1. What is Science?

2. Science vs. Legend
Humans have always sought to explain the events of the world
The legends of Native Americans and other peoples have long used legends to explain natural phenomena
Science explains the world we see but it is based on what we can observe with our five senses

3. Science
The goal of science is to investigate and understand nature, to explain events, and to use those explanations to make useful predictions
Science only deals with the natural world
Collects and organizes information in a specific manner
Proposes explanations that can be tested using evidence collected in a scientifically approved manner

4. How it works All scientific evidence is based on observation
Uses on or more of the five senses
Quantitative: uses numbers to describe the evidence
How many mice are in a square meter.
Qualitative: more descriptive, cannot be easily measured
What color are the fishes spots.

5. How it works Observations are followed by inferences
A logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience
I can use prior experience to infer that you will all be on your best behavior for about another week
Inferences can also be called hypotheses
Can be tested and proven wrong
Can never be proven correct

6. Scientific Method
A series of steps used to work on problems or answer questions
By following the steps you can eliminate errors that could give false results
When the same steps are used by someone else they should be able to come up with the same results
Can be used in every aspect of your life and most of you do it with out realizing what you are doing

7. Step 1
Identify a problem or question you want to answer

8. Step 2 Gather background information on the subject
It is possible someone has already done the research for you

9. Step 3
Form a hypothesis
A hypothesis is an educated guess based on prior knowledge and the research done in step 2

10. Step 4 Test your hypothesis by designing an experiment
Test only one variable (or thing) per experiment
The thing you are controlling or adjusting is the independent variable
The thing that is responding to the independent variable is the dependant variable
If possible set up a second experiment where everything remains the same – this is called a control

11. Step 5 Record you data and graph your results
Tables and graphs allow you to see patterns and draw conclusions
When you graph
The dependant variable is graphed on the y-axis
The independent variable is graphed on the x-axis

12. Step 6 Draw a conclusion based on the results of your experiment
Did the results of the experiment agree or disagree with your hypothesis
What did you learn by doing your experiment
Did the experiment raise any new questions

13. Publishing and Repeating
All scientific experiments are repeated to ensure that the results were not a random thing
Often experiments are repeated by other scientists
A theory is a group of hypotheses that have been repeatedly tested and so far have not been proven wrong
Allow scientists to make predictions about new situations