DOING SCIENCE Describing & Explaining Nature

Biology is the scientific study of life.Biology is the scientific study of life.  But what does “scientific” mean?  Science = Latin meaning “to know”  Doing science = finding out about nature  Asking questions  Searching for answers

Two Ways to Do ScienceTwo Ways to Do Science  Discovery Science = Describing Nature Example – Tadpoles change into frogs  Hypothesis-based Science = Explaining Nature Example – Do frogs like flies better than other insects?

Discovery Scientists Observe NatureDiscovery Scientists Observe Nature Jane Goodall learned about chimpanzees in East Africa

Discovery ScienceDiscovery Science  Make observations b y using your 5 senses: See, Hear, Smell, Taste, and Feel  Come up with inferences based on your observations

Observations can be…Observations can be…  Qualitative (using words)  Color  Comparisons  Descriptions  Quantitative (numbers)  Weight  Height  Number of leaves

PRACTICE - Discovery SciencePRACTICE - Discovery Science  What observations can you make?  What inferences can you make?

PRACTICE - Discovery SciencePRACTICE - Discovery Science  What observations can you make?  What inferences can you make?

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature It always starts with a problem … Why isn’t my iPod working?

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature Then you research what’s wrong…

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature Then you make a hypothesis … If I turn it off and then turn it on, maybe it will fix the problem.

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature Then you experiment on it… TRY IT OUT!

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature Then you collect data “Turning it off and on did not fix the problem.”

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature Then you analyze the data “Turning it on and off didn’t work, so… I’ll have to try something else!”

Hypothesis-Based Scientists Explain Nature Finally, you make a conclusion and you share it with everyone!

So, Hypothesis-Based Science…So, Hypothesis-Based Science… P roblem R esearch H ypothesis E xperiment D ata Collection A nalysis C onclusion

How do I remember the order?How do I remember the order? P eople R ob H ouses E ven D irectly A fter C hurch

PRACTICE – Analyzing DataPRACTICE – Analyzing Data What do you think the experiment was about?