Nature of Science Section 1

You are a Scientist!  Have you?  Looked at the colors in a puddle of oil?  Watched a fire burn?  Watched lightning bolts dart through the night sky?  If you have then you are acting like a scientist!

Scientist Cont…  Scientists observe the world around them just as you do.  So whenever you make an observation you are acting like a scientist.  Science – (scire) to know.  Science is more than just observing, real scientists:  Question what they see  Wonder what makes things the way they are  Attempt to find answers to their questions

The Nature of Science  The goal of science is to understand the world around us.

Observation  Observation- Using 1 or more of your senses to gather information.

Inferring  Inferring – When you explain or interpret the things you observe.  Making an inference doesn’t mean guessing wildly. Inferences are based on reasoning from what you already know.  Turn to page 8 in your textbook.  To infer is to draw a conclusion.

Other Scientist Skills  Predicting –  to tell about something before it happens.  Classifying –  to organize objects or information into groups.  Making Models –  Creating representations of complex objects or processes.

How Scientists Work  Scientists use special methods to determine truths about nature.  Facts- are truths about nature.  Example: The sun is a source of heat and light.  Using facts they have gathered, scientists propose explanations.  They then run experiments to test their explanations.

Branches of Science  Life Science –  deals with living things and their parts and actions.  Earth Science –  is the study of the earth and its rocks, oceans, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.  Physical Science –  is the study of matter and energy.

Other Vocabulary Words  Hypothesis –  an educated guess.  Dichotomous Key –  tool that helps scientists classify objects or organisms.