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Published byBrian Cain Modified over 9 years ago
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What is Science?
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The goal of science: is to investigate and understand the natural world, to explain events and use those explanations to make predictions.
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1. Observation – gather info in an orderly way. 2. Collect data Quantitative – numbers Qualitative – descriptive 3. Data allows us to make inferences – interpreting our data using our prior knowledge. 4. Hypothesis – An explanation for a set of observations. “educated guess”
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Test your observation skills… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4
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Designing an experiment Ask a question Form a hypothesis (prediction & reason) Set up a controlled experiment manipulated – variable that is changed responding – variable that reacts to the change controlled – variables (need 2) that stay the same Record and Analyze Results Draw a conclusion Publish/Repeat experiment
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Discuss: Design a way to experimentally find the “best” chocolate chip cookie. What are your variables?
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Validity: How well a test measures what it is supposed to measure. Something in the procedure you did Reliability: How well you are able to get stable & consistent results. “R” is for REPEAT.
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Back to the chocolate chip cookie experiment. How would you make it reliable? How would you make it valid?
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Biology (and all sciences, really) seek solutions to real-world problems. A constraint is a problem your real-world solution might encounter. A limitation is why that constraint is limiting you.
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Some bears are getting into trash cans at campgrounds near the forests. The park rangers plan to trap & relocate these bears to solve the problem of these bears getting into the trash. Describe constraints (other than cost) that park rangers could encounter when trapping/relocating the bears. Describe how each constraint is a limitation.
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When evidence from numerous investigations builds up a hypothesis may become so well supported that we call it a theory Not as it is used colloquially “just a theory”… gravity is “just a theory” Theory – WELL TESTED explanation that unifies or explains a broad range of observations. Example: Why are marsupials (kangaroo) only found in Australia? Both the theory of plate tectonics and the theory of evolution work together to answer this question.
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