1. The Scientific Method The Scientific Method
Target 3: Students will explain the steps of the scientific method and relate it to solving an everyday problem.

2. The Scientific Method

3. Testable Question “Cornerstone of your work”
Made after making observations
Starts with the following words: How, When, What, Who, Which, Why, or Where
Question should be able to be answered by MEASURING some variables using NUMBERS that represent quanity (ex. count, percentage, length, width, weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time) or (present/not present)

4. Testable Question Examples
How does water purity affect surface tension?
When is the best time to plant soy beans?
Which material is the best insulator?
How does arch curvature affect load carrying strength?
How do different foundations stand up to earthquakes?
What sugars do yeast use?

5. Monday Night’s Homework -
In your notebook:
Pick 2 testable questions and write a hypothesis statement (If…,then…) for each
Make a data table for each with the correct labels
One table needs to include at least 3 trials.

6. Ask yourself? What is being tested?
What will stay the same in my experiment?
What will be the one thing that I change (variable)?
What data (numbers) will I collect?
How will I collect the data?

7. More Examples… Testable Question What is Tested? What Stays the Same?
Data Collected
What factors affect seed germination?
Factors (e.g. seeds in microwave, soaked seeds, etc.)
Amount of water, light and soil nutrients
Amount of growth over time
What amounts of light promote algae growth in a fish tank?
Hours of light in tank each day (e.g. 24 hrs, 12 hrs, 6hrs, 2 hrs, 0hrs.)
Set up of fish tank (e.g. gravel, plants, fish)
Amount of algae visible on sides of tank
How does temperature affect the water uptake of celery plants?
Temperature of water
Size of celery plant, amount of water
Water uptake over time

8. Form a Hypothesis What do you think will happen?
Educated guess based on RESEARCH
IF, THEN statement
Ex. If __(I do this)__, then __(this will happen)__.
If I water one plant with salt water and one plant with tap water, then the one with the salt water will produce more flowers.

9. Gathering Materials
In order to do an experiment, you must make a list of the equipment you will use.
This list is written above your procedure.
It allows other people to do your experiment without having to ask you what they need.

10. Writing A Procedure
A procedure is a list of steps that a scientist takes to complete the experiment.
This is a very detailed list that is numbered in 1,2, order. It is not a paragraph! It may include drawings.
You know you have written a good procedure when someone can read it and do the experiment exactly like you did.

11. Water Clock Procedure
1. Fill a clear, 4 liter bucket to 1 inch from the top
2. Place funnel on the top of the water with the hole facing down
3. Let funnel sink and record the time it takes to hit the bottom
4. Record this time in a data table
5. Take the funnel out of the water and place one, 3/4 inch brass washer inside the funnel.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 4.
7. Repeat step 5 by adding two, 3/4 inch brass washers inside the funnel.
8. Repeat steps 2 through 4
9. Repeat step 5 by adding three, 3/4 inch brass washers inside the funnel.
10. Using your data table, make a line graph representing the sinking times of all three funnels

12. Wed. Night’s Homework
Problem: You wonder if brushing your teeth right before a test will affect your grade.
Testable Question: Will brushing my teeth right before a test affect my grade?
HMWK: Write out a list of materials and a list of procedures to complete the test.
Be sure to include all the steps

13. Variables
Independent (manipulated) – the thing that is purposely changed (BOO! Or brushing teeth)
Dependent (responding)– a response to the change (blink or grade on test)
Control – making sure everything is the same in each experiment (ex. Time of day, setting, amount of people in room)

14. Controlling Variables
You are designing an experiment to determine whether sugar or salt dissolves more quickly in water.
Testable Question
Hypothesis
Materials/Procedure
Safety Precautions
Data Collection
Analyze/Conclude

15. Collecting and Interpreting Data
Organizing Your Data
Before beginning your experiment create a table
Practice – make a table that has 3 columns and 4 rows
Label columns – object, mass, time
Graphing Your Results
After all data is collected in a table
Graphs can reveal trends or patterns in data

16. Object
Mass (g)
Time (s)

17. Analyze and Conclude Analyze = what happened My results show…
If I were to continue this experiment my results show that (this will PROBABLY happen…)
Conclusion = summary of what you learned.
Reflect on your hypothesis
Ex. My hypothesis was proven true because my results show… Or
Ex. My hypothesis was not proven true because my results show…

18. Analyze and Draw a Conclusion
Object
Mass (g)
Time (s)
Folded Paper
3 g
1.03 s
Crumpled Paper 3g
.7 s
Flat sheet
2.04
What can we conclude based on these results?
What data are the same?
What data is different and WHY?
What is the reason the data is different?

19. What can we conclude

20. Monday Night’s Homework
1. Analyze and conclude section on experiment plan
2. Choose 2 testable questions to write a hypothesis statement for each (If (we do this…), then (this will happen).
3. Make 2 data tables, one for each hypothesis statement.
One data table must include 3 trials.