3. Observations Any information collected using the five senses.

4. Inference Conclusions or deductions based on observations. The process of drawing a conclusion from given evidence. Practice: Observations: I hear people screaming I smell cotton candy, popcorn, and hamburgers I see a lot of people Inference? = _______________

6. Look at these two sets of animal tracks. Make 2 OBSERVATIONS Make an INFERENCE

7. Now what do you think? Make 2 OBSERVATIONS Make an INFERENCE

8. Now what do you think? Make 2 OBSERVATIONS Make an INFERENCE

9. Flip to the front of your packet: Observation or Inference?

10. The Scientific Method 7 Steps to a Logical Process

11. 1. Observe & Question What caused this? What is the effect of...? Make sure the question is testable.

12. 2. Research How much research you need to do depends on your question!

13. 3. Form a hypothesis Educated guess about the outcome of an experiment Cause leads to effect: If I do “this”, then I expect “that”.

14. 4. Experiment Important Factors: 1.Control group 2.Experimental Group 3. Constants 3.One independent variable 4.Repeat experiments

15. Control vs. Experimental group Control: No treatment is applied “Normal” condition to compare results against. Experimental The group being subjected to test conditions.

16. No salt (control) Different salt levels (experimental)

17. Experimental Variables: Independent Variable: The factor that is changed by the scientist/ experimenter Example: Testing the effects of salt on a plant; Independent variable= amount of salt Control = _____________ Dependent Variable: The factor that is affected by the independent variable. It is what you collect data on, or measure. Dependent variable = ___________________

18. Constants Variables in the experiment that stay the same – this is very important! - Type of plant - Amount of soil -Amount of sun … all the same!

19. 5. Collect data Must be measurable. Use a reliable machine, tool, or color chart.

20. 6. Analyze Data Compare control data to experimental data Create a graph to see data trends

21. 7. CONCLUSION: How did results compare to hypothesis? Must be free of personal opinion and bias.

22. Communicate results! Publish for review Be open to feedback. Describe in enough detail that someone else can replicate. Finally…