Science is a way of understanding the world around us. THE NATURE OF SCIENCE Science is a way of understanding the world around us. 2. Science is ever changing. It changes as new evidence is found. Give some examples of how are view of our world has changed Over the centuries. 3. Science starts with observations – using all senses! 4. Questions arise from observations. Why is the sky blue? Does this fertilizer work better than that one?

5. Often a HYPOTHESIS (possible answer for your question) is formed. 6. An experiment is designed to test your hypothesis and answer your question. -Different types of questions and hypotheses require different types of experiments. -Some scientific questions are answered through indirect evidence, logical reasoning and models. Give some examples of science information found through indirect evidence.

-If possible, scientists try to run CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS – where two things are compared to each other in a fair manner. 7. In a controlled experiment, one variable is studied while all other variables are held constant. The constants are the things that we keep the same throughout the experiment.

Example – If you want to test the effectiveness of a new fertilizer you would have two groups of plants that were identical. One group (called the Independent Variable) would receive the fertilizer and the other group (the Control) would not receive the fertilizer. The two groups would be treated IDENTICALLY other than the fertilizer. This experiment is CONTROLLED.

8. In a Controlled Experiment, the ONE thing that you are testing is called the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. What was the independent variable in our experiment? 9. When you do an experiment you collect data. It may be displayed in a chart or a graph. The DEPENDENT VARIABLE is the data you collect. It DEPENDS on how the variable changes. What is the dependent variable in our fertilizer experiment?

10. Scientific CONCLUSIONS can be drawn from VALID scientific experiments. -A valid (fair test) scientific experiment is a. repeatable b. logically designed and carried out c. keeps everything constant except for the variable we are testing. 11. WHEN AN EXPERIMENT IS COM- PLETED IT SHOULD BE RETESTED TO VERIFY RESULTS.

12. Scientific Theories are formed when an explanation for a question is tested and repeatedly found to be true. SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ARE NOT GUESSES OR HYPOTHESES. THEY ARE STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE FOUND FROM MANY SCIENTISTS AND YEARS OF RESEARCH. -Examples – Atomic Theory, Theory of Relativity, and the Theory of evolution 13. Scientific Law – a summary of a repeatedly observed natural event. Does NOT include an explanation. Examples: Law of Gravity, Newton’s Laws of Motion