Learner Profile: Inquirers Monday, August 17, 2015 DO NOW: Four Square Do Now Objective(s): SWBAT differentiate between qualitative and quantitative observations and develop inferences from them. SWBAT identify and write a testable scientific question. AGENDA 7 min Enter the classroom silently and find your seat. Take out your HAWK card, agenda, safety contract, and pencils Put backpack by the back wall Write down homework in your agenda – Finish the last page of guided notes {45 sec} Stack planners at the front of your table group Stack signed lab safety contract on top of planners Write the objectives and learner profile Do Now {5 min} Wait silently for instructions

Statement of Inquiry/IB Trait STATEMENT OF INQUIRY: Humans explore the relationships among interacting variables and use evidence to impact communities and find functional solutions using scientific and technological advances. IB TRAIT: INQUIRERS

Try to guess these pictures…

It’s a tape dispenser!

Try to guess these pictures…

It’s a crayon!

Try to guess these pictures…

It’s a shoelace!

Turn and Talk How did you guess what the picture was? What clues did you use to make the best guess possible? (Introduce Yourself)

How did you guess? Observations about the picture Your observations and prior knowledge helped you make inferences

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Observations An observation is the act of using one or more of your senses to gather information and taking note of what occurs. This includes all five senses…. The color of an apple The taste of pizza The sound of a trumpet How a cat feels The smell of fresh laundry

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Qualitative observations describe the quality of objects by using words. The color of an apple The taste of pizza The sound of a trumpet How a cat feels The smell of fresh laundry

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Quantitative observations use numbers to describe things. Think “quantity” The length of a football field The temperature of ice cream The number of people in a stadium The volume of a bottle of soda

Qualitative vs. Quantitative The type of ice cream The color of the ice cream The ice cream is cold Quantitative: The exact temperature of the ice cream How many ice cream cones there are

Inferences After we make observations, we can then make assumptions – called inferences. Inferences are the assumptions or conclusions that you make based on the observations you make.

Inferences If you see a 12 year old girl, who is 5’1” tall, who is wearing a blue skirt and a white button down shirt, and a burgundy crosstie, you might infer that she attends Summit. How old she looks, her height, and what she is wearing are all observations. They are facts. You conclude, or make an inference, that she attends Summit, based on the information that the observation gave you.

You try!

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Look at these two sets of animal tracks. Make 3 OBSERVATIONS Make an INFERENCE

Now what do you think? Make 3 OBSERVATIONS Make an INFERENCE

Now what do you think? Make 3 OBSERVATIONS Make an INFERENCE

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Independent Practice Complete the worksheet on observations 10 min Complete the worksheet on observations The top half has you identify qualitative and quantitative observations. The bottom half has you write your own observations and inferences.

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Scientific Method When scientists perform experiments, they follow very specific steps. These steps are called the Scientific Method.

Scientific Method The steps of the Scientific Method are: Asking a question Performing background research Forming a hypothesis Testing the hypothesis Analyzing data and drawing conclusions Communicating results

Scientific Questions All experimental investigations begin with a question! A good scientific question is… Always testable and Avoids opinions Testable: We can do an experiment to test our hypothesis. Specific Example: Does handling frogs cause warts? Instead of something like; Can an animal mess up your skin? Keeps the scientist focused on one experiment

Scientific Questions Scientific questions cannot be based on opinion because everyone’s opinion might be different and not provable. “Which flowers are prettier, daisies or roses?” cannot be answered with an investigation, because the answer is an opinion. A better question could be “Do daisies or roses grow faster?” Scientific questions must not be based on any kind of personal preference or moral values. They also must be related to phenomena that can be measured (supernatural does not count).

Practice #1 Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Is it a good scientific question? YES NO A: S: K: It is testable, you could freeze hot water and cold water. It also avoids opinions, this is an observable fact. It specifically explains what is being done (freezing) and to what substances (hot and cold water) It keeps the scientist focused because they are only changing one thing – the type of water.

X X X Practice #2 Rewrite it: Do cats make better pets than dogs? Is it a good scientific question? YES NO Rewrite it: Are dogs or cats more likely to come to the door when you come home from school or work? A: S: K: X It is not testable, it would be difficult to measure and explain “better.” It does not avoid opinion; who makes better pets is an opinion. X It is not very specific, “better” is broad and vague. X It does not keep the scientist focused because it is not setting them up for just one experiment.

Tips for Writing Testable Questions Begin by listing several questions on a topic about the natural world. Try to eliminate questions that cannot be answered by gathering evidence. Break broad questions that can be investigated one at a time. Word questions in a way that allows them to be answered by an investigation or experiment. Be sure that the question identifies a relationship or factor you can investigate. Here’s how you could begin… What is the relationship between…? What factors cause…? What is the effect of…?

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Popcorn Article 12 min With your table group, you will read an article about the way popcorn is made. While reading, you should identify some observations (qualitative/quantitative) and testable scientific questions that were mentioned in the article. Try to see if you have some other questions of your own!

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Independent Practice 15 min Use the popcorn article you just read during the guided practice and create some observations about popcorn. Try to make different ones from the article! Then, use those observations to write your own scientific question – different from one in the article. You may write a few different questions. When you think you have a good, testable question, have me check it for you. You will use this for the next couple class periods!

Observations, Inferences, Scientific Questions, OH MY! Do Now Observations/Inferences Guided Practice Independent Practice Scientific Questions Exit Ticket Closing and Questions “A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” – Isaac Asimov

Exit Ticket 5 min Complete the exit ticket silently and stack at your table group when you are finished.

STOP Cards S Summarize: Summarize the day’s lesson and what we learned. T Trait: What IB trait relates to the lesson? O Objective: Re-state in your own words and say whether or not we met that objective for the day. P Purpose: What was the purpose of this lesson?

Exit Procedure SILENTLY Voice level 0 - Silence Get your backpack and pack up all of your things. Stand up and push in chair Ladies line up Gentlemen line up Exit silently Hallways are a Level 2 (indoor voice)