scientific method fifth grade laurel mill elementary school
TRANSCRIPT
SCIENTIFIC METHODFIFTH GRADE
LAUREL MILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
STEP 1 – THE QUESTION
THERE ARE AN ENDLESS NUMBER OF QUESTIONS IN OUR UNIVERSE THAT ARE JUST WAITING FOR ANSWERS.
SCIENTISTS MUST DECIDE WHICH PROBLEMS OR MYSTERIES THEY WANT TO SOLVE.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER?
STEP 1 – THE QUESTION
SCIENTISTS MUST BE SURE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS THEY ARE GOING TO ANSWER TO ENSURE THEY REACH THE RIGHT CONCLUSIONS. THEY MUST KNOW THE
APPROPRIATE MATERIALS AND DATA THEY NEED TO COLLECT TO GET TO THE RIGHT ANSWERS.
LET’S SEE HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT FIGURING OUT WHAT KINDS OF ANSWERS YOU NEED FOR THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!!
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE RAINFALL IN LOUISBURG PER YEAR?
WHAT WILL THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BE:
A. A WORD?B. A NUMBER?C. A PLACE?D. SOMEBODY’S NAME?
WHAT UNIT OF MEASUREMENT WILL THE ANSWER MOST LIKELY BE IN?
E. INCHESF. DEGREESG. KILOMETERSH. MILES
WHAT IS THE COLDEST MONTHOF THE YEAR IN LOUISBURG?
WHAT WILL THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BE:A. A WORD?B. A NUMBER?C. A PLACE?D. SOMEBODY’S NAME?
WHAT UNIT OF MEASUREMENT WILL WE USE TO FIND THE ANSWER?
E. METERSF. MILESG. DEGREESH. INCHES
WRITE THESE NOTES IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL
STEP 1 – THE QUESTION
UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION
KNOW THE APPROPRIATE MATERIALS AND DATA YOU NEED TO COLLECT
STEP 2 – RESEARCH AND FIND FACTS
IN SCIENCE, A FACT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PROVEN BY OBSERVATION (SEEING WITH YOUR OWN EYES) OR MEASUREMENT BY USING AN APPROPRIATE TOOL (SUCH AS A RULER OR THERMOMETER.)
OFTEN PEOPLE CONFUSE THEIR OPINIONS WITH FACTS.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPINION AND FACT?
OPINIONS
• A SUNNY DAY IS BETTER THAN A RAINY DAY.
• PINEAPPLE IS DELICIOUS ON PIZZA.
• GREEN IS THE BEST COLOR.• DAISIES ARE BEAUTIFUL.
CAN YOU PROVIDE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF OPINIONS?
OPINIONS ARE STATEMENTS THAT DEPEND ON A PERSON’S VALUES OR BELIEFS. THEY WILL DIFFER FROM PERSON TO
PERSON. THESE STATEMENTS CAN NOT BE PROVEN.
FACTS
• 2 + 2 = 4• WATER FREEZES AT 32°• RALEIGH IS THE CAPITAL OF NORTH CAROLINA.
FACTS ARE CONCRETE AND ARE THE SAME NO MATTER WHO LOOKS AT THEM. FACTS CAN BE OBSERVED AND PROVEN USING TOOLS.
CAN YOU PROVIDE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF FACTS?
WRITE THESE NOTES IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL
STEP 2 – RESEARCH AND FIND FACTS
LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT YOUR QUESTION
DO NOT USE OPINIONS
STEP 3 - HYPOTHESISBASED ON THE RESEARCH YOU HAVE DONE, YOU WILL PREPARE AN ANSWER OR SOLUTION – YOUR BEST EDUCATED GUESS – TO YOUR QUESTION.
YOU MUST FORM YOUR HYPOTHESIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR EXPERIMENT.
LET’S SEE HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT FORMING A HYPOTHESIS!
TELL ME YOUR HYPOTHESIS BASED ON THESE FACTS
• IT IS JUST BEFORE DINNER AND YOU SEE AND SMELL TACO MEAT COOKING ON THE STOVE.
• YOUR TV GOES BLACK AND YOU GET UP AND TRY THE LIGHT SWITCH AND IT DOESN’T WORK.
• YOUR FRIEND SHOWS UP AT YOUR HOUSE WITH A FISHING POLE AND SOME BAIT.
WRITE THESE NOTES IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL
STEP 3 – PREPARE YOUR HYPOTHESIS
BASED ON YOUR RESEARCH, MAKE YOUR BEST GUESS AS TO THE ANSWER
STEP 4 – TEST YOUR HYPOTHESISMATERIALS
• MAKE A DETAILED LIST OF THE ITEMS YOU NEEDED TO COMPLETE YOUR EXPERIMENT.
• BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE AMOUNTS AND MATERIALS USED.
PROCEDURE
• LIST ALL OF THE STEPS USED IN COMPLETING YOUR EXPERIMENT.
• REMEMBER TO NUMBER YOUR STEPS.• ADD PHOTOS OR DRAWINGS OF YOUR
EXPERIMENTS.EXPERIMENT
WRITE THESE NOTES IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL
STEP 4 – TEST YOUR HYPOTHESIS
PREPARE YOUR MATERIALS
DOCUMENT YOUR PROCEDURE
EXPERIMENT
STEP 5 – ANALYZE YOUR DATA
• REVIEW THE RESULTS OF YOUR EXPERIMENT
• ORGANIZE YOUR DATA
• DETERMINE IF YOUR HYPOTHESIS IS CORRECT
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU COULD ORGANIZE YOUR DATA?
ORGANIZING DATA
BAR GRAPHS
PIE CHARTS
LINE GRAPHS
WRITE THESE NOTES IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL
STEP 5 – ANALYZE YOUR DATA
DOCUMENT YOUR RESULTS IN AN ORGANIZED MANNER
REVIEW THE RESULTS
STEP 6 – DRAW YOUR CONCLUSION
BASED ON YOUR DATA, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOUR HYPOTHESIS WAS CORRECT.
PREPARE A REPORT WHICH CLEARLY DOCUMENTS YOUR RESULTS SO OTHERS MAY LEARN FROM YOUR
EXPERIMENT.
WRITE THESE NOTES IN YOUR SCIENCE JOURNAL
STEP 6 – CONCLUSION
PREPARE A REPORT WHICH PROVES OR DISPROVES YOUR HYPOTHESIS.
TOMORROW WE WILL PARTICIPATE IN AN EXPERIMENT. YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD!