Write in your notes: I can ask questions and form hypotheses that can be explored through scientific investigations.

Activator: In your notes write a sentence or two explaining what you think this picture represents.

 Inquiry: an investigation; the testing of an idea in a search for knowledge  Observation: What you actually saw happen during an experiment.

1.The balloon on the bottle containing Nutrasweet did not expand. 2.The plant that received SuperGro fertilizer grew 4 cm. in the first week. 3.The ducks fed in the shallow end of the pond 85% of the time.

Examples of Other Laboratory Related CRCT Questions The students in Mrs. Padgett’s class wanted to learn about the ducks in a pond near the old middle school. Which question could the class answer by making observations at the pond? A.Where do the ducks go when they migrate? B.Which part of the pond do the ducks use for feeding? C.How many ducks were in the pond last May? D.How many years have certain pairs of ducks been together?

 Inference: logical conclusion drawn from available evidence and prior knowledge; inferences are often made from observations and attempt to explain what we see.

 When Jordan studies for a test, she always gets an A (this represents what you already know about Jordan.) On the last test, Jordan scored a 70 (This is what you observe at this time.) What inference can you make?  Jordan did not study 

The geological boundary known as the “Fall Line” in Georgia is believed to be the area where the ancient coastline existed. What types of scientific data might have first led scientists in the 1800s to infer that the ocean at one time covered half of Georgia? A. Ancient writings found on stone tablets dating over a million years old. B. An abundance of fossil remains of ancient sea-dwelling creatures like clams that are found far from the modern day coastline. C. The remains of ancient boats estimated to be 200,000 years old that were preserved in mud near Macon. D. Photographs taken by aliens who are capable of traveling back in time.

A lab report for a plant experiment contained the four statements below. Identify whether the statement is an observation or inference. 1.All of the plants bent toward the small light source. observation 2. Each of the plants grew less than 2 cm. observation 3. Lack of light caused the plants to grow at a slower rate. inference 4. Several of the plants have yellow leaves. observation

 It is a series of steps a scientist takes to identify a question, develop a hypothesis, design/carry out the procedures to test the hypothesis, and document observations and report findings.

 Step 1 State the problem What is the problem you want to solve or the question you want answered?  Step 2 Conduct Research What is already known about the subject you are exploring? Has anyone ever conducted an experiment that was based on the problem or question you are examining?

 Step 3. Form a hypothesis, or a prediction that can be tested. It is an educated guess. Your hypothesis should be based on research. You should always be able to give reasons why you chose your hypothesis.

Examples of a Hypothesis Yeast will not feed on sugar substitute. Tomato plants that receive MegaGro fertilizer will produce larger fruit. The Energizer brand battery will last longer than Duracell in devices like digital cameras.

Example from OAS Which is a hypothesis? a.Five earthworms died when the soil became too dry. b.Earthworms have a mucous covered outer surface. c.Heavy rain causes earthworms to move above the ground. d.What will happen if an earthworm is cut in two? Letters a and b are observations. D is a question. C is a hypothesis

 Sponge Bob loves to garden and wants to grow lots of pink flowers for his pal Sandy. He bought a special Flower Power fertilizer to see if it will help plants produce more flowers. Sponge Bob thinks the fertilizer will help make the most flowers. He plants two plants of the same size in separate containers with the same amount of potting soil. He places one plant in a sunny window and waters it every day with fertilized water. He places the other plant on the same sunny window and waters it with plain water every day. He then counts the number of flowers every 2 days. In the end, the plant with the fertilizer grows a total number of 15 flowers, while the one without fertilizer grows a total of 8 flowers. 1.What is Sponge Bob’s hypothesis? The fertilizer will help make the most flowers. 2. What data does he collect during the experiment? He counts the number of flowers every 2 days. 3. What should Sponge Bob’s conclusion be? The hypothesis is correct. The fertilized plant grows the most flowers.

Euglena are single-celled organisms. The flagellum helps the organism move through water. Euglena are similar to plants in the way they obtain their food. Nina kept several euglena in a glass jar. She wondered what would happen if she covered the top half of the jar with black paper and placed it in sunlight. Which is the best prediction of how the euglena will respond to the change in the jar environment? A. Most of the euglena will move to the bottom half of the jar. B. Most of the euglena will move to the top half of the jar. C. The euglena will spread out evenly throughout the jar. D. The euglena will move back and forth between both halves. Example from OAS

Identify whether the following statements are examples of an (O)bservation, a (H)ypothesis, or an (I)nference. 1. _______ Adding salt water to a plant will cause the plant to wither and die. 2. _______ The solution in sample A boiled in 4.5 minutes. 3. _______ The balloon on apparatus A did not expand. H O O

4. Matthew and Tyler went fishing for catfish at Pond 26 on Fort Stewart. Both used worms. Matthew fixed his worm so that it sat about one foot from the bottom of the pond. Tyler fished his worm near the surface. Matthew caught 10 catfish but Tyler only caught one. What inference might we make from this? a. Matthew is a much better fisherman than Tyler. b. Catfish tend to feed near the bottom of this pond. c. Tyler’s worms weren’t as smelly as Matthews worms

5. Which of these statements could be a hypothesis? a. Which will catch more channel catfish, stink bait or live worms? b. A person using stink baits will catch more catfish than a person using live worms. c. The person who used stink baits caught more catfish than the person who used live worms.

VARIABLESTrial 1Trial 2Trial 3 Amount of water½ cup Water Temp80°F120°F160°F Amount of Yeast1tbsp Amount of Sugar2tbsp Amount of Flour1 cup Step 4. Test the hypothesis with an experiment. Experiments contain variables. For example, in the following experiment Jose wants to determine how water temperature affects the rate at which yeast breaks down sugar to make bread dough rise: The amount of water, water temperature, yeast, sugar, and flour are all variables. Which variable is the only variable that changes in each trial? water temperature

 The one variable that changes in each trial is known as the independent variable. This is the variable whose effect is being measured.  The other variables do not change. They are constants. Only one variable can change in each trial. If more than one variable changes, the trials will not be reliable.

VARIABLESTrial 1Trial 2Trial 3 Amount of water40 ml per day Light Source Colorredgreenyellow Light Distance from Plant 20 cm30 cm40 cm Hours per day of light 6 hours If more than one variable changes, the trials will not be reliable. What is wrong with the variables for this experiment measuring the effect of different colored lights on plant growth? The dependent variable is part of the results. In the trials above measuring the effects of water temperature on the rate at which yeast breaks down sugar, the dependent variable would be the size of the bread dough after it had risen. It is the data collected during the investigation. It should be able to be charted or graphed.

Control Group Most experiments also have a control group. It is what you will compare your results to; usually just the absence of the independent variable. The control group is exposed to the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the variable being tested. All experiments should have a control group. In the experiment above to observe the effects of different colored lights on plant growth, the control would have all the same variables but the light source would be a normal full spectrum growing light that produces light similar to that of the sun. The control group is exposed to the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the variable being tested.

What is the independent variable in this experiment? Bottle ABottle BBottle C Amount of water12 fl. Oz. Type of heat source 9 in. electric burner set on “high” 9 in. electric burner set on “high” 9 in. electric burner set on “high” Water temperature at start. 60 deg. F Amount of salt3 tbsp6 tbsp9 tbsp Jody wants to conduct an experiment to see if adding salt to water will make water boil faster. The amount of salt used.

Archibald wants to conduct an experiment to determine which of his three candles burns the longest. One is made of beeswax, another soy wax, and the third paraffin wax. Each candle has a tapered shape, is 8 inches in height, and weighs 6 ounces. What is the independent variable in this experiment? The type of wax.

What is the independent variable in this experiment? The amount of light each sample was exposed to. What inference can you make from the data in this table? Light was not necessary for a seed to germinate.

Gary is not the smartest snail in Bikini Bottom and believes he can improve his brain power by Super Snail Snacks. In order to test this hypothesis, he recruits SpongeBob and several snail friends to help him with the experiment. The snails ate one snack with each meal every day for three weeks. SpongeBob created a test and gave it to the snails before they started eating the snacks as well as after three weeks.  Based on the data provided, do the Super Snail Snacks work? Explain your answer. The Super Snail Snacks appear to have worked for Gary and Barry. Both of them increased their test results after eating the snacks for three weeks. Larry did not show any improvement and Terry scored lower on his second test. However, it is difficult to determine if the Super Snail Snacks are an effective way to increase a snail’s brain power based on this experiment alone as all the snails ate the snacks (no control group). The gains shown by Gary and Barry may have been due to the Super Snail Snacks, but further testing would be needed to make sure the results were not due to other factors.

 Ages of the students ◦ Different ages were tested by the scientist

 The time it to put the puzzle together ◦ The time was observed and measured by the scientist What was the Constant?  The puzzle

 Sizes of nails ◦ These were changed by the scientist

Number of paper clips the magnet could pick up. Constant: Battery, wire

Step 5. Make observations and collect data Step 6. Draw conclusions Draw conclusions from your data. What did your experiment demonstrate? If your hypothesis is supported, repeat the experiment. If your hypothesis is not supported, revise your hypothesis. Step 7. Communicate the results. watch?v=QuKRgjm0KJU &feature=kp Mr Parr wrap up

The scientific method involves developing a hypothesis (what you think might happen), testing your hypothesis (trying it out), and analyzing the results (did it work). We go through this decision process CONSTANTLY in our daily lives but don't think about it as the scientific method.

So ideas that come to my mind: - Do you play video games? Many modern video games require trial and error and the player to guess at what they are supposed to do next. Your hypothesis might be something like "if I open this door then I will get to the treasure." You would then test your hypothesis by opening the door and then analyze your results based on what happened ("there was a monster behind the door, opening it did not get me to the treasure"). Do you bake? When determining how long to bake cookies, for example, you are using the scientific method. Your hypothesis might be something like "if I bake a batch of cookies for 10 minutes then they will be perfectly cooked." You would then test your hypothesis by baking the cookies for 10 minutes and then checking on their progress. You would then analyze your results based on how they look after 10 minutes ("the cookies are burnt, it took less than 10 minutes to bake them" or "the cookies are perfectly cooked after 10 minutes").