The Scientific The Scientific

Method:Method: A Way to Solve a ProblemA Way to Solve a Problem

Goal:Goal:

1) The student will be able to use 1) The student will be able to use the scientific method to complete a the scientific method to complete a scientific investigation.scientific investigation.

Objectives:Objectives:

The student will be able to list the steps of The student will be able to list the steps of the scientific method in order.the scientific method in order.

The student will be able to define the The student will be able to define the purpose of each step in the scientific purpose of each step in the scientific method.method.

The student will be able to conduct a pre-The student will be able to conduct a pre-designed scientific investigationdesigned scientific investigation

The student will be able to design and The student will be able to design and conduct a scientific investigation.conduct a scientific investigation.

1.1.Choose a Choose a problem.problem.

State the problem as a question 2. Research 2. Research

your your problem,problem, Read, get advice, and make observations

33. Develop a . Develop a hypothesis. hypothesis. Make a predication about what will happen

4. Design an 4. Design an experiment. experiment. Plan how you will test your hypothesis

5. Test your 5. Test your hypothesishypothesis. . Conduct the experiment and record the data

6. Organize 6. Organize your data.your data.Create a chart or graph of your data

7. Draw 7. Draw conclusionsconclusionsAnalyze your data and summarize your findings

What is the ScientificWhat is the Scientific Method?Method?

What do you think of when What do you think of when someone says the word someone says the word "science" to you?  Do you think "science" to you?  Do you think that science is test tubes, that science is test tubes, bunsen burners, laboratories, lab bunsen burners, laboratories, lab coats, chemicals, or coats, chemicals, or microscopes?  Science might use microscopes?  Science might use some of these things, but that's some of these things, but that's not science.not science.

What is the ScientificWhat is the Scientific MethodMethod

Science is a way of thinking about Science is a way of thinking about the world around us.  It's a way of the world around us.  It's a way of finding out what we don't know by finding out what we don't know by figuring out what we do know.  figuring out what we do know.  

It's a way of getting answers to It's a way of getting answers to questions. questions. 

It's a way to solve a problem.  It's a way to solve a problem.  Some people call it a method: theSome people call it a method: the

scientific methodscientific method..

Questions and answersQuestions and answers

        In the old days people got In the old days people got answers to their questions in answers to their questions in several ways.  They asked an several ways.  They asked an "expert".  Or they checked in a "expert".  Or they checked in a book.  Or they believed in magic.  book.  Or they believed in magic. 

Today we know that we don't Today we know that we don't need these.  What we need is a need these.  What we need is a questionquestion and the curiosity to and the curiosity to find an find an answeranswer..

Scientist have to take the time to Scientist have to take the time to think logically when they are think logically when they are investigating a question or problem.investigating a question or problem.

They break things They break things down into many steps down into many steps that make sensethat make sense..

Questions and answersQuestions and answers

An observation is any use of the An observation is any use of the senses to gather information.senses to gather information.

To ask a question you must first To ask a question you must first make an observation.make an observation.

Ask a question about what youAsk a question about what you

have observed.have observed.

After gathering information through After gathering information through researchresearch, the next step is to guess , the next step is to guess the reason why.  the reason why. 

Now that you have a question about Now that you have a question about an interesting topic which you’ve an interesting topic which you’ve researched, you can probably make researched, you can probably make a pretty good predication of what will a pretty good predication of what will happen in your experimenthappen in your experiment

This This educated guesseducated guess is called a is called a hypothesishypothesis

HypothesisHypothesis.. Next, you (the scientist) will need to Next, you (the scientist) will need to

test the test the hypothesis.hypothesis.   A hypothesis is basically a guess, It is the A hypothesis is basically a guess, It is the

answer to your questionanswer to your question You need to think up an experiment You need to think up an experiment

that will prove or disprove that will prove or disprove hypothesis.  hypothesis. 

HypothesisHypothesis..    Sometimes your hypothesis will be Sometimes your hypothesis will be

right and sometimes it will be right and sometimes it will be wrong.  Either way is fine. wrong.  Either way is fine. 

Did you know? Silly Putty was Did you know? Silly Putty was discovered because of a wrong discovered because of a wrong hypothesishypothesis!!  

Test the HypothesisTest the Hypothesis

How do I test my answer?How do I test my answer? Basically, by doing an experiment.Basically, by doing an experiment. See if there is a way that you can See if there is a way that you can

test your answer.test your answer. Maybe you have to grow a few Maybe you have to grow a few

plants for exampleplants for example..

ProcedureProcedure A key to experiments is observing A key to experiments is observing

what happens and writing it down.what happens and writing it down.

Scientists write out a Scientists write out a methodmethod (some people call this a (some people call this a procedureprocedure) like a recipe. ) like a recipe. 

Materials needed are listed and Materials needed are listed and

the steps, like ingredientsthe steps, like ingredients

ProcedureProcedure

Other scientists may want to do Other scientists may want to do your experiment.  They need your experiment.  They need clear directions to follow. clear directions to follow.

Once you have designed an Once you have designed an experimentexperiment to test your to test your hypothesis, you need to perform hypothesis, you need to perform the experiment. the experiment. 

Analyze the ResultsAnalyze the Results What did your experiment show?What did your experiment show? You need to record your data to You need to record your data to

keep track of what is happening keep track of what is happening in your experiment.in your experiment.

This can be through charts, This can be through charts, graphs, or data sheets.graphs, or data sheets.

DataData Experiments are done to gather Experiments are done to gather datadata. .  It is very important that you follow It is very important that you follow

your procedure carefully, make goodyour procedure carefully, make good observationsobservations while performing the while performing the experiment, and keep accurate experiment, and keep accurate records.  records. 

Another part of the scientific method Another part of the scientific method process is process is resultsresults..  Results are   Results are observations made after performing observations made after performing the experimentthe experiment. .

At the end of the investigation, At the end of the investigation, you must draw a conclusion. you must draw a conclusion.

Determine what the experiment Determine what the experiment has told you by looking at your has told you by looking at your collected data.collected data.

You may have to reform your You may have to reform your hypothesis, and retest your hypothesis, and retest your answeranswer

Draw ConclusionsDraw Conclusions

Once you have looked at the data Once you have looked at the data from the experiment, you can draw from the experiment, you can draw conclusionsconclusions. . 

You can ask yourself questions such You can ask yourself questions such as, "What do the results tell me?  as, "What do the results tell me?  Was my hypothesis proven?"  These Was my hypothesis proven?"  These could be as simple as "yes" the could be as simple as "yes" the hypothesis was correct, or "no" the hypothesis was correct, or "no" the hypothesis was incorrect. hypothesis was incorrect. 

Draw ConclusionsDraw Conclusions

Once a scientist completes an Once a scientist completes an experiment, they often repeat it to experiment, they often repeat it to see if they get the same findings see if they get the same findings and resultsand results

This is really what we call This is really what we call verification, or checking things out verification, or checking things out to make sure everything was valid to make sure everything was valid and will happen again and again.and will happen again and again.

If your hypothesis is proven to If your hypothesis is proven to be incorrect, you will want to be incorrect, you will want to find out what was wrong.  find out what was wrong. 

You may even develop a You may even develop a hypothesis about the hypothesis about the hypothesis!!hypothesis!!

Communicate ResultsCommunicate Results

One of the most important One of the most important

step in any investigation is to step in any investigation is to communicate your results.communicate your results.

You can write a You can write a

scientific paper, make a scientific paper, make a presentation, or create a Web presentation, or create a Web site.site.

You can apply the Scientific You can apply the Scientific Method to most anything you Method to most anything you do.  do. 

It is simplyIt is simply

a waya way to solve a problemto solve a problem..

TIPS SO YOU DON’T TIPS SO YOU DON’T FORGETFORGET

Ask Fred To Act Dramatically Ask Fred To Act Dramatically CoolCool

A- askA- ask F- form a hypothesis F- form a hypothesis T- test hypothesisT- test hypothesis A- analyze the resultsA- analyze the results D- draw conclusionsD- draw conclusions C- communityC- community

WHAT DOES THE SCIENTIST WANT TO KNOW

RESEARCH

HYPOTHESIS

PROCEDURE/METHOD

DATA

CONCLUSION

WRITTEN AND CAREFULLY FOLLOWED STEP BY STEP EXPERIMENT

DESIGNED TO TEST THE HYPOYHESIS

INFORMATION COLLECTED DURING THE EXPERIMENT

WRITTEN DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT WAS NOTICED DURING THE

EXPERIMENT

WHAT DOES THE SCIENTIST WANT TO KNOW

GATHERING OF INFORMATION

QUESTION

OBSERVATION

AN EDUCATED GUESS OF AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION