1. What is Science?

2. Test Yourself: True or False
1. Science is a system of beliefs. 2. Most scientists are men because males are better at scientific thinking. 3. Scientists rely heavily on imagination to carry out their work. 4. Scientists are totally objective in their work. 5. The scientific method is the accepted guide for conducting research. 6. Experiments are carried out to prove cause-and-effect relationships.

3. 7. All scientific ideas are discovered and tested by controlled experiments.
8. A hypothesis is an educated guess.
9. When a theory has been supported by a great deal of scientific evidence, it becomes a law.
10. Scientific ideas are tentative and can be modified or disproved, but never proved.
11. Technology preceded science in the history of civilization.
12. In time, science can solve most of society’s problems.

4. How is this puzzle like science?
Nature is a puzzle that we have not yet solved
Trial and error is an essential ingredient to science
New information may require the old theory to be modified or discarded
Our current information may be incomplete and therefore, our theories incorrect
Sometimes, we get lucky and find the right answer
Collaboration may be helpful
Once we arrive at the answer, it makes perfect, elegant sense

5. What is Science?
Now, talk to your group mates and try to come up with a definition of science.

6. What is Science?
Science is a body of knowledge. It describes what we know about our world.
Science is a process. It is a way of investigating the world around us.
Science is a way of knowing. It allows us to understand the world we live in.

7. What is Science?
Scientists use observations using all their senses to discover the world around them.
Science relies on empirical evidence
Empirical evidence is found through direct observation or experience

8. Science is… Limited to the natural world Observable Testable
Measurable
Can be modified or changed
Sometimes biased by the scientist
Tries to be objective
Can be disproven
A search for understanding

9. Science is NOT… Based on belief, faith or authority
Decided by law or vote
Certain
A mere collection of facts
Absolute
Able to solve all problems

10. “The Human Soul Weighs 21 Grams”
Is this science? Why or why not?

11. Is That a Science Question?
For something to be answerable by science, it must be able to be proven wrong
Opinions and faith cannot be proven wrong- they are yours! So, science cannot answer anything that is based on someone’s opinion.

12. Proven Wrong? Huh? Yes, science cannot be proven right
We test and test and test and test some more. All the science we know right now is really well-proven and durable. BUT! It could be proven wrong one day.

13. Is That a Science Question?
Can these questions be answered with science?
How does fertilizer affect plant growth?
What is an atom made of?
Should I cheat on my test?
Do humans have souls?
What is art?
What causes the different phases of the moon?

14. Scientific Habits of Mind
So, Jane Goodall and Issaac Newton were born great scientists, right?
WRONG!
Everyone has to learn how to be a scientist and think in a scientific way.

15. What are Some Characteristics of Good Scientists?
Curiosity
Desire to figure out how things work
Desire to solve problems
Creativity
Honesty
Withholding judgments or biases
Thirst for knowledge
Sense of wonder for the world around us

16. Observation and Inference
Bell Ringer:
What are ways we can make observations?

17. Observations Any information collected with the senses.
The skill of describing scientific events

18. Practice
Look at your seashell. Make as many observations as possible. Write them down.

19. Types of Observations Quantitative – measureable or countable
3 meters long
4 marbles
50 kilograms
35 degrees Celsius
Qualitative – describable, not measureable
red flowers
smells like fresh baked cookies
Tastes bitter

20. Practice
Which observations were most useful for finding your partner’s sea shell?
What does this tell us about what kinds of observations are useful in science?

21. Make Some Observations
Look at the picture to the left.
What do you observe?

22. Inferences Conclusions or deductions based on observations.
The process of drawing a conclusion from given evidence.

23. Make Some Inferences Look at the picture to the left.
Based on what you observe, try to infer what is going on

24. Now what do you think?
Make 3 more observ-ations

25. How about now?

26. Observations & Inferences
How did more observations change our inferences?

27. Inference Practice Observation- the Fire Alarm is going off
Possible inferences?
Observation- Ms. DeBari is absent

28. Bell Ringer
What is inference? Make a possible inference based on this photo.

29. Mystery Cube Observe the cube given to your table with group mates
Try to infer what should go on the blank side of the cube

30. Accuracy
How close a measurement is to the accepted or true value

31. Precision
How close measurements are to each other