PowerPoint Learning
Quest
Biology 9
Unit 1 : Scientific
Method
Created by: Jeff Wolf and Elizabeth Weninger
Objectives: After completing this
Learning Quest the student will…
• Describe the
detailed steps of
Scientific Method
(OHEC) used when
conducting
experiments.
• Apply the Scientific
Method steps in the
development of
their own
experiment.
Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Follow the instructions in
the Anticipation Guide
found in this PowerPoint
Presentation.
Follow the instructions
and answer all questions
found in the Learning
Guide.
Follow the instructions in
the Conclusion guide.
ALL THREE GUIDES CAN
BE FOUND IN THIS
LEARNING POWERPOINT
QUEST
Anticipation Guide
(Page 1)
• Scientists use many
skills in order to
gather information.
• When a scientist
begins to gather
information, we often
call this period of
gathering
information
REASEARCH.
Research can be
done by reading and
experimenting.
Anticipation Guide
(Page 2)
• The four key steps of
the scientific method
include:
– Observations.
– A Hypothesis.
– An Experiment.
– And Conclusion.
• These can easily be
remembered as OHEC!
The following slides will
give you an example of
OHEC in a simulated
experiment. The
experiment will be the
testing of different
types of paper
Anticipation Guide
(Page3)
• In our first step, it is important to
observe the object to decide what
scientific questions you should
ask.
• In the case of our simulated
experiment, a scientist can watch
an airplane launch from different
angles, as well as, from different
heights. A scientist can also
watch what happens when an
airplane lands on a tile surfaced
floor compared to when an
airplane lands on a carpeted floor.
Observing the flight of two
different airplanes may also be a
possibility during this stage of the
OHEC research process.
Anticipation Guide
(Page 4)
• The next step in our OHEC
research process is the
hypothesis. When a person
makes an educated guess,
based on prior information, this
guess is called a hypothesis. A
hypothesis can also be a
suggested solution on how to
solve a problem.
• In the case of our simulated
paper airplane experiment, a
scientist could make a
hypothesis that a paper
airplane, launch at a 30 degree
angle will fly further than a
paper airplane launched at a 35
degree angle.
Anticipation Guide
(Page 5)
• The third step in the OHEC
research process is the
experimentation step.
• In the experiment step of our
simulated paper airplane
experiment, a scientist could
throw a paper airplane at a
30 degree angle three times,
and then throw the same
airplane at a 35 degree angle
three times to determine the
average length of travel.
This would help in
determining which angle
allows for a greater distance
for the airplane flight.
Anticipation Guide
(Page 6)
• The final step in the OHEC
research process is the
development of a
conclusion.
• Depending on the results of
our paper airplane
experiment, a scientist
could conclude whether the
paper airplane launched at
a 30 degree angle flew
further than a paper
airplane launched at a 35
degree angle. Therefore,
within the conclusion
statement the scientist can
prove or disprove their
original hypothesis.
Learning Guide (Page 1)
• In addition to
OHEC, scientists
often use other
skills that are
connected to the
observation,
hypothesis,
experiment, and
conclusion process
known as scientific
method.
• These skills can
be classified in
one or more of
the OHEC steps:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Measuring.
Inferring.
Classifying.
Organizing.
Predicting.
Modeling.
Analyzing.
Learning Guide (Page 2)
• Although scientists do not use
all of these skills while
conducting, their research it is
important that scientists think
like detectives and use all
their skills to solve a mystery.
Sometimes by solving these
mysteries, scientists can help
prevent the destruction of an
endangered species or even
help cure a contagious
disease.
• In the Learning Guide, we will
look at these skills more
closely.
Learning Guide (Page 3)
• One science skill, important to
all scientists is measuring.
Measuring can be used in the
observing, hypothesis or the
experimental steps of the
OHEC science research
process. Measuring can be a
very important tool when a
scientist needs an exact
observation.
• The length of our paper
airplane flights would be
important information for our
simulate experiment in the
Anticipation Guide.
Learning Guide (Page 4)
• Another science skill used by
scientist is classifying.
Classifying occurs when you
group objects based on how
they are alike. This could be
used in the experiment or
conclusion steps of OHEC!
• The paper airplane flights could
be grouped by launching angle
or distance the airplane flew.
Learning Guide (Page 5)
• Organizing your
research is another
science skill where a
scientist can group
his or her work in
chronological order
(i.e. presenting ideas
according to the time
in which they
occurred), or
emphatic order (i.e.
placing ideas in order
based on
importance).
Learning Guide (Page 6)
• Predicting, another
science skill, gives the
scientist an opportunity
to make a guess on the
outcome of their
research. Sometimes
this guess will be an
educated guess and
sometimes this guess
will be just a gamble.
Learning Guide (Page 7)
• The final two skills
important to scientist are
modeling and analyzing. A
model, for example, a
drawing, diagram or 3-D
copy can be very helpful in
studying a particular
problem.
• When a scientist analyzes
information, they study it
carefully before presenting
the information to someone
important such as a doctor
or a professor at a
university.
Learning Guide (Page 8)
• Inferring is also
another important
tool to a scientist.
When you infer, you
form a conclusion
based upon facts.
This is an important
portion to the
concluding step of
the OHEC process.
Learning Guide (Page 9)
Dependent and Independent Variables
• The dependent
variable is a measure
of the change. Any
changes in it
depends on changes
made to the
independent variable.
• The Dependent
variable
demonstrates the
effect of changing
the independent
variable.
• For example, if Jim is
down the school hallway
and comes to an
intersection, he can
either turn left towards
the gym or right towards
the office. If Jim has
gym class now, that
decision determines
which way Jim will be
going. Therefore, the
independent variable is
Jim’s gym class and the
dependent variable is the
fact that Jim will turn
left.
Learning Guide (Page 10)
Practice Assessment #1:
Find your teacher before taking this assessment. Print this form and finish the
following sentences to the left with their terms to the right.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
When you suggest a solution to a problem, you are
offering a ______.
By creating a diagram of how the paper airplane flew, you
are presenting a ______ to the audience.
When you use all of your senses during an experiment,
you are making an ________.
Chronological order is another form of _________ your
information.
When you study your information carefully, you are
________ it.
__________is when a scientist forms a conclusion based
upon facts without making observations.
__________ is grouping objects based upon how they are
alike.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Analyzing.
Classifying.
Observation.
Hypothesis.
Modeling.
Organizing.
Inferring.
Conclusion Guide (Page 1)
Part One: Graphing Skills
• In part one of the Conclusion Guide, your job will be
to recall your graphing skills. Graphing is an
important part of being a scientist. Graphs can be
used to display data that was collected during an
experiment.
• Graphs must always be constructed correctly and
accurately to portray the data collected from the
experiment.
• A graph must contain five key parts in order to
display the data collected accurately. These five
major parts are: The title, the independent variable ,
the dependent variable ,the scales for each variable
and a legend.
Conclusion Guide (Page 2)
• Part one: The Title.
– The title tells the
reader what the
graph is about.
Within this title the
scientist should
make a clear
statement about the
experiment’s
independent and
dependent variables.
Conclusion Guide (Page 3)
•
The x axis
Part two: The
Independent Variable.
– The independent
variable is the part of
the experiment that
can be controlled by
the scientist. These
sections of the
experiment usually
include time, depth,
and temperature.
– The independent
variable is always
placed on the x- axis
(horizontal axis).
Conclusion Guide (Page 4)
•
The y
axis
Part three: The Dependent
Variable.
– The dependent variable is that
variable which is directly
affected by the independent
variable.
– Here is a perfect example of
how independent variables are
found during an experiment.
Example question: How many
oxygen bubbles does a dolphin
produce located at 15 meters
below the surface of the water?
The oxygen bubbles are
dependent on the depth of the
water.
– Therefore the measure of the
bubbles would be a dependent
variable and would be placed
on the y -axis (vertical axis).
Conclusion Guide (Page 5)
• Part four: Scales for each
Variable.
– When constructing a graph
one needs to know where to
plot the points to correctly
represent the data.
– To do this a scale must be
developed to include all the
data points from the
experiment. The scientist
must also realize that the
graph can only take up a
minimum amount of space
(one page).
– Scales should always start
with 0 and climb based on
intervals such as multiples of
2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and so on.
20 cm
10 cm
0 cm
Conclusion Guide (Page 6)
• Part five: The Legend.
– The legend is a
short descriptive
narrative giving the
reader information
about the graph’s
data.
– Legends should
always be placed
into short sentences
and placed
underneath the
graph.
Conclusion Guide (Page 7)
Practice Assessment #2: Using the following data below, answer
the following questions on the next slide and then construct a line
graph (Answer questions 6-9 after you have constructed the graph).
Depth in Meters
# of Oxygen
Bubbles/minute
Plant A
# of Oxygen
Bubbles/minute
Plant B
1
29
20
5
36
30
12
45
40
18
32
50
28
20
34
30
15
20
35
10
15
Conclusion Guide (Page 8)
• Click on the graph
to the left. At this
time, Microsoft
Word will open on
your computer.
Print this graph so
it can be used for
practice
assessment
number two.
Conclusion Guide (Page 9)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is the dependent variable? Explain.
What is the independent variable? Explain.
What title would you give the graph?
What are the mean, median, and mode of all 3 columns of
data?
a. Depth: Mean? Median? Mode?
b. Bubble Plant A: Mean? Median? Mode?
c. Bubble Plant B: Mean? Median? Mode?
What conclusions can be determined from the data in
graph 1?
What conclusion can be determined from the data in graph
2?
Can the data in each of these graphs be used to construct
other types of graphs?
If so, what other graph types can be constructed?
Print these questions and once you finished them please turn
them in to your teacher.
Conclusion Guide (Page 10)
Part Two: Development of an Experiment
• Optional:
• For part two of your
Conclusion Guide, you
will develop an
experiment using the
OHEC process as well
as all of the specific
skills needed for
completing an OHEC
process. See your
teacher for some
suggestions.
Remember to use all
seven science skills in
the experiment and lab
write up.
Works Cited
• http://www.chemie.at/scientist.jpg
• http://www.ruggeriphoto.com/images/scientist.jpg
• http://www.bakerhughes.com/bakerpetrolite/images/additi
ves/scientist_at_microscope.jpg
• http://www.houghton.edu/images2/academics/science.jpg
• http://www.afsv.af.mil/NWVW/images/AugSept03/PaperAirplanes.jpg
• http://www.fountainofbaloney.com/Resources/paperairplan
e.jpg
• http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/EYW/EYW184/gbu_010.jp
g
• http://www.sjcschoolnews.org/teachers/17/images/paper%
20airplanes.jpg
• http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/magazine/stories/images/q
uestionmarks.jpg
• http://dwb.unl.edu/Teacher/NSF/C09/C09Links/www.kobold.
demon.co.uk/kinetics/maxboltz.gif
Move onto Unit #2 PowerPoint.