Science as a way… Of knowing.

Recall Key Finding 3 Yale EPI Report “When measurement is poor or not aligned with proper management, environmental and human health suffer. ” This highlights the importance of this chapter on the Scientific Method. You will be expected to employ this methodology this semester without further guidance.

Science is a Process of discovery Scientific Ideas Change and Sometimes undergo a fundamental revolution of ideas

Dis-provability: Key to Science What does this mean: Science DOES NOT deal with things that cannot be tested by observation, such as the ultimate purpose of life, or the existence of supernatural beings. Science also does not deal with questions that involve values, such as standards of beauty or issues of good and evil. Scientific if: State a method of disproving it!

Scientific Method

Science assumptions Events in the natural world follow patterns that can be understood through careful observations and scientific analysis These basic patterns and rules that describe them are the same through the universe Science is based on a type of reasoning known as induction Generalizations can be subjected to tests that may disprove them. Although new evidence can disprove exisiting theories, science can never provide absolute proof of the truth of its theories.

Nature of Science

Measurements and uncertainty Experimental Error: A Measurement of uncertainties and other errors that occur in experiments

Accuracy and Precision ACCURACY: THE EXTENT TO WHICH A MEASUREMENT AGREES WITH THE ACCEPTED VALUE. PRECISION: THE DEGREE OF EXACTNESS WITH WHICH A QUALITY IS MEASURED

Observations, facts, inferences… Observations: BASIS OF SCIENCE, MAY BE MADE THROUGH THE 5 SENSES OR BY INSTRUMENTS THAT MEASURE BEYOND WHAT WE CAN SEE. Inference: A GENERALIZATION THAT ARISES FROM A SET OF OBSERVATIONS Fact: WHEN WHAT IS OBSERVED ABOUT A PARTICULAR THING IS AGREED ON BY ALL OR ALMOST ALL

HYPOTHESIS, IV, DV HYPOTHESIS: Explanation set forth in a manner that can be tested and is capable of being disproved. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: (I) am in charge of the variable. It is the variable that is being manipulated by the scientist. Affects the DV DEPENDENT VARIABLE: The results of the experiment

Example: WHAT ARE THE IV AND DV IN THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH TOPIC: ”THERE WILL BE A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN GRADUATION RATES OF AT-RISK HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO PARTICIPATEIN AN INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAM AS OPPOSED TO AT-RISK HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAM.” WHAT WOULD BE THE CONTROLLED VARIABLES (WANT TO KEEP THE SAME)