Week 2Process Skills:

Scientific Method & Graphing notes

What are the steps of the scientific method?

1. Background Information2. Problem3. Hypothesis4. Materials5. Procedure6. Data7. Conclusion

Let’s talk about them one at a

time!

Background InformationBackground information is information that you research before you conduct your investigation.

It might be information you already know!

This information helps you clearly understand your topic before you begin conducting experiments.

This might include safety information!

Example: If you were doing an experiment with M&M’s, would you have any Background information?

Sure you would!1. What colors do they come in?2. What types of M&M’s are

there?

What else can you come up with about M&M’s?

You see, you are already very smart!

ProblemA problem is the question you (the scientist) plan to answer by conducting the scientific investigation.

Think of this problem about Open House?

Problem: What will happen if your parents come to open house?

A Problem is always stated as a question. It is the question that you want to solve or answer during your scientific investigation.

HypothesisThe hypothesis is an educated

guess or explanation that answers the question in the problem. This is what you THINK the answer might

be.

A hypothesis should be written as an IF/THEN

statement!Cause and effectWhen one thing happens it causes another thing to happen.

Example: If I run in the hall, Then I will get hurt.

Let’s PracticeWrite a hypothesis to the following

problems:1. What will happen if I don’t wear safety goggles in the lab?2. What will happen if I don’t complete my homework?3. How many drops of water can a penny hold?4. If we fill a baby food jar with water, then how many drops of water will it take to cause the jar to overflow?

MaterialsThis is the list of supplies and equipment that you will need to prove whether or not your hypothesis is correct.

Rules for listing materials1. Be descriptive! (tell me the size, shape, color etc.)2. Be precise! (Say 50ml of water and not a little bit of water)3. Don’t forget what you will need to clean up!4. If you need a liquid, you’ll need something to hold the liquid in.

ProcedureThe list of steps that you will follow to prove whether or not your hypothesis was accepted or rejected.

These will be numbered steps, in exactly the order that you will follow them.

List each step separately and be as descriptive as possible.

DataNeeds to be displayed in charts or graphs with correct heading and titles

AND NOW….

THE BIGGIE…. Conclusion

ConclusionThe Conclusion is the answer to the

problem, that you discovered during your scientific investigation.

The Conclusion has 5 parts…1. The hypothesis was accepted/rejected.2. It Stated…3. To test the hypothesis…4. During the test it was observed…5. Therefore…

You should practice writing more

conclusions, we will be writing a

lot of conclusions through out the

school year.

Great Job!Now let’s review. 1. List the 8 steps of the scientific method

in order.2. Which step of the scientific method is the

questions that arise during the lab experiment?

3. Which step of the scientific method comes before procedure?

Now let’s say the 8 steps of the scientific method all together!

1. Background Information2. Problem3. Hypothesis4. Materials5. Procedure6. Data7. Conclusion

Congratulations!

You are almost ready for the

scientific method test!

How to set up successful graphs in Science class!

How to set up your graph!

How to set up your graph!

Y Axis

(This is for your dependent variable)

How to set up your graph!

X Axis

(This is for your independent variable)

TAILS

TT - Title

Teachers’s Favorite Singer

TAILS

T - T - Title

A - Axis

Teachers’s Favorite Singer

Y Axis = Dependent Variable

X Axis = Independent Variable

TAILS

T - T - Title

A – Axis

S – Scale

Teachers’s Favorite Singer

Decide on an appropriate scale for each axis.

Choose a scale that lets you make the graph as large as possible for your paper and data

How to determine scaleScale is determined

by your highest & lowest number.

In this case your scale would be from 2 – 22.

Favorite Singer

Number of Teachers

Toby Keith

22

Madonna

15

Elvis 11

Sting 5

Sinatra 2

How to determine IntervalsThe interval is

decided by your scale.

In this case your scale would be from 2 – 22 and you want the scale to fit the graph.

The best interval would be to go by 5’s.

Favorite Singer

Number of Teachers

Toby Keith

22

Madonna

15

Elvis 11

Sting 5

Sinatra 2

TAILS

T – TitleT – Title

A – Axis

I – Interval

S – Scale

Teachers’s Favorite Singer

The amount of space between one number and the next or one type of data and the next on the graph.

The interval is just as important as the scale

Choose an interval that lets you make the graph as large as possible for your paper and data

TAILS

T – TitleT – Title

A – Axis

I – Interval

S – Scale

Teachers’s Favorite Singer

0

5

10

15

20

25

TAILS

T – TitleT – Title

A – Axis

I – Interval

L – Labels

S – Scale

Teachers’s Favorite Singer

0

5

10

15

20

25

Toby

Keith

Madonna

Elvis

Sting

Sinatra

LABEL your bars or data points

SingersGive the bars a general label. What do those words mean?

Num

ber

of T

each

ers

Label your Y Axis.

When to use…Bar graphsBar graphs

Used to show data that are not continuous.Allows us to compare data like amounts or

frequency or categoriesAllow us to make generalizations about the

dataHelp us see differences in data

Line GraphsLine GraphsFor continuous datauseful for showing trends over time