8th Grade Science Academy of the Pacific Rim The Scientific Method 8th Grade Science Academy of the Pacific Rim

What is the Scientific Method? The scientific method is a step-by-step __________________. It is the way scientists study the world around them.

The Steps of The Scientific Method Identify the problem you want to study Develop a hypothesis Design an _____________ Collect data __________ Results Write a ___________

Step 1: Identify the Problem Decide what problem you want to investigate. It has to be ______________ – can you design an experiment to test the question? It may be something you have a question about. For example: Why does the video camera on my I-Phone continue recording even when I try to stop it? (If you know how to fix it would you tell me because it is driving me crazy?)

Step 2: Write a hypothesis A hypothesis is a ______________ about what YOU think will happen in your experiment. You use what you already know about science to develop a hypothesis. Or _________ your topic to learn background information. They are written “If….then….. ___________…” Example: “If I water a plant with Gatorade, then the plant will die because the plant relies on water to perform photosynthesis.”

Step 3: Design an Experiment How are you going to test your hypothesis to see what the __________ are? Design an experiment! Create a step-by-step ______________ that tells other people how to complete your experiment.

How To Write A Procedure A procedure is a list of ________ and a list of ___________ that you will need for the experiment. Do not use I, WE, YOU Use the present tense – pretend that you are explaining it to someone sitting next to you right now.

Step 4: Collect Data Data is the _____________ you collect during your experiment. ________ - observations using your senses and description. _____________ – observations using measurements or counts.

Step 5: Display your Results Put all of data into a _____________. Create a ___________ to show other people the results you got during your experiment.

Step 6: Write a conclusion Write a _____________ that talks about: your original __________ Did the results of your experiment _________ your hypothesis (Was your prediction proved to be correct?) Did the results of your experiment ________________your hypothesis (Was your prediction proven to be incorrect?)