1. Miss Forsythe Life Science The Scientific Method Pages 10-17

2. VOCABULARY Scientific Method- Hypothesis- Controlled Experiment- Variable- Control-

3. Scientific Methods What is the Scientific Method? – The steps that scientists use to solve scientific problems.

4. The Steps to the Scientific Method STEP 1: Ask a question. – Ask a question about the natural world – Why do leaves turn different colors in the fall? – Does fertilizer help plants to grow?

5. The Steps to the Scientific Method STEP 2: Form a hypothesis. – Hypothesis: A possible explanation or answer to a question. – Make a prediction: If/Then statement – Example: If flowers are given fertilizer, then they will grow faster

6. The Steps to the Scientific Method STEP 3:Test the hypothesis with an experiment. – Design an experiment that tests your hypothesis/prediction.

7. The Steps to the Scientific Method STEP 4: Analyze the results – Collect your data and study what can be learned from your data.

8. The Steps to the Scientific Method STEP 5: Form a conclusion – What was learned by completing the experiment?

9. The Steps to the Scientific Method STEP 6: Communicate/Share your results – Share your results and conclusions with others.

10. The Steps to the Scientific Method 1) Ask a Question 2) Form a Hypothesis 3) Test the Hypothesis with an experiment 4) Analyze the Results 5) Form Conclusions 6) Communicate the Results

11. CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS Experiment- Something that is done to test a hypothesis or a prediction. Controlled Experiment- Two experiments exactly alike except for one change. Control- Part of an experiment in which no change is made. Variable- Anything that can be changed in an experiment.

13. Scientific Law vs. Scientific Theory 1) Scientific Theory- An idea that is believed to be true and has been supported by experiments, but has not been proven. Example: The Big Bang Theory (Not the TV show!) 2) Scientific Theory- A rule that describes a pattern in nature. A scientific explanation that always appears true. Example: The Law of Gravity