Think Like a Scientist! The Scientific Method

OBSERVATION When you use one or more of your five senses to gather information about the world When you use one or more of your five senses to gather information about the world Observations are called DATA Observations are called DATA

What are some examples? Hearing a Cow Mooooooooo Hearing a Cow Mooooooooo Seeing a Dog bury a bone Seeing a Dog bury a bone Smelling Choc. Chip cookies Smelling Choc. Chip cookies

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Quantitative Observations: Quantitative Observations: Observations that use Numbers For example: Measurements or counting Qualitative Observations: Qualitative Observations: Observations that use descriptions For example: How an animal reacts to an event

INFERENCE When you interpret an observation When you interpret an observation For example: For example: When you hear a dog barking…. you may infer that someone is at the door! When you see a sea lion yawning… you may infer that he is tired!

What is a possible Inference?

What do you OBSERVE? What can you INFER?

PREDICTION Making an inference about a future event Making an inference about a future event For example: For example: If Mrs. Brennan eats 12 Chocolate Chip Cookies… I predict that she is going to feel sick!

Who do you predict will win? Why?

Now, Your Thinking like a Scientist! LETS SUMMARIZE! In pairs, person A tells person B what we just learned for 45 seconds…Next, person B fills in the gaps or repeats the main points!

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD The process, or steps scientists use to gather information and answer questions! The process, or steps scientists use to gather information and answer questions! Scientists identify questions to ask by observing the world around them! Scientists identify questions to ask by observing the world around them!

1. Ask a Question or State a Problem Asking WHAT? or HOW? to something you observed Can you think of an example?

2. Research your Topic Gather information that will help you answer your question. Library, Internet, Interviews, Experiments

3. State your HYPOTHESIS A Hypothesis is an explanation for a question that can be formally tested. a.k.a: an educated guess! If…then… For example?

4. Design an Experiment A procedure designed to test your Hypothesis… Testing whether it is true or false. Testing whether it is true or false. Must be repeatable, and easy to understand

In a well designed Experiment, you need to keep all variables the same except one. Variable: Variable: The factor that is changed in an experiment…it is what you are testing! Control: Control: The factor(s) that remains the same! Controlled Experiment: Controlled Experiment: An experiment where all factors except one are kept the same; all of these factors are called the “controlled variables”

For example: Question: Which freezes faster…fresh water or salt water? Question: Which freezes faster…fresh water or salt water? Hypothesis: IF I add salt to fresh water, THEN the salt water will take longer to freeze Hypothesis: IF I add salt to fresh water, THEN the salt water will take longer to freeze Experiment: Experiment: Variable: the salt that is added to the water Control: the amount of water Controlled Experiment: All factors, or potential variables are kept the same, such as temperature and amount of water

5. Conduct your Experiment Perform your experiment by following your written procedure. Be sure to follow all safety rules!

6. Collect Data The observations and measurements you make in an experiment are called Data.

7. Analyze Data Did your experiment support your hypothesis? What happened during your experiment? Does additional research need to be conducted?

8. Conclusion Does your data and observations support your Hypothesis? “My hypothesis was _______ because __________”

9. Communication Share your results and data with others. Sources: written, spoken, video, TV, papers, lecture...

10. New Problem Form a new question or state a New Problem on the same topic. Form a new question or state a New Problem on the same topic. What more can you learn? What do you still want to know? What more can you learn? What do you still want to know?