1. The Scientific Method

2. `Awareness Test

3. What is the Scientific Method?
The basic steps that scientists follow in uncovering facts and solving scientific problems ( a plan for solving a problem).
An organized plan for gathering, organizing and communicating data
Six or Seven Steps

4. What is the Scientific Method?
Make an Observation
Ask a Question
Complete Background Research
Develop a Hypothesis
Test your Hypothesis
Analyze the Data
Conclusion (Report and Share)

5. Step 1: Observation What can you observe about a piece of paper?
Everything starts with an observation
What you perceive with your senses
What can you observe about a piece of paper?

6. Step 2: Forming a Question
Based on your observations
Develop a question or problem that can be solved through experimentation.
Usually a “How’ or “Why” question
Can you form a question about paper folding?

7. Step 2: Forming a Question
How many times can you fold a piece of paper in half?

8. Step 3: Complete Background Research
Collect knowledge needed to know about the subject of the experiment
It will be used to form a hypothesis

9. Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
Hypothesis = an educated prediction to the answer of the stated problem
Based on research and prior knowledge

10. Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
A proposed answer to your question
There is no right or wrong hypothesis
Using your question lets develop a hypothesis.

11. Format of Hypothesis Two accepted formats: “I think…because…” Or
“If…then…because…”
Both formats include the all important “because statement” used to justify your prediction.
If a paper is folded in half, then it can only be folded ________ times because it will become too thick to fold.

12. Examples of Format of Hypothesis
“I think…because…”
I think a paper can be folded in half __ times, because after that it is too thick to fold
“If…then…because…”
If a paper is folded in half, then it can only be folded ________ times because it will become too thick to fold.
If a paper is folded in half, then it can only be folded ________ times because it will become too thick to fold.

13. Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
This is where you conduct an experiment (a situation specially set up to observe how something happens or to test your hypothesis)
Develop a set of repeatable methods
The goal is to test your hypothesis by collecting data

14. Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
Includes variables - a quantity that is measured or changed during the experiment
Term
Definition
Independent
Variable
What you are changing in the experiment
Dependent
The outcome caused by changing the independent variable, a measurement
Control
Used for comparison in your experiment
Constant
What stays the same from one experiment to the next

15. Step 6: Testing Your Hypothesis
how many times it actually is folded
folding the
paper
independent variable
cause
dependent variable
effect
control
comparison
constant
unchanging
Independent - folding the paper
Dependent - how many times it actually is folded
What are our variables in the paper folding experiment?

16. Step 6: Collect and Analyze the Data
Observations, information and data are collected from the experiment
Organize the data and perform calculations
Interpret the data you gathered from your experiment

17. Step 6: Collect and Analyze the Data
Construct charts, graphs, averages, percentages, etc.
Dependent Variable
on the Y-axis
How would you graph the
paper folding experiment?
Independent Variable
on the X-axis

18. Step 7: Conclusion Does your data support your hypothesis? YES NO
Revise or make a new hypothesis and test again.
You just made a scientific discovery.

19. Step 6: Conclusion (Sharing)
A summary of results, the answer to your question.
What were the possible sources of error?
Does your data (answer) support your hypothesis? Why or why not?
We conclude that our hypothesis was supported or not supported based on our data.
What conclusion can you make about paper folding?
We conclude that our hypothesis was supported or not supported based on our data.

20. What about a huge sheet of paper?

21. Why use the Scientific Method?
A logical way to problem solve - in all aspects of life.
A way to share information that can be proved or disproved.
A way to find new information