After completing a guided inquiry project, CAMEOS students, with the support of graduate fellows, pursue independent research projects on a topic of their choosing. Students develop their own scientific questions and methodology, collect and analyze data, and then develop presentations for the annual Bodega Marine Laboratory CAMEOS Student Research Symposium. Students work on a variety of systems and fellows have their own unique styles of guiding students through the research process.
Below is a collection of materials fellows have developed and found helpful for this stage of the program.
- Developing Student Questions for Research Projects [PDF]: Step-by-step suggestions for guiding students through the process of developing a question and designing an experiment to address that question.
- Student Independent Research Overview [PPT]: A presentation that gives students an outline of the CAMEOS independent research plan.
Developing scientific questions
- Developing Good Scientific Questions by Promoting Discussion [PPT]: A presentation for educators on how to develop research questions in an interactive way.
- Asking Good Scientific Questions Part 1 [PPT]: An interactive presentation for students on how to develop research questions. Introduction to the components of a good scientific question. Asks students to generate scientific questions based on a series of statements.
- Asking Good Scientific Questions Part 2 [PPT]: An interactive presentation for students on how to develop research questions. Breaks down types of research questions and asks students to critique examples.
- Half a Hundred Question Activity [PDF]: Instructions for an exercise that teaches students to generate questions rapidly and then evaluate them for scientific merit with their peers.
Designing methodology
- Designing Scientific Methods [PPT]: A PowerPoint presentation to guide students through designing methods for their research projects. Points out differences between what students will manipulate and what they will measure and walks students through the types of decisions they need to make to be accurate and consistent.
Analyzing data
- Data Analysis and Visualization in Excel [PDF]: A step-by-step tutorial on how to use Excel to analyze and graph data a sample data set on seedling growth under different pH conditions.
- Data Analysis and Visualization in Excel Sample Data Set [XLS]: Data table on seedling growth under different pH conditions for Excel exercise.
Presenting data
- Professional Presentations [PDF]: A do and don't list for creating professional presentations.
- Powerpoint Mechanics Tutorial for Students [PPT]: A humorous lesson on how to use the program Powerpoint that students can follow on their own computers.
- Presentation Tutorial for Students [PPT]: A guide for students to the content of a scientific presentation.
Additional open inquiry resources
Funding for CAMEOS is provided by the National Science Foundation's GK-12 Program