Aim: What are the steps of the scientific method?

Do Now: 1. What is the scientific method?2. List the steps of the scientific method.

Homework: Handout (Read pgs 3-5 & answer ques. (1-7)

What is the scientific method?

An organized set of investigation procedures that include:1. State the problem2. Research & Gather Info. 3. Form Hypothesis4. Test Hypothesis (Experiment)5. Record & Analyze Data6. Draw Conclusion

3. Form a Hypothesis• an educated guess or possible answer to your question that is

based on your research• This may or may not be correct • Start with “I think…, I predict…, or If…then…”

develop a question you want to answer

2. Research find out what is already known about your

subject, & make your own observations

1. State the Problem

an organized process used to test your hypothesis

4. Experiment

• Use your 5 senses in order to make observations

• Use various tools in order to improve or extend your power of observation

• Inferences (logical explanations) about data can be made

5. Record and Analyze Data

• use data tables to keep track of measurements & graphs to identify trends in the data

•Cyclic Events (repeat over & over) can be used to make predictions about the future

•a judgment based on the results of an experiment

•explains what the data means

Does data support hypothesis?

If answer is NO If answer is YES

6. Conclusion

Form a new hypothesis & conduct a different experiment

Repeat the experiment several times

Why repeat the

experiment several times?

a) It is only considered to be valid if you get the same results each & every time you repeat the experiment

b) Publish your exp. so that other scientists can check your results & progress can be made in science

What is the difference between a Theory & a Scientific Law?

• a former hypothesis that has been supported by

many experiments

• can still be changed or discarded

Scientific Law

• a statement about what happens in nature that can’t be explained

• seems to happen in the same way all the time

• ex: the law of gravity, Newton’s Laws of Motion

Theory

Aim: How can we set up a controlled experiment?

Do Now: 1. Take out homework handout.2. Complete questions on the back of page 7 on the Scientific Method

Homework: Handout (section 1-2 pgs 15 & 16)

Controlled Experiments1. Set up two or more groups for comparison

(Control group & Experimental group(s))

2. Groups are set up to be alike in all ways except one

3. The one difference between the two groups at the start of the experiment is called the “independent variable”

4. Experimental Group(s) is (are) exposed to the independent variable, the Control Group is not

5. Significant differences in results are probably caused by the independent variable

What is the difference between the independent & dependent variable?

• The one part of the experiment that you change• The one thing being tested• Should cause a response to occur.• Always on the X-axis of a graph

2. Dependent Variable• a.k.a. the responding variable, or the factor being

affected or changed in response to the independent variable

• Always on the Y-axis of a graph

1. Independent Variable

X-axis

Y-axis

Dependent Variable

Independent Variable

Time (Days)

Growth (cm)

What is the control group?

• It doesn’t contain the independent variable

• Used for comparison

What is the experimental group?

• It contains the independent variable

• (the one factor in the experiment that is tested)

Which experiment shows the control set-up & which shows the experimental set-up?

Why should we only have one independent

variable in an experiment?

If there were more than one independent variable, you wouldn’t know which variable caused the experimental result.

What are characteristics of good experiments?

1. Use large numbers in each group a) this increases the reliability of your results

because it decreases the chances of random error occurring

b) Example: In an exp. using seeds, maybe some were not going to germinate because a genetic flaw, or some were affected by a bacteria or fungus…

c) Random error with a small sample size can lead to false conclusions!!!

Data may be altered when financial gain is on the line.

To check this, other scientists should be able to get similar results if they repeat your procedures

2. Validity

3. Cautious Conclusions

• don’t overstate the meaning of your data

• results could be affected by factors that you are unaware of

Aim: Lab: What do you know about the Scientific Method? (Sponge Bob Experiments)

Do Now: 1. Take out homework handout.2. What is the difference between the independent

& dependent variables in an experiment?3. What is the purpose of a control group?

Homework: Complete Lab

Aim: 1. Take Quiz 2. What is the difference between an observation & an inference?

Do Now: 1. Prepare for Quiz2. Make a list of observations that you notice about this classroom.

Homework: Have a Great Weekend!!!

Quiz: Scientific Method1. The_______________ Group is exposed to the

independent variable.2. The Control Group in the experiment is used

for ______________.3. The responding variable is also known as the

________________ variable.4. The ___________ variable is always located on

the X-axis of a graph.5. An educated guess or possible answer to your

question that is based on your research is known as ________________.

Quiz: Scientific Method6. When stating the problem you must develop a

_______________ you want to answer.• The last step in the Scientific Method is to state

__________________.

8. A ___________ is a former hypothesis that has been supported by many experiments and can still be changed or discarded.

9. Use _______ _________ in each group to increase the reliability of your results because it decreases the chances of random error occurring.

Bonus: The parts of an experiment that stay the same are known as ________________.