Chapter 1: SCIENTIFIC THINKING
Learning Target
Lesson 1
I can identify skills
scientists use to learn
about the world…
Vocabulary Word
Definition
science
Facts or Examples
scientists gather
information & explore the
natural world using
different science skills
(observing, inferring,
predicting, classifying,
evaluating, making
models & conducting
scientific investigations
senses = sight, sound, taste,
observing
smell, touch, etc…
quantitative
observation
examples = measuring
height, weight or noticing
how many cars are
parked on street
qualitative
observation
examples = a bird is blue
or a watermelon tastes
sweet
inferring
is NOT guessing
is based on reasoning of
what you already know
and assumptions you
make based on
observations
what is happening or has
happened
Symbol/Picture
predicting
what will happen
classifying
all socks in a drawer
all 6th graders in a school
all red items in the room
making models
examples = maps, math
equations, computer
programs
help people study things
that can’t be observed
directly
Lesson 2
I can describe the
attitudes, or habits of
mind for thinking
scientifically, ethically,
and without bias…
skepticism
Scientific thinking involves
characteristics such as
curiosity, creativity, openmindedness, skepticism,
awareness of bias, honesty
and ethics.
prevents scientists from
accepting ideas that are
presented without enough
evidence or that may be
untrue
ethics
personal bias
cultural bias
experimental
bias
I can describe
scientific reasoning
and explain how it is
used…
scientists must consider the
effects their research will
have on people and the
environment and make
decisions only after
considering the risks and
benefits to living things &
the environment
example = if you like the
taste of milk you might
think everyone also likes
the taste of milk, too
example = a culture that
regards milk as a food just
for babies might overlook
the nutritional benefits of
drinking milk in later life
example = comparing
health effects of drinking
low-fat vs. regular milk.
both drink only this milk for
a month, but what if one
group had been less
healthy before the
experiment – your results
would be biased
scientific reasoning
requires a logical way of
thinking based on
gathering and evaluating
evidence
objective
subjective
Lesson 3
I can explain what
scientific inquiry is and
how it involves posing
questions and
developing
hypotheses…
deductive
reasoning
a process:
1ststate general idea
2nd relate general idea to
a specific case working on
3rd reach a conclusion
inductive
reasoning
(opposite of deductive
reasoning)
scientific inquiry
Begins with a question
about an observation.
Because others may have
asked similar questions,
you should do research to
find what information is
already known about the
topic before you go on
with your investigation.
hypothesis
a hypothesis is NOT a fact!
a hypothesis must be
testable – researchers must
be able to carry out
investigations and gather
evidence that will either
support or disprove the
hypothesis
I can explain how to
design and conduct
an experiment so that
it uses sound scientific
principles…
variables
independent
variable
manipulated
variable
dependent
variable
responding
variable
controlled
experiment
Factor that can change
in an experiment
I can differentiate
between a scientific
theory and a scientific
law…
data
once data has been
collected it needs to be
interpreted – graphs can
reveal patterns and trends
in your data
scientific theory
scientists are constantly
testing scientific theories. If
new observations or
experiments do not
support a theory, then the
theory is changed or
thrown out.
describe observed
patterns in nature without
trying to explain those
patterns
scientific laws
Learning Targets for Chapter 1
Lesson 1
I can identify skills scientists use to learn about the world…
Scientists use skills such as ____________________________, ___________________________, __________________________,
_______________________________, ___________________________ and ______________________________________ to study the
world.
Lesson 2
I can describe the attitudes, or habits of mind for thinking scientifically, ethically, and without bias…
Scientists posses certain important attitudes including, _____________________________, ______________________________,
__________________________________, _______________________________, ____________________________________,
__________________________________, and ________________________________________________________________.
I can describe scientific reasoning and explain how it is used…
Scientific reasoning requires a logical way of thinking based on ______________________________ and
____________________________ evidence.
Lesson 3
I can explain what scientific inquiry is and how it involves posing questions and developing hypotheses…
Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists _________________ the natural world and propose
_______________________________ based on the _________________________ they gather.
I can explain how to design and conduct an experiment so that it uses sound scientific principles…
An ______________________________ must follow sound scientific __________________________________ for its results to be valid.
I can differentiate between a scientific theory and a scientific law…
Unlike a theory, a scientific law describes an observed _________________________ in nature without attempting to explain it.