Scientific Method

Life ScienceMr. P

Problem

• You and your friend both walk to school. You are neighbors. You insist your way is faster. He insists his way is faster. How would you figure out which is faster?

Think

• Think about how you would solve this problem

Pair

• Pair up with your neighbor

Share

• Share with your neighbor what you would do to solve this problem

So how would you solve it

Problem

• You are outside and you look at the plants and trees. You begin to wonder why trees grow up. What do you think causes that to happen?

Think

• Think to yourself

Pair

• Pair up with your neighbor

Share

• Share with your neighbor

Starter 8/10/10

• Question: What is Science?

So how can we figure it out

• So we see plants grow straight up. We think that it is because of the sun. How can we see if this is right?

Experiment Set-up

Scientific Method

You just did the scientific method!!!

Scientific Method

• The scientific method is a series of steps that are followed to help solve a problem

Science

• Science is all about looking around us and making observations and trying to explain what is happening.

Scientific Method

• The most important step in science is to make observations

• This is not as easy as it seems

What do you see in this image

What are some things you noticed

Problems with Observations

• Every year in the spring, the Nile River flooded areas of Egypt along the river, leaving behind nutrient-rich mud that enabled the people to grow that year’s crop of food. However, along with the muddy soil, large numbers of frogs appeared that weren’t around in drier times.

Where did the frogs come from?

Problems with Observations

• The Egyptians once figured that the muddy soil gave rise to the frogs.

Problems with Observations

• Before you, is a fossilized fish. We will be looking at these this year. When Aristotle, the smartest guy of his time, was first showed this, the idea of fossils never existed. Therefore he was asked what it was….

Problems with Observations

• He figured that this is a living fish, that is slowly swimming through the rock. The reason you cant see it moving is because rock is hard to swim through.

• Obviously he was wrong

Scientific Method

• The first step of the scientific method is careful observation

Scientific Method

• This observation, once studied, will lead to something called a hypothesis.

Scientific Method

• A hypothesis is your best guess at what is happening.

Scientific Method

• Examples of Hypotheses:– The frogs coming from the mud– The fish is swimming through the rock– The sun is causing the plant to bend– My way to school is fastest

Develop a Hypothesis

• You are watching TV and all of a sudden, the TV goes off. You look for the remote and can not find it.

Develop a Hypothesis

• What are some possible hypotheses?

Scientific Method

• The third step is to develop an experiment to test your hypothesis

Scientific Method

• You then run the experiment and collect data.

Data

• Data is anything you observe or can measure

• Examples are observations, temperature, distance, speed, time, weight, etc

Scientific Method

• The final step of the scientific method is forming your conclusions.

• This is when you analyze your data and draw conclusions.

Lets try this out

• Here is a worksheet that we are going to work on together.

Terrance Bogg

• Terrance Bogg, a well-known billionaire, is found dead on the floor of his office at 7:00 pm Saturday evening. He has been shot through the chest. Detective Green is called to solve the mystery.

Terrence Bogg

• Detective Green discovers the following facts:– Bogg was shot with a 9mm handgun. The handgun is not

in the office now.– The maid heard the shot at 4:50 pm, but he thought it was

a car back-firing– The crime scene investigators who looked at the body at

7:45 pm said Bogg had been dead for three to four hours. – Two people had threatened Boggs.

• Mr. Stokes hated him because Bogg was ruining his business• Ms. Jones was fired as Bogg’s secretary last week. She was seen

at a local bar yelling that “Boggs should be shot!”

Terrence Bogg

• Mr. Stokes says he was at a party from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday afternoon

• Ms. Jones was in a car accident at 3:00pm on Saturday and has been in the hospital ever since with a broken leg and arm

• Mr. Stokes’ wife said he left the party at 4:30 to go to see his financial planner

• Mr. Stokes’ financial planner said he has not seen Mr. Stokes in over a month.

Lets fill in the first column

• Problem:Who shot mr. bogg?• Observations:evidence

• Hypothesis: • Mr. Stokes shot mr. bogg

Terrence Boggs

• After searching Mr. Stokes’ house, Detective Green finds the 9mm gun and identify it as the same gun used to kill Mr. Boggs.

Lets finish the first column

• Experiment: • Search mr. stokes’ house• Data:• Found the gun• Conclusion:• Mr. stokes killed mr. bogg

Starter 8/11/2010

• Question:

What is a hypothesis?

Lets try another

• In front of you is two beakers of water. One beaker has a soda, while the other has a regular (non-diet) soda.

Lets fill in the second column

• Problem:

• Observations:

• Hypothesis:

Lets finish the second column

• Experiment:

• Data:

• Conclusion:

Create your own

• Now try one with your partner (you both are writing down your answers)

• Problem: Which is the better stain fighting detergent?

• Observations: Both Tide and Cheer advertise that they do a better job at fighting stains on clothing

• Now fill out the rest….

Starter 8/12/2010

• Question:– Put the following steps in order for the scientific

method• Conclusion• Hypothesis• Observation• Problem• Data• Experiment