| The Effect of Pre-Test Exercise on 6th Grade Math Test Scores | |
Researched by Azalea K.
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The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of pre-test exercise on sixth grade students’ math test scores.
I became interested in this idea when I got my trampoline and started to jump on it regularly. With all the exercise I was getting, my test scores overall seemed to be higher. I wondered if this was the case with others.
The information gained from this experiment could help kids, parents,
and educators. If the students were getting poor grades in school, whoever
was concerned could tell the student that more exercise might help their
grades.
My hypothesis was that the students who exercised just before a test would get higher scores.
I based my hypothesis on the fact that my grades improved after I started getting a lot more exercise. I also based it on a statement in The World Book Encyclopedia. “Physical fitness enables people to perform well in sports and other activities. ”
- The constants in this study were:
- Type and difficulty of test
- The number of questions
- Testing room, type of environment
- Same students used as subjects in both groups
- Grade of students
- Number of minutes after P. E. class before test
- Length of time allowed for students to finish test
- Equal number of boys and girls
- Testing procedure
The manipulated variable was the amount of exercise each student
got before the test.
The responding variable was the math test scores.
To measure the responding variable grade the students’ test and average all of the scores with exercise, then all of the scores without exercise.
| QUANTITY | ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 20 | Human Subjects |
| 20 | Math Test Form A |
| 20 | Math Test Form B |
| 1 | Quiet classroom - Testing Location |
| 1 | Stopwatch or clock with second hand |
| 20 | Pencils with erasers |
| 2 | Answer keys for Form A and Form B |
1. Make two equal-difficulty math tests for students to take.
They should be appropriate for sixth graders and be long enough to require
10 minutes or more to complete.
2. Label one “Test Form A” and the other Test Form B”.
3. Copy the number of both tests for all subjects.
4. Create an answer key for each test.
5. Write an experimenter’s script to read to the subjects when giving
instructions.
6. Find and reserve a testing location
7. Obtain 20 human subjects to test. Parent permission slips
must be signed for each student participating.
8. Take students immediately after P. E. class to the room specified
for testing
9. Give half of them “Test Form A” and the other half Test Form B”.
10. Read them the instructions and answer any questions
11. Start the stopwatch.
12. After 10 minutes end the test and collect the papers
13. Have students return to their normal class
14. Correct the tests then add up all correct answers. Record
on the data sheet.
15. On another day repeat steps 8-14 except:
a. Take students immediately from reading class (non-exercise. )
b. Each individual takes the other test form, A or B.
16. Average all exercising test scores and then all non-exercising
test scores.
17. Compare results.
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of pre-test exercise on sixth grade students’ math test scores.
The results of the experiment were that the students who had exercise did better than the ones without, by a tiny fraction. The students without exercise got 65% on the test and the students that had exercise got 68% on their tests.
My hypothesis was that the students who exercised just before a test would get higher scores.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted, because after I tested my subjects I concluded that overall the students with exercise had a larger percentage correct, by a mere 3%, than the students who did not have exercise.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if the subjects had more exercise there would be more difference in the percentages. I also wonder whether the students’ teachers made differences in how well the performed on the test, or if the temperature or climate of the room made a difference.
If I were to conduct this project again I would change the tests so they were more appropriate for the 6th grade level. I would also make sure I took the subjects immediately after P. E. class makes it less uncertain that all had the same amount of exercise. I would want to supervise the exercise they received myself.
| RESEARCH REPORT
Introduction
Exercise contraction of muscles. Aerobic exercise works the muscles, heart, and lungs. As it does so, it even improves mental health and mental functioning. During aerobic exercise your heart beats much faster, so you breathe hard and sweat. Aerobic exercise builds endurance and tones your muscles. Another type of exercise, like weight lifting, builds muscles and strength. Older and younger people benefit from weight lifting. Skeletal-muscle contraction is a main feature of exercise. When skeletal muscles actively contract opposing groups work against each other. As an example, biceps and triceps have the opposite actions. Physical fitness Is the ability to meet physical demands of daily life and to resist diseases linked with inactivity. It also enables you to perform well in other activities. Exercise is vital to athletes, but improves health in everyone. Different physical demands occur in life according to one’s occupation and leisure activities. For example, a stock broker who runs marathons for recreation needs a high capacity of the heart and lungs in order to give oxygen to the legs. A factory worker, who lifts heavy crates but reads for relaxation mostly needs great leg and upper body strength in order to meet daily physical challenges. Health related fitness demands are similar for all people. In order to remain healthy and be physically fit certain amounts and types of exercise are necessary. Fitness is more important today than ever before, because at least one-fourth of Americans are overweight. Fitness awareness has increased in the last 20-30 years. In 1990 about 40% of Americans lost weight by exercising. Exercise produces endorphins in the body, which give you happy feelings. Happy people do better in various activities. Exercise also helps your body relax. Exercise reduces death due to heart problems. It helps reduce the risk
of coronary heart disease. Walking one hour a day may utilize 300 calories
of energy, so walking one hour a day for 12 days would burn a pound of
fat from the body.
The Human Brain
Neurons A neuron is a nerve cell. The human brain is made up of approximately 100 billion neurons. These neurons are surrounded by a membrane called myelin which is largely fat. It acts as an insulator. The main part of the neuron is called a soma. A long axon fiber leads away from the soma to carry electrical messages. A network of short dendrites leads into to the soma, bringing messages to the neuron. “Communication between neurons is both electrical and chemical and always travels from the dendrites of a neuron, through its soma, and out its axon to the dendrites of another neuron. “ Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe. 2001 Summary
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| BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lamb, David R. “ Performance Related Fitness,” The World Book Encyclopedia, 1998. Lamb, David R. “ Physical Fitness,” The World Book Encyclopedia, 1998. Myers, Adam K. “ Exercise,” Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe , 2001 Russell, William. “A comparison of post ? exercise mood enhancement across common exercise distraction activities. ” Journal of Sport Behavior. December, 2003 Toga, Arthur W. and Mettler, Fredrick A. “Brain Anatomy. ” Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe, 2001. White, Timothy P. “Exercise. ” The Wellness Guide to Lifelong Fitness. 1993. |
I would like to thank the following people for helping make my project possible:
- My parents helped me collect my research information, and being supportive.
- Mr. Newkirk taught me what to do and how to do it right. He never let me rest until things were done to a high standard.
- Ms. Helms was always there for everyone, helping in lots of ways.
- My friends cheered me up when I was nervous or stressed.
- My teacher allowed me to get out of class when I needed to work on all this.
- All my subjects who took two math tests (and never complained about it).
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