1. As you come in, please:
Get out a sheet of paper and put your name on it.
Write a definition, from your own memory, for these terms: hypothesis, scientific law, scientific theory, scientific model.
On the back of the page, draw a picture of scientists doing science. Show some detail: who is working, what they are doing, what they are using.

2. The Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry
What is Science?
The Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry

3. Who is a scientist?

4. Who is a scientist?
Ecologists

5. Who is a scientist?
Microbiologists

6. Who is a scientist?
Taxonomists

7. Who is a scientist?
Geneticists

8. Who is a scientist?
Botanists

9. Who is a scientist?
Molecular
Biologists

10. Who is a scientist?
Zoologists

11. Science: A Human Endeavor

12. The Nature of Science Science is:
based on observations and inferences about the natural world.
a creative human endeavor
socially embedded.

13. The Nature of Science Science produces: Laws Theories Models
knowledge that is always tentative (subject to change).

14. Hypotheses A hypothesis
is a statement that predicts the outcome of an experiment.
is valid if it is testable, falsifiable, and specific — not if is correct!
is tested (not “proven”) by scientific inquiry.

15. Scientific Laws
A scientific law is a description of a natural phenomenon.
Laws are based on empirical evidence.
Examples:
Mendel’s laws of inheritance.
The Hardy-Weinberg Law of population genetics.
Laws may change with new knowledge.

16. Scientific Theories
A scientific theory is an explanation of a natural phenomenon.
Theories are based on empirical evidence.
Examples:
The theory of natural selection.
Cell theory.
Theories may change with new knowledge

17. Scientific Inquiry
The process that creates scientific knowledge is scientific inquiry.
Inquiry can be:
Descriptive
Correlational
Experimental

18. Descriptive Studies
Descriptive studies describe the object of study in detail.
Characteristic of young sciences.
Some sciences, such as Astronomy and Taxonomy, rely almost entirely on descriptive studies.

19. Correlational Studies
Correlational studies describe two events that occur at the same time, and look for a relationship between the two.
Many health studies are correlational: they use large databases of health information, and try to answer questions when an experiment would be unethical.
However, a correlation does not prove a cause.

20. Experimental Studies
Experimental studies involve setting up control and experimental groups in order to the effects of one variable on another.
Experiments can be used to determine cause.
Experiments are used to test hypotheses (not to “prove” them).