Copy this HW, in your assignment book! Monday- Identifying Variables #5-6 & Challenge Tuesday- Complete Sponge Bob Scientific Method Wednesday- Start reviewing for Quiz Friday (Lab Safety & Scientific Method) Thursday- Review for Quiz; Open House Tonight Friday- Quiz Today ……………Look Ahead to Next Week: Start Ecology!!................

Do this on a ½ sheet of paper to be turned in today… You can write just your answers. Label the Observations Qualitative or Quantitative. Mrs. Spence saw seven chickens on the way home last night. The chickens were white, brown, and black. They were eating bugs in the grass. The chickens were only 100 ft from the road. 5. Identify the variables in this scientific problem. Problem: What kind of music will help students concentrate the most when studying? IV- DV-

What is Science?

What is Science? A body of knowledge accumulated by a large community of individuals. AND Active process that involves certain ways of looking at the natural world.

Science does not… Make Moral Judgments. Make Aesthetic Judgments. Tell you how to use the knowledge. Draw conclusions about supernatural. Prove things.

Scientific Method Objective: Describe scientific methods.

What Are Scientific Methods? Scientific methods are the ways in which scientists answer questions and solve problems. There is more than one way to solve a problem and more than one way to go about explaining the natural world.

Problem/Question What? Why ask a question?: When? A Problem is what will be considered, solved, or answered in an experiment. Why ask a question?: Asking a question helps focus the purpose of the investigation. When? Scientists ask questions continuously, but most likely after making an observation.

What if you saw this??

Ask a Question (Problem) For example, students observing frogs in a local pond and the classroom ask, Why are some of the frogs deformed?

Observations/Research Noting, Recording an event, characteristic, behavior, or anything else detected with an instrument or with the senses. Research can be provided by others if you are not able to directly observe the topic.

Two Types of Observations Qualitative - observations that do not involve measurements and numbers ("My brother is shorter than my sister." is a qualitative observation.) Quantitative - observations that involve measurements and numbers ("My baby brother is 30 cm." is a quantitative observation.)

The frog was found in this light source outside someone’s house. Other frogs in the pond were “normal”.

Form a Hypothesis A hypothesis is a possible explanation or answer to a question that is based on observation and can be tested. A statement of cause and effect can be used to set up a test for a hypothesis. If…. Then…. Because….

A Hypothesis Makes Predictions Problem: Why are some of the frogs deformed? If... Frogs are exposed to UV light Then… those frogs will be deformed Because… the frogs are not in their natural habitat.

Test the Hypothesis = Experiment/Observations/Data Collection The tests or experiments you perform depend on the type of question you ask and your hypothesis. Under Control A controlled experiment tests only one factor at a time and consists of a control group and one or more experimental groups.

Variables Constants Dependent Variable Independent Variable The factor you wish to test and is changed. IF… The factor that you measure to gather results. THEN… All other factors that are the same in both the control group and the experimental group.

What are the Variables in the frog problem? Independent Variable Dependent Variable Constants The factor you wish to test and is changed. The factor that you measure to gather results. All other factors that are the same in both the control group and the experimental group.

Collecting Data Scientists keep clear, accurate, honest records of their data so that other scientists can repeat the experiment and verify the results. Make a Data Table!!

Analyze the Results After they finish their tests, scientists must analyze the results. Graphs, charts, and other organizers help scientists explain and focus on the effect of the variable.

Analysis of Frog Data

Conclusions Hypotheses are supported or not supported. Scientists must conclude if the results of their tests support the hypothesis. Hypotheses are supported or not supported. Not supporting a hypothesis can be as valuable as supporting it.

What conclusions could we draw from the Frog Experiment?

Communicate Results After finishing an investigation, scientists communicate their results. Sharing allows other scientists to repeat experiments to see if they get the same results. Sometimes, new data leads scientists to change their hypotheses.

Can you write another example of a Hypothesis? Problem: What students carry heavier backpacks in middle school? If… Then… Because…

What are Scientific Qualities? Scientists have these 4 characteristics: (at least) Curious Ask questions, investigate, wonder Observant Look at the world closely Creative Plan to test observations in new ways Skeptical Don’t accept an answer to a problem unless it is based on evidence and logical reasoning