1. Scientific Method 1

2. Fact or Fiction?
Turtle eggs develop into males in cold temperatures and females in warmer temperatures
Insect-eating bats can eat as many as insects in one night
Pill-bugs have blue blood, do not urinate, and eat their own poop
Average garden snails have up to 14,175 teeth located on their tongue
The average American teenager eats about 825 kilograms ( lbs) of food each year

3. Believe it or not, all of those statements are FACTS!
To gather knowledge about the natural world, scientists OBSERVE what happens around them
They then come up with ideas to EXPLAIN what they observed
Then, they perform EXPERIMENTS to test their explanations
This is “good science”!

4. Tell Me More! Science is a “process” (a VERB!)
Think about this question: “I have high cholesterol, what should I do?”
Take cholesterol lowering medication.
Consult your astrologer.
Pray to the god Baal and sacrifice a goat on Mount Fuji.

5. The Scientific Method
A series of steps which are followed in order to logically solve a problem.
YOU follow the Scientific Method ALL THE TIME!

6. Steps in the Scientific Method
Observation
Problem
Hypothesis
Experiment
Data
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Conclusion
Repeat 6

7. YOU Follow the Steps of the Scientific Method
EVERY DAY!
You make Observations
See a Problem to Solve
Make a Hypothesis
Experiment
Collect Data and Analyze the Results
You make a Conclusion
Repeat or Retry if necessary 7

8. Everyday Science Scientific Method Car Repair Observation
Engine won’t turn over.
Hypothesis (prediction)
Predict battery is dead.
Test (experiment)
Replace battery.
Observe result
Engine now turns over.
Revise hypothesis?
Not needed.
New test?
Scientific Theory
Cars won’t work without a fully charged battery.

9. Everyday Science Scientific Method Car Repair Observation
Engine won’t turn over.
Hypothesis (prediction)
Predict battery is dead.
Test (experiment)
Replace battery.
Observe result
Revise hypothesis?
Starter is dead.
New test?
Replace starter and try again.
Scientific Theory
Cars won’t work without a working starter.

10. Making Spaghetti Sauce
Everyday Science
Scientific Method
Making Spaghetti Sauce
Observation
Spaghetti sauce is made of tomatoes.
Hypothesis (prediction)
Tomato sauce is made with whole tomatoes.
Test
Heat a pot of tomatoes.
Observe result
Taste the mush – yuck.
Revise hypothesis?
Yes! Use tomatoes, salt, pepper & garlic!
New test?
Add spices and taste – YUM!
Scientific Theory
The Final Recipe needs spice.

11. Everyday Science Scientific Method What to wear outside Observation
There are dark storm clouds on the horizon.
Hypothesis (prediction)
It will not rain before you get to school so you will stay dry.
Test
Leave house without an umbrella.
Observe result
It begins to rain when you are at the end of your driveway.
Revise hypothesis?
Yes! Run back and get an umbrella.
New test?
Use umbrella to stay dry.
Scientific Theory
Walking in rain, without an umbrella, makes you wet.

12. How are YOU going to Remember the Steps in the Scientific Method???
Observe
Problem
Hypothesis
Experiment
Data
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Conclusion
Repeat
Oh!
Please
Have
Extra
Delicious
Candy
Ready 12

13. Observe Observations are gathered through your senses
A scientist (and you!) notices (observes) something in the natural world 13

14. Problem
What is the Problem you are trying to solve? 14

15. Hypothesis
A suggested solution for (reason for) the problem or observation
An Educated Guess
Must be testable
Predicts an outcome 15

16. Experiment An Experiment is a procedure set up to test the hypothesis16

17. Valid Experiments
Any “factor” (thing that can influence) which is able to be changed in an experiment is called a Variable
Make sure only ONE variable is changed in an experiment!!! 17

18. Valid Experiments
A good (valid) science experiment tests a single variable that can be measured against a control.
A Control is the same experiment, leaving out the variable.
It is unchanged and used for comparison

19. Controlled Experiments
Controlled experiments are experiments where all factors are the same between two test subjects, except for the single variable you changed 19

20. Control Groups
Control Group receives the same attention as the test groups, however, it will not receive the “treatment” (variable) as the other groups and is used for comparison 20

21. Independent Variable
The independent variable is sometimes called the manipulated variable
It is the one factor that is changed (manipulated) in the experiment 21

22. Dependent Variable
The dependent variable depends on what is being changed in the experiment
It is the outcome (result) that is measured 22

23. Scientific Experiments Follow Rules
A valid experiment changes only one factor and observes or measures what happens
This is the data that is collected and analyzed! 23

24. What is the Purpose of a Control?
Controls are NOT being tested
Controls are used for COMPARISON
Controls sometimes use PLACEBOs 24

25. What is a Placebo?
PLACEBOs are fake “treatments” given to the control group to ensure that the control group doesn’t know what’s going on… 
It is harmless and has no effect
A “sugar pill” 25

26. Data Results of the experiment must be recorded and organized
Can be organized into charts, tables, or graphs 26

27. Conclusion
A Conclusion is the answer to the hypothesis based on the data obtained from the experiment
Does the data support or not support your hypothesis?
If it rejects it… Try Again! 27

28. Repeat/Retest
In order to verify the results and make sure they are valid, an experiment must be reproducible
- (able to be repeated / retested and get the same results) 28

29. One more thing… Valid experiments are repeated several times and get the same results, use a large sample group and are peer reviewed. 29

30. Theories vs. Laws What does the word “Theory” mean?
“A well tested / well supported / well accepted guess” (Webster’s Dictionary)
What is the difference between theory and law?
“Evolution is a theory, it is not a law.”
When a theory has been tested many times and is accepted as fact, it becomes a Law.

31. So??????
A successful, well tested hypothesis eventually becomes a Scientific Theory.
A successful, well tested, well supported, well accepted Theory becomes a Scientific Law.