Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Florida Benchmarks SC.7.N.1.5 Describe the methods used in the pursuit of a scientific explanation as seen in different fields of science such as biology, geology, and physics. SC.7.N.1.6 Explain that empirical evidence is the cumulative body of observations of a natural phenomenon on which scientific explanations are based. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Florida Benchmarks SC.7.N.1.7 Explain that scientific knowledge is the result of a great deal of debate and confirmation within the science community. SC.7.N.2.1 Identify an instance from the history of science in which scientific knowledge has changed when new evidence or new interpretations are encountered. SC.7.N.3.1 Recognize and explain the difference between theories and laws and give several examples of scientific theories and the evidence that supports them. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Florida Benchmarks LA.6.4.2.2 The student will record information (e.g., observations, notes, lists, charts, legends) related to a topic, including visual aids to organize and record information and include a list of sources used. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

… From the Beginning What is science? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge … From the Beginning What is science? Science is the study of the natural world. Scientists study many different things. Three important types of science are biology, geology, and physical science. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge What is science? Biology, or life science, is the study of living things. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge What is science? Geology, or Earth science, is the study of Earth and the processes that shape Earth. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge What is science? Physical science is the study of nonliving matter and energy. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What does science tell us? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge What does science tell us? Scientific knowledge is constantly changing. Many things that people consider scientific “facts” are actually just well-accepted explanations. The things we learn in science are the current ideas that most scientists agree on. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Not a Theory—It’s a Law! How do scientific theories differ from laws? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Not a Theory—It’s a Law! How do scientific theories differ from laws? The words law and theory have specific meanings in science. A scientific law is a description of a specific relationship under given conditions in the natural world. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

How do scientific theories differ from laws? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge How do scientific theories differ from laws? A scientific theory is a well-supported explanation of nature. Scientific theories are supported by many pieces of evidence. Theories help us understand and explain the laws we observe. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What’s Your Evidence? Where do scientists get their evidence? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge What’s Your Evidence? Where do scientists get their evidence? Scientists are curious. They are always looking for information about the world. Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence. Empirical evidence is all the measurements and data scientists gather in support of a scientific explanation. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Where do scientists get their evidence? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Where do scientists get their evidence? Scientists gather evidence in many places. Some do fieldwork, and others do laboratory work. Fieldwork is work done outside or in conditions that cannot be controlled. Fieldwork is most common in biology and geology. Fieldwork allows scientists to observe the world in its natural state. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Where do scientists get their evidence? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge Where do scientists get their evidence? Laboratory work is work done in a controlled environment. Laboratory work allows scientists to control the conditions of an investigation. Most experiments are conducted in laboratories. Although laboratory work is most common in physics, chemistry, and biology, geologists may also conduct laboratory work. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

The Debate Continues How do scientific ideas change? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge The Debate Continues How do scientific ideas change? Scientists are always discovering new information. That information can change accepted explanations and ideas. Sometimes, a scientist comes up with a better explanation for existing evidence. The new explanation may replace an older theory. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

How do scientific ideas change? Unit 1 Lesson 1 Scientific Knowledge How do scientific ideas change? Sometimes, new evidence is discovered that contradicts an existing theory. The theory may be changed to explain the new evidence. Scientists work together to debate, question, and explore ideas. These debates can change the explanations that scientists accept as true. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company