Thought Bubbles

The Tea STUDY POST #2: Relying on People…

When choosing a science project that involves peoples’ help, it can be a challenge to control all aspects of the experiment. I can’t do the experiment alone because if I only test myself, no one else would truly benefit from the study. Also, other people might have a different reaction to the tea  and that’s an important part of this experiment.

Coordinating this science project actually took a lot of planning. First, I had to find all of the teas, which would have been easy if it wasn’t for the fact that the teas could only have one ingredient in them. Then, I had write really clear instructions, so they would hopefully be easy to follow. Also, putting everything in boxes/bags, addressing them correctly, and sending them on time to people across the country was quite an ordeal!

During the stages of preparing this long tea testing experiment, I really struggled with writing clear directions. I tend to have a problem with writing what’s in my head in a way that makes sense and explains the message I’m trying to convey. After many drafts of the directions, I thought I was super clear on what I wanted my testers to help me accomplish. But, it turns out that I wasn’t as clear as I thought I was. (And people actually need to read the directions! )

So far in this science project I’ve learned 3 things:

  1. Having no real control in a scientific experiment is problematic
  2. Talking to people face to face and being with them while they perform the task asked, works A TON better than communicating by email
  3. And my next project won’t involve people 😉

 

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4 Comments

  1. Donna April 11, 2018

    Don’t give up on us Anna! I think this has been a great study for you — we thought it was just about tea but it is about so much more. Communication effectively is very hard to do — I think as long as we all keep trying we’ll get it right more often than we get it wrong.

  2. Natalie Dente April 14, 2018

    Hi Anna I thought your directions were good I hope I did it right It was fun lov grandma ❤️🦉

  3. Angelo Otterbein April 15, 2018

    I would really like to get some solid instructions on how to make tea. As simple as it sounds, i never know how long I should leave my tea bag in, for one; secondly, if i have a particularly big mug, do i just leave my tea bag in longer? And lastly, are you supposed to squeeze out the remaining tea that’s in the tea bag like some people do with a spoon. I need some guidance! Maybe I should stick with coffee 🙂

  4. Aunt Debbie April 21, 2018

    Hi Anna,
    I totally agree with you and have always said it’s easier to work with animals that people 🙂 (hence my job with horses). That said, please don’t give up on us! As a tea tester, the problem for me was my crazy schedule. I could never seem to “taste” at the same time everyday. I hope that didn’t skew the results too much. I’m looking forward to reading about what you’ve discovered.
    xo Aunt D

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