Physical Science Textbook Chapter Feature Menu Introducing the Selection Informational Text Focus: Treatment, Scope, and Organization of Ideas Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer

How would thinking like a scientist change you? Physical Science Textbook Chapter

Build a model? You have an idea you’d like to try, but where do you start? Do you draw some sketches? Physical Science Introducing the Selection Set up an experiment? How will you test your method?

To describe the scientific method, Physical Science textbook writers start with a great example. Two scientists observe penguins. Then, the scientists design a new kind of boat—based on their observations. [End of Section] Physical Science Introducing the Selection That’s science in action!

The pages of a textbook are filled with useful information, but you have to know how to find it. Ask yourself: How has the writer sorted and presented information? How might this format help you to learn the information? Physical Science Informational Text Focus: Treatment, Scope, and Organization of Ideas

Consider the writer’s treatment, scope, and organization of ideas. Physical Science Informational Text Focus: Treatment, Scope, and Organization of Ideas Treatment: the writer’s way of discussing a topic An objective treatment sticks to the facts and avoids opinions. A subjective treatment gives personal comments and opinions.

Consider the writer’s treatment, scope, and organization of ideas. Physical Science Informational Text Focus: Treatment, Scope, and Organization of Ideas Scope: the amount of information presented A broad scope covers many aspects of a topic. A limited scope narrows the coverage of the topic.

As you read, consider the writer’s treatment, scope, and organization of ideas. Physical Science Informational Text Focus: Treatment, Scope, and Organization of Ideas Organization: the arrangement of information Writers use text structures such as enumeration, or listing chronology, or time order cause and effect, or showing how one event causes another comparison and contrast, or showing how one thing is similar to or different from another [End of Section]

Preparing for Timed Writing Physical Science Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer The way a writer organizes information can help you understand that information. As you read notice when the organization helps make information clear take notes on how the organization helps you understand the information [End of Section]

Vocabulary

necessarily adv.: unavoidably; in every case. observation n.: act of noticing. Physical Science Vocabulary hypothesis n.: possible explanation or answer.

Read the sentence below to help you understand the word observation. What kinds of observations might scientists make? What kinds of tools might they use to make these observations? Physical Science Vocabulary Scientists use observation to learn about—and develop additional questions about—many different topics.

Scientists make observations using microscopes thermometers The scientists gathered to explain their observations on global climate change. Physical Science Vocabulary scales chemicals

Which medical researcher is making observations? Physical Science Vocabulary Both of them are.

This sentence may help you understand how the word hypothesis is often used in science textbooks. Physical Science Vocabulary Once a scientist has developed a hypothesis to answer a scientific question, he or she still has to test that hypothesis.

Why would a scientist want to test a hypothesis before announcing it to the world? Physical Science Vocabulary

Testing helps you find out... if your hypothesis fully explains what you observe or if it needs to be revised. Physical Science Vocabulary

Necessarily is another way to say... always unavoidably automatically essentially of necessity Physical Science Vocabulary

Dr. Fein doesn’t necessarily recommend this new vitamin supplement for teenage girls and boys. Physical Science Vocabulary Why do you think Dr. Fein wouldn’t automatically recommend the new supplement?

Teenagers may not necessarily need the new supplement. Physical Science Vocabulary Maybe it has been scientifically tested only on adults. Maybe most young people get enough of the vitamin in their diet. Maybe Dr. Fein prefers that patients get their vitamins from nutritious food. [End of Section]

The End

QuickWrite

Physical Science QuickWrite List some of the ways that science has changed our lives, for better or for worse. [End of Section]

Read with a Purpose

Read to examine the treatment, scope, and organization of ideas in scientific writing. Physical Science Textbook Chapter [End of Section]