1. PROCESSES OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
PROCESSES OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

2. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN OBSERVATION?
INDUCTIVE REASONING
DEDUCTIVE REASONING

3. PROCESS OF GENERALIZING FROM SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS
INDUCTIVE REASONING
PROCESS OF GENERALIZING FROM SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS

4. EXAMPLE
The average mass of cows in Vermont is 450kg therefore the average mass of all North American cows must be 450kg

5. DEDUCTIVE REASONING START W/ VALID GENERALIZATION REASON FROM IT
ARRIVE AT SPECIFIC CONCLUSION

6. EXAMPLE
YOU DEDUCE THAT IF THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF AFRICAN LIONS IN THE WILD IS 10 YEARS THEN THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF LIONS IN KENYA IS 10 YEARS

7. SCIENTISTS GO FURTHER - THEY TEST IDEAS
WILL OBSERVATIONS MADE FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE MASS OF COWS IS 450kg?

8. STEPS TO SCIENTIFIC METHOD
MAKE OBSERVATIONS
FORM QUESTIONS BASED ON OBSERVATIONS
FORMULATE A HYPOTHESIS
TEST HYPOTHESIS - REPEAT TESTS
ANALYZE RESULTS
CONCLUSION

9. IN SCIENCE THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTE TRUTHS
AN IDEA IS CORRECT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF OBSERVATIONS & TESTS WHICH IT IS DERIVED

10. THEORY PRINCIPLE
Set of ideas that form a general frame of reference for further study
Explanations have high probability of being valid
Evidence is so over- whelming that the explanation is further elevated
fundamental doctrine on which other concepts are based objectivity

11. WHAT IS A HYPOTHESIS? A tentative explanation
To be scientific must be testable
Constructed to provide framework for stating the results of an experiment
Must be more specific than problem

12. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
CONTROLLED VARIABLE

13. THE CONDITION OR EVENT UNDER STUDY
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
THE CONDITION OR EVENT UNDER STUDY

14. DEPENDENT VARIABLE
Variables that can possibly change because of the presence of or change in an independent variable (What is measured in an experiment)

15. CONTROLLED VARIBLES (CONSTANTS)
Conditions that could affect the outcome of an experiment but do not because they are held constant

16. RANDOM SAMPLING
Subjects are randomly assorted into either experimental group or control group (ensures both groups are representative samples of the original population)

17. SAMPLING ERROR
When a test group is not equivalent to a natural population, a sampling error is introduced to the experiment

18. SYSTEMATIC ERROR
ERROR THAT OCCURS IN THE SAME DIRECTION EACH TIME AND IS ALWAYS EITHER TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW

19. ORGANIZING TEST RESULTS
DATA TABLES
GRAPHS

20. Example: Annual and Seasonal Black Bear home ranges in km2.

21. Comparison of annual and seasonal home range estimates

22. Statistical tests
determine if differences between experimental data and control data are significant or likely due only to chance.

23. GENERALIZING FROM TEST RESULTS
Hypothesis is accepted or rejected on basis of conclusions drawn
Statement is written about new insights gained
Apparent trends are noted
Further problems and hypotheses are posed