1. WHAT IS THIS SCIENCE STUFF?!

2. Science “The goal of science is to investigate and understand the natural world, to explain events in the natural world, and to use those explanations to make a useful prediction” So…what does that mean!?

3. Science Science is how we understand and learn about the world around us It is an organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world

4. What is Biology? Biology is the study of living things

5. Scientific Inquiry Scientific Inquiry – a way to investigate things and purpose an explanation as to why it happens

6. What are some questions a biologist may ask about this critter?

7. Think like a Scientist Observation – information that is gathered using your senses, mainly sight and sound Data – the information collected from your observations

8. Quantitative vs. Qualitative There are 2 main types of data we can collect… Quantitative – data expressed as numbers; we get this data from counting or measuring Qualitative – data that is describing but can’t be counted

9. Quantitative vs. Qualitative There are 12 blue M&Ms in a bag… Quantitative The candy tasted sweet… Qualitative Susie is 5 feet 6 inches tall… Quantitative The water feels cold… Qualitative

10. Inferences Scientists can use data they collect to make inferences Inference – a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge

11. Inferences A scientist is testing water in a reservoir, she tests water in 3 different parts. Each part tested safe to drink. She makes the inference that all the water is safe to drink.

12. Hypothesis Hypothesis – a proposed scientific explanation for a set of observations Should be written as an “IF…THEN…” statement

13. Forming a Hypothesis Back in the day…people believed that somehow life could arise from non-living things! Spontaneous Generation – the idea that life can arise from non-living matter

14. Francesco Redi - 1668 Redi, an Italian physician who proved “spontaneous generation” was false Redi observed that maggots appeared on meat a few days after flies had landed on it. Redi then hypothesized that flies lay eggs too small to see

15. Redi’s Spontaneous Generation Experiment

16. Louis Pasteur Some scientists argued that air contained a “life force” and Redi’s experiment did not take this into account Louis Pasteur – a French chemist who designed an experiment using broth to finally disprove the idea of spontaneous generation Proved that living things only come from other living things

17. Pasteur’s Broth Experiment

18. Farmer Bob The Farmer Bob experiment… IF Farmer Bob uses Miracle Grow in his garden THEN his plants will grow bigger!

19. Scientific Method Step 1: State the Problem Step 2: Gather Info/Make Observations Step 3: Form a Hypothesis Step 4: Test the Hypothesis Step 5: Analyze Data Step 6: Draw Conclusions Step 7: Hypothesis not supported – Modify Hypothesis supported – Repeat several times

21. Monty Python Scientific Inquiry?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= C7q_b31JmBs

22. Designing an Experiment If possible, your hypothesis should test only ONE variable at a time! Controlled Experiment – an experiment involving one experimental variable and one controlled variable

23. Variables Independent Variable – what you change in an experiment Dependent Variable – what you measure in an experiment Controlled Variable (the control) – what you keep the same during an experiment

24. Controlled Variables Some controlled variables: Soil Amount of sunlight Type of plants Temperature Amount of time tested

25. Scientific Theory You may think of a theory as something not yet proven BUT in science… Theory – a well tested explanation for a group of observations

26. Back to Farmer Bob… Hypothesis: If Farmer Bob uses Miracle Grow on his garden then the garden will grow bigger. Control Group: A garden with only water, NO Miracle Grow! Experimental Group: A garden with Miracle Grow!

27. Farmer Bob’s Variables Independent Variable: Whether Bob uses Miracle Grow or not Dependent Variable: The size of the plants!