1. Aim: What are the steps of the scientific method?
Do Now:
1. What is the scientific method?
2. List the steps of the scientific method.
Homework: Handout
(Read pgs 3-5 & answer ques. (1-7)

2. What is the scientific method?
An organized set of investigation procedures that include:
1. State the problem
2. Research & Gather Info.
3. Form Hypothesis
4. Test Hypothesis (Experiment)
5. Record & Analyze Data
6. Draw Conclusion

3. develop a question you want to answer 2. Research
1. State the Problem
develop a question you want to answer
2. Research
find out what is already known about your
subject, & make your own observations
3. Form a Hypothesis
an educated guess or possible answer to your question that is based on your research
This may or may not be correct
Start with “I think…, I predict…, or If…then…”

4. 4. Experiment
an organized process used to test your hypothesis

5. 5. Record and Analyze Data
Use your 5 senses in order to make observations
Use various tools in order to improve or extend your power of observation
Inferences (logical explanations) about data can be made
use data tables to keep track of measurements & graphs to identify trends in the data
Cyclic Events (repeat over & over) can be used to make predictions about the future

6. Does data support hypothesis?
6. Conclusion
a judgment based on the results of an experiment
explains what the data means
Does data support hypothesis?
If answer is NO
If answer is YES
Form a new hypothesis & conduct a different experiment
Repeat the experiment several times

7. Why repeat the experiment several times?
It is only considered to be valid if you get the same results each & every time you repeat the experiment
Publish your exp. so that other scientists can check your results & progress can be made in science

8. What is the difference between a Theory & a Scientific Law?

9. Theory
a former hypothesis that has been supported by
many experiments
can still be changed or discarded
Scientific Law
a statement about what happens in nature that can’t be explained
seems to happen in the same way all the time
ex: the law of gravity, Newton’s Laws of Motion

10. Aim: How can we set up a controlled experiment?
Do Now:
1. Take out homework handout.
2. Complete questions on the back of page 7 on the Scientific Method
Homework: Handout (section 1-2 pgs 15 & 16)

11. Controlled Experiments
Set up two or more groups for comparison
(Control group & Experimental group(s))
2. Groups are set up to be alike in all ways except one
3. The one difference between the two groups at the start of the experiment is called the “independent variable”
4. Experimental Group(s) is (are) exposed to the independent variable, the Control Group is not
Significant differences in results are probably caused by the independent variable

12. What is the difference between the independent & dependent variable?

13. Independent Variable The one part of the experiment that you change
The one thing being tested
Should cause a response to occur.
Always on the X-axis of a graph
Dependent Variable
a.k.a. the responding variable, or the factor being affected or changed in response to the independent variable
Always on the Y-axis of a graph

14. Y-axis
Dependent Variable
Growth (cm)
X-axis
Time (Days)
Independent Variable

15. What is the control group?
It doesn’t contain the independent variable
Used for comparison

16. What is the experimental group?
It contains the independent variable
(the one factor in the experiment that is tested)

17. Which experiment shows the control set-up & which shows the experimental set-up?

18. Why should we only have one independent variable in an experiment?
If there were more than one independent variable, you wouldn’t know which variable caused the experimental result.

19. What are characteristics of good experiments?

20. 1. Use large numbers in each group
this increases the reliability of your results because it decreases the chances of random error occurring
b) Example: In an exp. using seeds, maybe some were not going to germinate because a genetic flaw, or some were affected by a bacteria or fungus…
c) Random error with a small sample size can lead to false conclusions!!!

21. 2. Validity
Data may be altered when financial gain is on the line.
To check this, other scientists should be able to get similar results if they repeat your procedures

22. 3. Cautious Conclusions
don’t overstate the meaning of your data
results could be affected by factors that you are unaware of

23. Aim: Lab: What do you know about the. Scientific Method
Aim: Lab: What do you know about the Scientific Method? (Sponge Bob Experiments)
Do Now:
1. Take out homework handout.
2. What is the difference between the independent & dependent variables in an experiment?
3. What is the purpose of a control group?
Homework: Complete Lab

24. Aim: 1. Take Quiz. 2. What is the difference between an
Aim: 1. Take Quiz What is the difference between an observation & an inference?
Do Now:
1. Prepare for Quiz
2. Make a list of observations that you notice about this classroom.
Homework: Have a Great Weekend!!!

25. Quiz: Scientific Method
The_______________ Group is exposed to the independent variable.
The Control Group in the experiment is used for ______________.
The responding variable is also known as the ________________ variable.
The ___________ variable is always located on the X-axis of a graph.
5. An educated guess or possible answer to your question that is based on your research is known as ________________.

26. Quiz: Scientific Method
6. When stating the problem you must develop a _______________ you want to answer.
The last step in the Scientific Method is to state __________________.
8. A ___________ is a former hypothesis that has been supported by many experiments and can still be changed or discarded.
9. Use _______ _________ in each group to increase the reliability of your results because it decreases the chances of random error occurring.
Bonus: The parts of an experiment that stay the same are known as ________________.