An organized process for solving problems Scientific Method An organized process for solving problems

Scientific Method Process used by scientists (and humans in general, even though you may not even realize it!) 6 steps (in our district) No need to memorize (they are always up on the wall)

Question start by asking a question, one that leads to a good experiment

Background Info research the science concepts related to your question

Hypothesis use the if-then-because format

Experiment must have multiple trials (the more trials, the more confident you can be that your results are accurate and not based on some factor unrelated to the experiment)

Data collect data, create a picture of it (graph) and describe in words (data observations)

Conclusion explain your results using science concepts

Communicate share your results (lab write ups, small group discussions, PACE paper and presentation)

Independent Variable This is what you are testing, the one thing in your experiment that you change (Hint: starts with the letter “I” and it is what I, the experimenter, test in the experiment)

Dependent Variable results, your data (Hint: depends on your independent variable)