Spec Lab 4   Student Research Problems on Reflectance

Your Task
Design a research problem using data from the ALTA spectrometer to answer a question.
Work with your partner to do this research.

Suggested Research questions:
Develop your own research question,
or choose one from this list:
1.   What are the differences in the reflectance spectra of different tree leaf types? (pines vs broad leaf trees)
2.  What are the differences in the reflectance spectra of different plant types? (grasses vs tree leaves)
3.   What are the difference in the reflectance spectra of different colors of leaves?
4.  What are the differences in the reflectance spectra of different man-made surfaces? (sidewalk, road, rooftop, tennis court)
5.  What are the differences in the reflectance spectra of different natural surfaces? (soil, sand, stones, rocks)
6.  What are the differences in the reflectance spectra of different ages of leaves? (old and new pine needles or other evergreen,  old and new leaves on a house plant.)

Procedure
1.  Select a research question.   Explain why you are interested in that question and tell what you already know about the topic. (rationale)

2.  Write a hypothesis.  What results will you expect to find?  Tell why you expect it, based on your science knowledge.(rationale) Submit a brief proposal for your research: include your research question and hypothesis, and support your hypothesis with a scientific rationale.

3.  Develop a research procedure.   Write out the procedure, step by step.  (You can adapt the ideas and procedure you learned in Spec Lab 3).   Do not go on until your teacher has approved your question, hypothesis and procedure.

4.  Collect data, following your procedure.  Use the digital camera to show the steps of your procedure.

5.  Make appropriate graphs from your data.

6.  Write an analysis of your results.

7.  Draw conclusions about your results.

8.  Write a complete report about your research.   Include all appropriate sections of a lab report.   Include references to any sources of information you use.  Illustrate your report with appropriate pictures.  Your report should be done on a web page, and link it to your on-line science portfolio.