CSCOPE Unit 14 Lesson 01 SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY What does “scientific inquiry” mean to you? Scientific Inquiry: “The diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work.”

SCIENTIFIC METHOD What are the “steps” in a scientific method? Does a scientific method always have to include the same steps and have a definite starting and ending point?

HYPOTHESES What is a hypothesis? Hypothesis: “A tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation.”

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT Select a topic in biology that is interesting to you and is something around which you could design an experiment Select 2–3 scientific research articles on this topic. Review and summarize each article as part of the background research for your project.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT Based on your research, formulate a testable problem. Then, develop a hypothesis for your problem. Next, write detailed procedures for your experiment. Be sure to include the equipment/materials you will need and review any safety precautions that are necessary.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT Select and use appropriate equipment to conduct your experiment. Collect appropriate data while conducting your experiment. Analyze your data, and communicate valid conclusions based on your data.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT Finally, you will write and present a report that follows the experimental design process and communicates your results and conclusions. You should record all of your experimental design project work in your science notebooks, then your final report will be typed using the information in your science notebooks.