Intro to Agriscience Research Intro to Agriculture AAEC – Paradise Valley Fall 2014

I Can… Describe the difference between an Investigation and Demonstration. Define the Scientific Method Differentiate between Basic Research and Applied Research.

Table of Contents I Can Statements Bell Work Unit Notes Unit Vocabulary Mystery Container – Lab Activity

What’s in your Mystery Container???

What is an investigation? The idea behind a science project is to see what happens if... What happens to one thing if you change something else while you keep all of the other conditions the same? That's the heart of all research, and a science project is just another name for research.

Investigation vs. Demonstrations The idea behind a science investigation is to learn something new--through an experiment. You might guess the result beforehand, but you won't know for sure what will happen until you try out the experiment. It's fun to show that vinegar and baking soda together cause a reaction, for example. And if the reaction occurs like a volcano, you really do see the reaction explode. But that's all it is--a demonstration. No new information is discovered. You know exactly what the reaction is going to be.

Scientific Method: A step-by-step process of solving scientific questions. Five basic steps in the Scientific Method/ Investigation: Identify a Problem Form a Hypothesis Design & Conduct an Experiment Analyze the Data Draw & Report Conclusions

Basic Research vs. Applied Research Researchers who conduct Basic Research attempt to to answer scientific questions without having an immediate use for the answer. Examples: Genetic Sequence Mapping Structure of an Atom Applied Research: Researchers who conduct Applied Research seek to resolve a specific question with the results being used immediately to identify solutions. Examples: Effect of herbicides on plant growth Affect of Feed additives on livestock growth

What’s really in your Mystery Container???

Summary: 1. Describe the difference between an Investigation and Demonstration. 2.   Differentiate between Basic Research and Applied Research. 3. Define the Scientific Method