Observation Use your senses to make an observation about your environment. Questions Create a hypothesis that can be tested in an experiment. Remember, a hypothesis has a specific "if then" wording. It describes what will happen to the dependent variable when changes are made to the independent variable. For example, "If a plant is fertilized (independent variable), then it will grow faster (dependent variable)." Design and plan an experiment. Be sure to identify an independent variable, a dependent variable, and any controls. Remember, controls are factors which stay the same. In an experiment designed to test the previously stated hypothesis, one control would be to use the same kind of plant. Write a complete description of your experiment. Include a list of necessary materials. It is a good idea to follow a step-by-step procedure format. Think of everything you need to do, then write it down in the order it must be completed. Your description and procedure should be clear enough that another person could duplicate your experiment exactly.