done earlier in the semester, students generated questions about a previous lab and hypothesized answers to their questions. To test these hypotheses, they designed and performed their own experiments and presented their findings to their classmates during the final exam period.

The hands-on and inquisitive nature of this project allowed students to think outside the box and employ critical thinking skills, as well as their knowledge of chemistry. "I love watching the students experience the scientific process firsthand," shared Dr. Anderson. "While this is my fourth year doing the project, students never fail to come up with new questions, and new experiments. No one has ever asked to use maple syrup before!"

Two students share their experiences below: 

From Junior Lauren G.

Based on a previous lab, I posed the question, “Would the mixture change color if a liquid other than water is introduced?” My experiment included performing a control experiment, and then changing the water included in the original experiment to different liquids: Maple syrup (30% water) and Lemonade (70% water). 

My hypothesis was, “It will not change color if a liquid with a low percentage of water is introduced, such as maple syrup, but it will if introduced to a liquid with a high percentage of water, such as lemonade.” The experiment results surprised me, as they did not prove my hypothesis. The results were the opposite of what I had expected. Maple syrup changed the color of the solution, but lemonade did not. 

I learned a lot about experimental design, including how to categorize my variables, design the steps of the experiment properly, and present my results in front of the class. I preferred the project-based exam because it taught me skills such as experimental design and public speaking skills, rather than just being tested on what I’d learned throughout the semester.

From Junior Aradeal H.

My Chemistry mid-term project was based on an experiment we completed earlier in the year. I asked, “If someone uses a different chemical, would there be different colors?”. I had four bags and one thing to measure: the color. I would add base chemicals of phenol red solution and baking soda and change the final chemical. In the original experiment, it was vinegar which I used as a control group, then I changed it to different amounts of rubbing alcohol. I was hoping to see other colors with various amounts and chemicals. 

My control experiment turned an orange/salmon color, which is what I had expected. When I used rubbing alcohol, it turned bright purple and one of the bags had a mix of the two colors. 

From this project, I learned a lot about the overall process of making, fine-tuning, and executing a lab. It was really interesting to see it from my teacher's perspective and learn more about how different chemicals can be such a large component. I am always a better hands-on learner than a test taker so I LOVED this project. I feel like I learned, remembered, and can use the knowledge better than if I just took a traditional mid-term. I also really benefited from Dr. Anderson's help on specific questions I had in class and during my experiment. I feel like I was able to think it through more and gain a deeper understanding!