2. Section 2.1: The Scientist’s Mind
Key Vocabulary
Evidence
Hypothesis

4. Qualities of Scientific Thinking
Scientists make observations.
They ask questions about what they observe.
They make predictions about the cause of the things that they observe.
Their predictions are based on evidence that can be measured and tested. (Prediction=Hypothesis)
They test their hypothesis.
They communicate their results to their Peers.

5. What is Evidence?
Evidence is defined as material or data that can be measured or tested to verify a prediction or hypothesis.

6. What is a Hypothesis?
A Hypothesis is a tentative explanation for an observation or phenomenon (an “educated guess”).

7. How Scientists Think Scientists are skeptical.
They question long-held ideas.
They try to prove new ideas and disprove others.
As a result, only correct interpretations of “reality” stand the “test of time”.

8. Section 2.2: Scientific Methods of Inquiry
Key Vocabulary
Scientific Inquiry
Peer Review
Theory
Law
Scientific Method

9. What is Scientific Inquiry?
Scientific Inquiry is a two-component problem-solving process of generating and testing of the hypothesis. The organization of this problem-solving process is called the Scientific Method. (Process-Framework)

10. How Scientist Approach Questions The Scientific Method
State a problem
Research
Form a Hypothesis
Test the Hypothesis (conduct an experiment)
Record and Analyze the data
State a conclusion
Repeat or redesign experiment
Report Results

16. What is the Scientific Method?
A Systematic Approach to Problem Solving
A method that is applied in all scientific investigations

17. Steps of the Scientific Method
State the Problem (Purpose)
Research (Gather information on the problem)
Form a hypothesis
Perform experiment(s) to test the hypothesis.
Record and analyze data
State a conclusion
Repeat and/or redesign
Report Results

18. State the Problem This is the purpose of the investigation
State what problem you want to solve or what question you want to answer

19. Research (Gather Information)
Use various resources to inform yourself about the parts of your investigation
You must educate yourself about your investigation so you can make an “educated guess” to test

20. Develop a Hypothesis A hypothesis is an educated guess
It proposes an answer to your question or a solution to your problem
The hypothesis is what you are testing in an investigation
Let’s choose an example and work through the first three steps of the scientific method together

21. Perform the Experiment
Design and perform an experiment that will test your hypothesis for accuracy
To do this you must be able to identify your variables

22. Variables Independent Variable
The thing that is being changed by you-that you are manipulating
There can only be ONE changed variable
Dependent Variable
The “thing” that responds to what you have changed or manipulated
This is the thing you are measuring

23. One More Type of Variable
Control Variable
These are the things that stay the same throughout the investigation or experiment
In the setup of your experiment, you can only have one changed variable; this means all other variables must be controlled.

24. Record and Analyze Data
Data includes the measurements and/or observations you make about the responding variable
But first, you must determine what type of data (called observations) you will collect

25. Types of Observations Quantitative
Observations that measure such things as size, weight, distance, volume etc.
This observation MUST use a number
Qualitative
Observations that describe using details such as size, color, shape
This observation uses NO numbers

26. Examples Quantitative Qualitative Jane is taller than Jack
Jane is 5 feet tall
There are 65 cars on the train
I wear a size 12 shoe
The gas tank holds 18 gallons
Qualitative
Jane is taller than Jack
The walls are yellow
Oranges are round
Jack is older than Jane

27. Quantitative or Qualitative?
Which type of observation is most useful in a science investigation?
QUANTITATIVE!! Why?

28. State the Conclusion
Your conclusions should consist of your best explanations for given observations
Your conclusion should answer the question: What happened? And Why did it happen?

29. Repeat and/or Redesign
In order to confirm results, you should always repeat your experiments numerous times. If there are ways to improve your experiment, you should redesign it until it properly tests your hypothesis
Remember! A single experiment never “proves” a hypothesis to be true, it only supports or does not support a hypothesis

30. Report Results
The last step of the scientific method is reporting your results.
Share results with others
Provide experiment procedures for others to conduct and validate your results

31. Let’s Apply What You’ve Learned
Are You ready?
Start your Brains.

32. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
To test whether aspirin can keep flowers fresher for a longer period of time, take two large beakers (labeled A and B) with equal amounts of water. Place one red carnation in each beaker. In beaker A, put one tablet of aspirin. In beaker B do not put aspirin. Identify the following in regard to this particular experiment.
Identify the Independent Variable
Amount of Water Aspirin
Carnations Time the flowers stay fresh

33. Apply what you’ve learned. . . . .
To test whether aspirin can keep flowers fresher for a longer period of time, take two large beakers (labeled A and B) with equal amounts of water. Place one red carnation in each beaker. In beaker A, put one tablet of aspirin. In beaker B do not put aspirin. Identify the following in regard to this particular experiment.
What is the Dependent Variable?
Amount of water Size of Beakers
Size of Carnations Time flowers stay fresh

34. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
“If the amount of sunlight available increases, the rate of photosynthesis in a plant will also increase.”
This statement is an example of a(n):
Conclusion Purpose
Analysis Hypothesis

35. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
The effect of one minute of walking and one minute of running on the pulse and respiration rates of a human.
Speed Time
Pulse & Respiration Rates Walking & Running

36. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
If you were doing research on the deadly E-bola virus, which resource in the library would give the most current information?
Internet Book
World Book Encyclopedia Readers Guide

37. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
The effect of one minute of walking and one minute of running on the pulse and respiration rates of a human.
In this experiment, what are the Controlled Variables?
Speed Time
Pulse & Respiration Rate Walking & Running

38. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
A student plants one marigold seed into each of three pots. One pot she uses soil from a flower bed outside her house, one pot she plants with soil from a garden store, and one she plants into rocks. She uses a pitcher and waters each seed. She puts a pot on the window sill of her kitchen, one under the grow lights on her porch and one in a bag. She waits three days and makes her first observation.
This not a well prepared experiment, on a sheet of paper, write at least three reasons why this is not a scientifically sound experiment