1. 10-19-17 Cambridge - Empirical Evidence

2. Do Now: Answer in your Science Notebook
Why was evidence significant in yesterday’s Crime Scene activity?

3. Empirical Evidence
Lesson Objective: I can explain that scientific explanations are based on empirical evidence, which is the cumulative body of observations of a natural phenomenon
Standard: SC.7.N.1.6: Explain that empirical evidence is the cumulative body of observations of a natural phenomenon on which scientific explanations are based

4. Empirical Evidence
Empirical evidence: evidence based on scientific research.
Most often, you will find empirical evidence in science texts or books that focus on research or studies.
Read the provided essay and think about what makes this a good example of a student using empirical evidence to support a position.

5. Empirical Evidence
What makes this excerpt a good example of empirical evidence?
It may seem more like an opinion piece until you look at the data used to support the student’s argument. Examples:
“National Teen Driving Statistic’s showed that 16-year-old teenagers are three times more likely to die in car accidents than the average of all drivers. In 2002, 40.8 billion dollars was the estimated economic impact of auto accidents involving drivers who are years old.”
“Many studies done by Geico, an insurance company, show that drivers between the ages of 15 and 18 are more likely to use the phone while driving than older drivers.”
The writer includes a lot of research-based evidence to support their argument

6. Practice: With your shoulder partner, read each statement and determine whether it IS or ISN’T based on empirical evidence
Based on statistics gathered around the world by the auto industry, the VW Beetle is the best-selling car in history.
A study of several music sales charts shows that Michael Jackson sold over 300 million records throughout his career.
Michael Jackson was the greatest recording artist ever.
According to a food survey of more than 16,000 people, the world’s overall top 3 favorite foods are pasta, meat, and rice. In the U.S., the same study showed the top 3 foods are pizza, steak, and chicken.
The Ford Mustang is by far the most popular car ever made.
Many people agree the most popular food in the world is the hamburger

7. Practice: Read each statement and determine whether it IS or ISN’T based on empirical evidence
NOT based on empirical evidence
Based on statistics gathered around the world by the auto industry, the VW Beetle is the best-selling car in history.
A study of several music sales charts shows that Michael Jackson sold over 300 million records throughout his career.
According to a food survey of more than 16,000 people, the world’s overall top 3 favorite foods are pasta, meat, and rice. In the U.S., the same study showed the top 3 foods are pizza, steak, and chicken.
The Ford Mustang is by far the most popular car ever made.
Michael Jackson was the greatest recording artist ever.
Many people agree the most popular food in the world is the hamburger

8. Empirical Evidence
Empirical evidence can be gathered through direct and indirect observations.
For example, take paleoclimatology: the science of reconstructing climate history.
Scientists interested in climate change do not have methods for directly measuring ancient conditions.
Thus, they collect indirect evidence of climate change, known as “proxy” data.
Additionally, humans recorded observations of whether because it has been very important throughout our history. This would be direct evidence

9. Activity: Working with Indirect Evidence
Introduction: You will assume the role of scientists viewing and interpreting data. You will record indirect evidence of events that happened and learn what is involved in accurately interpreting indirect evidence.
First, you will work in pairs to generate the indirect evidence that will be interpreted by another group.

10. Directions
In pairs, you will receive Student Page 1 (Direct Evidence Secret Key) and Student Page 2 (Indirect Evidence Record).
Each pair will also receive a paper template of a die. Cut out the die and glue the sides together to form a 6-sided die.
Each pair will also need colored pencils or markers and paper.

11. Directions
Roll the die and record the series of numbers you roll in order on the Record of Direct Evidence (Student Page 1, Step #1). Repeat this process for 20 rolls of the die.
Then, choose a color to represent each number (1-6) on your Secret Key (Student Page 1, Step #2) and mark that color in the box next to the number. The color key should be kept secret from other student pairs.
Then, record the colors that correspond to the sequence of numbers rolled (as you chose in your Key) on the Indirect Evidence Record (Student Page 2, Step #3). Do not write the numbers on the Indirect Evidence Record.

12. Directions Join with a neighboring pair to make a group of four.
Your goal is to decode the other pair’s keys without speaking a word or looking at the Secret Key (Student Page 1).
To figure out which color corresponds to which number, one pair watches (and takes notes) while the other pair continues to roll the die and place a color along their remaining squares in the Indirect Evidence Record (Student Page 2, Step #4).
Once one pair has the key decoded and has identified which numbers were rolled in order on the Indirect Evidence Record (Step #5), check the key.
Pairs should then switch roles.

13. Summary The natural world leaves indirect evidence of climate change.
Scientists study how things in the natural world are affected by changes in temperature so that they can decode indirect evidence left behind by these natural things.

14. Nature’s Records of Climate Change (Proxy Data): These help us understand what the climate was like without us directly observing that climate
Clues to how climate has changed exist in the natural world in tree rings, Arctic and Antarctic ice, and layers of sediments on the seafloor and lake bottoms. These data are indirect evidence of past climate because they help us to understand what the climate was like without us directly observing that climate.

15. Human Records of Climate Change