An Introduction to the Scientific Method The Lead Balloon Challenge

Lead Balloon Challenge Objective: To design a balloon that will drop from the 2nd floor balcony to the 1st floor the fastest. Materials: 1 Balloon (inflated to the balloon-sizer standard) 2 sheets of paper 1 meter of masking tape

Lead Balloon Challenge Procedure: Design and draw your balloon with your group in your science journal (get creative). Then once your design is approved…build it! Test the drop speed of your balloon. Record the drop time and analyze the performance of your balloon (the faster it drops, the better). Revise your design based on your data and observations. Test the drop speed of your balloon again to optimize your balloon’s performance.

Lead Balloon Challenge Your lab write-up: (this should go in your journal below your initial design AFTER the activity) Write a problem statement/purpose that clearly defines the goal/objective of the Lead Balloon Challenge. Formulate a hypothesis - describe the initial design of the balloon that you guessed would work the best before you tested it. Discuss the observations you made when your balloon dropped. What data did you collect? Write a conclusion based on what you learned from your tests and observations (be sure to include a sketch of your balloon design). How does this activity relate to using the scientific method?

Can a deck of cards help us understand the scientific method? Card Tricks! Can a deck of cards help us understand the scientific method?

The Scientific Method State the Problem/Purpose Background Research (optional) Formulate a Hypothesis Perform an Experiment or Test Collect and Analyze Data State a Conclusion or results

Inquiry Wheel Scientific Method Revised…

State the Problem/Purpose What is your goal? What idea are you trying to test? What is the scientific question you are trying to answer?

Formulate a Hypothesis Formulate an educated guess to explain the problem. Make a prediction regarding the outcome of your experiment. State the results you are predicting in measurable terms. WHAT and WHY

How to Perform an Experiment or Test Give a detailed explanation of how you will conduct the experiment to test your hypothesis. This is called a procedure. Be clear about the variables (elements of the experiment that change to test your hypothesis) versus your controls (elements of the experiment that do not change). Be very specific about how you will measure results to prove or disprove your hypothesis. You should include a regular timetable for measuring results or observing the projects (for example, every hour, every day, every week).

Dependent vs. Independent Variables Independent Variable- what you choose to change intentionally Graphed on X axis Dependent Variable- depends/changes because of the Independent Variable. (what you measure and observe) Graphed on Y axis YOU CAN ONLY CHANGE 1 VARIABLE AT A TIME IN AN EXPERIMENT!!!

Collect and Analyze Data Make detailed observations throughout your experiment Record all important data that is collected Make graphs, tables, and charts to organize and analyze results Ask yourself: What does this data tell me about my problem?

State a Conclusion Answer your problem/purpose statement. What did your experiment prove? Explain your data and results. Why did the results occur? Was your hypothesis correct? What did you learn from your experiment?

The Scientific Method in Action