1.1 Scientific MethodChapter 1

Warm-up What is “science?”

Objectives Students will be able to:

Outline the steps of the scientific method Make inferences based on data Design a controlled experiment Identify DV & IV

Standards: BIO.B.3.3.1

What is “Science?” An organized way to use evidence to

learn about the natural world

Where does evidence come from? OBSERVATIONS! Scientists use observations to gather

data

Types of Data QuaNtitative

Numbers data Examples?

Qualitative data Observations Examples?

What next? Observation: You are sitting in a train

station. A man carrying a briefcase runs past you.

You make an inference A logical interpretation of observations

Testing Evidence Ask a scientific question…

A question that can be answered through experimentation

Examples of a scientific question: Does Pepsi have more carbonation than

Coke? What is the effect of smoke on lung

cancer?

Testing Evidence What is a non-scientific question?

Did Abraham Lincoln like the color blue? Is Monday night football more fun to

watch that Sunday night football?

Testing Evidence Scientific Question or no?

Why is basketball a boring sport? Did grass turn brown because it needs

fertilizer? Does studying for a test positively impact

the result? Why is Dunkin’ Donuts coffee tastier than

Wawa’s?

Answering the question A hypothesis is a possible explanation

for a set of observations A possible answer to the scientific

question

Answering the question True or False:

There is only one hypothesis for a set of observations.

It needs to be a testable statement A hypothesis is always correct

Activity: Inference Cubes

So you have a hypothesis… How do you figure out if your hypothesis

is correct? Answer: EXPERIMENTATION

Designing an Experiment An experiment tests an hypothesis An experiment compares two or more

groups Ex: fertilizer vs. no fertilizer

Designing an Experiment An experiment involves variables Variables = factors that can change

Controlled variables: variables that are the same in the two groups

Independent or manipulated variable: the single factor that is different between the two groups

Dependent or responding variable: the result of the experiment, what is measured

PracticeControlled variable

Independent or manipulated

variable

Dependent or respondent

variable

Practice: Redi’s Experiment

Activity: Simpson’s Experiments