This scientific method lab activity is designed to reinforce the importance of keeping ONE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE in an experiment. The goal is for students to begin to think critically about experimental design and to grasp the importance of holding all conditions constant except the one variable being tested. Students are directed to identify variables and constants, make predictions, summarize results, and analyze experimental design for a very simple "drops on a penny" lab. There are three parts to this activity: PRESENTATION: The teacher will lead students through a presentation (both Google Docs and PPT versions provided) which gets kids to understand the importance of having only one independent variable in an experiment. The presentation introduces the activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN REVIEW: The activity first has students preview the procedures for two very simple experiments. The worksheet asks questions that lead kids to see that the first experiment has two independent variables and is therefore not a fair test. Students will see that the second experiment has one variable, and is, therefore, a fair test. Students will not do the first procedure - only the second procedure - because they have discovered that the first one was not a fair test. SIMPLE LAB ACTIVITY: Students follow step-by-step directions to perform a simple "drops on a penny" lab. Please Note: The lab activity is very simple on purpose - the focus is on experimental design, not content. Supplies needed are: plain water, soapy water, pipette, penny, and pieces of paper towel. More Details: Answer key and detailed teacher guide included. This resource is not editable. Please note that this lab will work fine without the presentation accompanying it. We use the presentation to jump-start the kids thinking about fair experiments. However, if you are short on time, the presentation is not integral to the lab activity itself. Please consider clicking HERE to follow Elevation Science on TPT!