Re: [Phys-l] explanatory and response variables (was calibration )

["Michael Edmiston" <edmiston@bluffton.edu>]

For what it's worth...  the "Science Academic Content Standards" for the 
State of Ohio (which, by law, must be covered by science teachers) 
repeatedly use the words independent and dependent and the words controls 
and variables.  I have pasted some of these below.  I am pasting directly 
from the standards documents which are online as MS-Word files.

I am not pasting the numerous times that the standards specify that science 
teachers must teach proper use of graphs and tables.


The following come from:

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=334&Content=32645

> From the 8th-grade science standards under the category of benchmarks for 
teaching methods of scientific Inquiry...

1. Explain that variables and controls can affect the results of an 
investigation and that ideally one variable should be tested at a time; 
however it is not always possible to control all variables.

2. Identify simple independent and dependent variables.

> From the 9th-grade scientific inquiry benchmarks....  [not about graphs, but 
brings up the sig-fig stuff again]

4. Decide what degree of precision based on the data is adequate and round 
off the results of calculator operations to the proper number of significant 
figures to reasonably reflect those of the inputs.

> From the 11-th grade scientific inquiry benchmarks...

1. Formulate testable hypotheses. Develop and explain the appropriate 
procedures, controls and variables (dependent and independent) in scientific 
experimentation.

> From the 12-th grade scientific inquiry benchmarks...

1. Formulate testable hypotheses. Develop and explain the appropriate 
procedures, controls and variables (dependent and independent) in scientific 
experimentation.

2. Derive simple mathematical relationships that have predictive power from 
experimental data (e.g., derive an equation from a graph and vice versa, 
determine whether a linear or exponential relationship exists among the data 
in a table).

4. Create and clarify the method, procedures, controls and variables in 
complex scientific investigations.


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817
419.358.3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu