THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD What is the scientific method? What are the steps of the scientific method? Does the scientific method only work in science class?

Steps of the scientific method Observation and Research Problem/Question Hypothesis Procedure Data Analysis Conclusion Communicate

OBSERVATION AND RESEARCH May be done before or after you pose a formal problem Gives you a question to answer or Helps you formulate a hypothesis

PROBLEM/PURPOSE/QUESTION This what you want to solve. Research may lead to this problem Research may be done after problem is formed. Sample problem: Will fertilizer effect how tall a plant will grow?

HYPOTHESIS Prediction based on prior knowledge FORMAT: If x happens, then y happens, because ________________. Example: Question: Will fertilizer affect how tall a plant will grow? Hypothesis: IF fertilizer is added to a plant, THEN, it will grow taller BECAUSE the plant will gain more energy and nutrients to grow.

HYPOTHESIS PRACTICE What is the effect of a new drug on the number of offspring a mother mouse has? IF ________________ THEN ______________________ B/C__________________________________________ What effect does temperature have on the number of chirps a cricket produces? IF ________________ THEN ______________________ B/C__________________________________________ What effect does 24 hours of light have on a plant?

VARIABLES and CONTROLS The factors that you are testing or changing in an experiment INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: the one factor you change in your procedure DEPENDENT VARIABLE: the factor that changes due to the independent variable being changed EXAMPLE: If I change the amount of fertilizer on a plant, (independent variable) then the plants will grow taller (dependent variable) because they will gain more energy and nutrients to grow CONTROL: this is the experimental set-up where nothing changes If the amount of fertilizer on a plant is changing, then I would have a set-up in “normal” condition (no factors changed- this case NO FERTILIZER would be added to the control)

PROCEDURE Steps to gather data Should be reproducible Do not use: “I”, “We”, “Our”, etc… Listed, numbered, specific Gather materials Use graduated cylinder to measure 25 ml of water.

DATA Observations, Measurements, Calculations, Drawings, etc… Presented as: Graphs: line, pie, bar, etc… Tables/charts, Venn diagrams and graphic organizers, Pictures, photos Temperature ( °C) Time (s)

CONCLUSION Summarizes your process and findings Analyze errors Restate hypothesis Was the hypothesis proven or disproven? What in your data explains your results? Use examples from data section to explain relationships between variables Refer back to your charts and graphs to direct the reader to the correct information Analyze errors What went wrong? How did it affect your results? (BE SPECIFIC) Make new predictions What would you change next time? (steps, or materials) What do you hope to see (data-wise) with these changes?