BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS?

PROBLEM: At which time of the day are people most alert?

RESEARCH: In a science book find out what it means to say you have a biological clock.

HYPOTHESIS: Based on your past experience with when you have had to work, when do you think you will perform best, morning, midday, after school, before bed, or the middle of the night?

MATERIALS:

Deck of cards

Clock (or watch) with a second hand

PROCEDURE:

1. Shuffle the deck of cards.

2. Time how long it takes for you to sort out the shuffled deck of cards into four suits.

3. Try this at different times of the day, including early morning, midday, afternoon, and bedtime.

4. For each time of the day, sort the cards three times: trials 1, 2, and 3.

5. Enrichment: Set the alarm and try this at 2 o’clock in the morning.

6. Follow this procedure for three days and record your data each day.

7. Construct a data table for your results as follows:

          

Day          Morning          Midday          Afternoon          Bedtime          2:00 (A.M.)

DATA: Record your trials and the average of the three trials in your data table.

QUESTIONS:

1. What time is the best time for you to study or take tests?

2. What other factors could have affected this experiment?

CONCLUSION:          This is not optional. You must explain what you learned by doing this activity.

Remember that you must answer the question you asked in your original problem statement.

NOTE: BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN SIGNS YOUR WORK. PARENTS: YOUR SIGNATURE SHOWS YOUR STUDENT HAS DONE THE WORK.

TEACHER SECTION:

POSSIBLE HYPOTHESIS: Student comments will vary, but should include words like past experience, I have found, or in the past. Student should speculate on what time he/she is actually most alert.

POSSIBLE CONCLUSION: Student comments will vary, but should include statements about when the student’s best results were recorded.

E-Mail

Judy Schneider

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