Scientific Inquiry (Method) Assignment Packet Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________________ Hour 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Scientific Inquiry
What do scientists do?
Why?
Science is a unique way of learning about the natural world. Scientists work hard to explain events, living
organisms, and changes we see around us every day. Model 1 depicts typical activities or stages scientists
engage in when conducting their work. The design of the model shows how various steps in scientific
inquiry are connected to one another. None of the activities stands alone—they are all interdependent.
Model 1 – Scientific Inquiry
Observe
Communicate
with the wider
community
Reflect
on the
findings
Define the
problem
Questions
Research
the problem
Analyze
the results
State the
expectations
(hypothesis)
Experiment
and gather
data
Scientific Inquiry
Form a
study
question
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1 1. What is the central theme of all scientific inquiry as shown in Model 1?
2. What are the nine activities that scientists engage in as part of scientific inquiry?
3. Which of the activities would require a scientist to make some observations?
4. Which of the steps would require a scientist to gather data?
5. Considering the activity described as “communicating with the wider community,” in what ways
might a scientist communicate?
6. Remembering that scientists often work in teams, which activities would require a scientist to
communicate with others?
7. Given your responses to Questions 1–6, do you think these activities must be carried out in a
specific order or can multiple activities be carried out at the same time? Justify your response by
giving examples to support your answer.
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2 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
Video guide: Scientific Method (Inquiry) iScientific
n Action (Green/White video series.) Inquiry
What do scientists do?
Using the diagram below as a gWhy?
uide, take notes on how the dolphin researcher goes through the processes of scientific inquiry. Note: This is a short video that will be watched twice to be sure you have a chance to write down information for as many of the processes as you can. Science is a unique way of learning about the natural world. Scientists work hard to explain events, living
organisms, and changes we see around us every day. Model 1 depicts typical activities or stages scientists
engage in when conducting their work. The design of the model shows how various steps in scientific
inquiry are connected to one another. None of the activities stands alone—they are all interdependent.
Model 1 – Scientific Inquiry
Observe
Communicate
with the wider
community
Reflect
on the
findings
Define the
problem
Questions
Form a
study
question
Research
the problem
Analyze
the results
Experiment
and gather
data
State the
expectations
(hypothesis)
Observation-­‐What did she observe that led to her investigation? Form a study question-­‐What question did she ask that she went on to investigate to find the answer to? Research the problem-­‐ The video does not come out and show this process, but what kind of background knowledge do you think this researcher had? State the expectations (hypothesis) – What does the researcher “think” is the reason for dolphin activity? Experiment and gather data-­‐ How does the researcher set up the experiment? What kind of data is she gathering? Analyze the results-­‐ What does the researcher do with the results? Is there any pattern or trend to the data? Reflect on the findings-­‐What does the researcher conclude from her data? Communicate with the larger community-­‐ Even though this is not shown in the video, how do you think the researcher does this process? Question-­‐ What new question does the researcher want to go on to investigate as a result of this investigation? Scientific Inquiry
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3 Practice in Writing Testable Questions In this short activity, we will focus on an important early step in the scientific inquiry process, that of writing a testable question. What does it mean to be a testable question? Suppose your car or your friend’s car will not start. How would you go about finding out what is wrong? You might ask questions such as: a. Why won’t the car start? b. Is the battery dead? c. Is there gasoline in the tank? Which of these questions will help you discover what is wrong with the car? (Circle.) Questions ____ and ____ focus your attention on specific parts of the car. They also direct you to do something specific to check to see the cause of the car not starting. These are both examples of testable questions. A testable question must: * Ask for specific data, such as a measurement or count, a specific description, a yes or no answer. * Point out specific actions to take in looking for answers to questions. * Lead to investigating a question rather than just looking up an answer in a book or on the Internet. * Suggest a cause-­‐and-­‐effect relationship between two or more factors (variables). Observation #1-­‐ Suppose you are a master chef and you observe that the cake you just took out of the oven is flat. Which of the following are testable questions for this observation? (Circle) a. Did I use the entire package of cake mix? b. How come my cake is flat? c. What is the temperature of the oven? d. What happened to the cake? Observation #2-­‐ You receive your semester report card and observe that you have failed two classes! Which of the following are testable questions for this observation? (Circle.) a. How the heck did this happen? b. Did the computer make an error? c. Did I pass all the tests? d. Why did the teacher fail me? Observation #3-­‐ You look at your fish tank and see your new goldfish that you won at the county fair floating at the top. Write two testable questions for this observation. 1. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Observation #4-­‐ Your turn. Write down three observations of a living organism and then write two testable questions that come from these observations. Observations of ______________________________ Testable Questions 1. 2. 4 Hypotheses-­‐ Stating the Expectations Guided notes-­‐ 1. What is a hypothesis? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. To be useful, a hypothesis must be ___________________________. 3. Hypothesis are either supported or rejected based on ___________________________________________________. 4. A useful format for a hypothesis is “If …. then…” If ____________________________________________________ then, ______________________________________________________. The Strange Case of Beriberi
In 1887 a strange nerve disease attacked the people in the Dutch East Indies. The disease was beriberi. Symptoms of the disease included weakness and loss of appetite, victims often died of heart failure. Scientists thought bacteria might cause the disease. They injected chickens with bacteria from the blood of patients with beriberi. The injected chickens became sick. However, so did a group of chickens that were not injected with bacteria.
One of the scientists, Dr. Eijkman, noticed something. Before the experiment, all the chickens had eaten whole-­‐grain rice, but during the experiment, the chickens were fed polished rice. Dr. Eijkman researched this interesting case and found that polished rice lacked thiamine, a vitamin necessary for good health. 5. Write a testable question that led to the investigation.
6. What was the original hypothesis?
If ___________________________________________________ then ___________________________
__________________________________________________.
7. How was this hypothesis tested?
8. Should this hypothesis be supported or rejected based on the experiment? Explain.
9. What was the new hypothesis and how would you test it?
5 How Penicillin Was Discovered
In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming was studying Staphylococcus bacteria growing in culture dishes. He noticed that a mold called Penicillium was also growing in some of the dishes. A clear area existed around the mold because all the bacteria that had grown in this area had died. In the culture dishes without the mold, no clear areas were present.
Fleming hypothesized that the mold must be producing a chemical that killed the bacteria. He decided to isolate this substance and test it to see if it would kill bacteria. Fleming transferred the mold to a nutrient broth solution. This solution contained all the materials the mold needed to grow. After the mold grew, he removed it from the nutrient broth. Fleming then added the nutrient broth in which the mold had grown to a culture of bacteria. He observed that the bacteria died which was later used to develop antibiotics used to treat a variety of diseases. 10. Write a testable question that led to the investigation.
11. What was Fleming's hypothesis? If ____________________________________________________________________________________________ then, __________________________________________________________________________________. 12. How was the hypothesis tested?
13. Should the hypothesis be supported or rejected based on the experiment?
14. This experiment led to the development of what major medical
advancement?
6 Experimental Design
Guided notes- You have looked at two different experiment scenarios in the previous activity. Let’s relook at these
experiments and focus on how the experiment was set up and identify the variables.
Variable = a factor or condition in an experiment that can be changed
Independent variable = also known as the _______________________ variable, the ________________
What the experimenter changes during the experiment, “I” am a manipulator!
Dependent variable = also known as the _________________________ variable, the ________________
What the experimenter is measuring, what results from the manipulation
Hypothesis in “If _________________________________ then, ________________________________.
Constant variables (controlled variables) = To be sure that the results of an experiment are due to only the independent
variable (condition changed), the researcher needs to keep all other conditions the same (constant).
Control group= think of this as a “compare group”, either the independent variable is eliminated or set at a standard or
normal value
A controlled experiment only has one changed condition (independent variable) and has a control group for comparison.
Let’s take a look at the previous experiments and identify the variables in each experiment.
Strange Case of Beriberi
How Penicillin Was Discovered
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Control group
PRACTICE- For the following experiments, fill in the requested information.
1. Different rose bushes are gown in a greenhouse for two months. Each bush is watered equally and placed in the
same location. At the end of the period the number of flowers on each bush is counted.
Independent variable _____________________________________________
Dependent variable ______________________________________________
Constant variables ____________________________________________________________________________
Is there a control group? If so, what is it? _________________________________________________________
2. You water three sunflower plants with equal volumes of salt water. Each plant receives a different concentration of
salt solution. A fourth plant receives pure water. All the plants are grown in the same location with equal access to
light. After a two-week period, the height is measured.
Independent variable _____________________________________________
Dependent variable ______________________________________________
Constant variables ____________________________________________________________________________
Is there a control group? If so, what is it? _________________________________________________________
7 3. Three redwood trees are kept at different humidity levels inside a greenhouse for 12 weeks. One tree is left outside in
normal conditions. The heights of the trees are measured once a week.
Independent variable _____________________________________________
Dependent variable ______________________________________________
Constant variables ____________________________________________________________________________
Is there a control group? If so, what is it? _________________________________________________________
4. One tank of gold fish is fed the normal amount of food once a day. A second tank is fed twice a day. A third tank is
fed four times a day during a six week study. The fish’s mass is recorded daily.
Independent variable _____________________________________________
Dependent variable ______________________________________________
Constant variables ____________________________________________________________________________
Is there a control group? If so, what is it? _________________________________________________________
5. You decide to clean the bathroom. You notice that the shower is covered in a strange green slime. You try to get rid
of this slime by adding lemon juice. You spray half of the shower with lemon juice and spray the other half of the
shower with water. After 3 days of spraying equal amounts 3 times a day, there is no change in the appearance of the
green slime on either side of the shower.
Testable question for this experiment- ___________________________________________________________
Hypothesis- If _______________________________________________________________ then, __________
_______________________________________________________________________.
Independent variable _____________________________________________
Dependent variable ______________________________________________
Constant variables ____________________________________________________________________________
Is there a control group? If so, what is it? _________________________________________________________
6. You want to test which size of soccer ball is easiest to juggle with your feet. You test a size 3, size 4 and a size 5 ball
you count the second the ball stays in the air for each of the trials. You allow yourself to use both of your feet, knees,
and heat to juggle the ball.
.
Independent variable _____________________________________________
Dependent variable ______________________________________________
Constant variables ____________________________________________________________________________
Is there a control group? If so, what is it? _________________________________________________________
8 YouTube Video Notes- Bozeman Scientific Method (10:40 min) Due _________________________
Watch the video that is linked on the class webpage and take notes using the following guiding questions.
History of the Scientific Method1. What is the author’s intent in including this information in the video? What did you learn from this section?
Processes of the Scientific Method-.
What does the author give as an example or an easier way to understand each of the
processes of the scientific method?
Question
Hypothesis
Independent
Variable
Dependent
Variable
Controlled
(constant)
Variables
Control Group
Data
Conclusion
Publish
Results
Re-test
(other scientists)
9 ACTIVITY #10-­‐ Designing an Experiment How can misleading observations be controlled in an experiment? Observations made directly from nature can be misleading, often there are factors we are unaware of influencing what we see. In such situations, scientists are confronted with the problem of how to study a process without changing it. For example, you think you are developing a cold, so you take Vitamin C tablets. The next day you feel better. Can you conclude that the Vitamin C tablets are responsible? Or..... Procedures that help separate the possible causes of results in experiments are called controlled variables. The condition that is allowed to change and is being studied is the manipulated variable (independent variable). Good experimental designs should have only one manipulated variable. To set up a controlled experiment you must consider all the factors that could influence the outcome. Think about the Vitamin C example above. What other factors that were not controlled could have led to you feeling better the next day? To help isolate the single cause, all other factors should be kept constant. In Class Example (Take notes for reference later.) Observation: You see a new fertilizer is available for your tomato plants that is cheaper than the one you are currently using. Testable Question? Hypothesis? Experimental Design-­‐ Manipulated Variable, Responding Variable, constant variables. Your Turn.... Observation: If you look at products on store shelves, you see that they are constantly claiming “New and Improved” Design an experiment to test if the “New and Improved” brand of shampoo is really better than the old stuff you have been using. Testable Question ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hypothesis If __________________________________________________________________________________________________ then, _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________. Manipulated Variable _________________________________________________________________ Responding Variable __________________________________________________________________ Constant Variables: List at least six variables that you will keep constant in your procedure. Be specific in how you would keep these variables the same throughout the experiment. (1) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ (2) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ (3) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ (4) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ (5) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ (6) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Practice Activity #8 Fun with Sponge Bob and Experimental Design Sponge Bob Clean Pants Sponge Bob observed that his favorite square pants were not as clean as they used to be. His friend Sandy told him that he should try using Clean-­‐O detergent, a new laundry soap she found at Sail-­‐Mart. Sponge Bob made sure to wash one pair of pants in plain water and another pair in water with the Clean-­‐
O detergent. After washing both pairs of pants a total of three times, the pants washed in the Clean-­‐O detergent did not appear to be any cleaner than the pants washed in plain water. 1. What was Sponge Bob’s testable question? ______________________________________________ 2. What was Sponge Bob’s hypothesis? If __________________________________________ then _________________________________. 3. Was this a controlled experiment? If so, what was the control group? 4. What was the manipulated variable? ___________________________________________________ 5. What was the responding variable? ____________________________________________________ Smelly Crab Breath Mr. Krabs noticed that people get bad breath from eating crabby patties at the Krusty Krab. He decided to create a new breath mint with a secret ingredient. He asked 100 customers with a history of bad breath to try his new breath mint. He had 50 customers (Group A) eat a breath mint after they finished eating a crabby patty. The other 50 customers (Group B) also received a breath mint after they finished the sandwich; however, it was just a regular breath mint and did not contain the secret ingredient. Both groups were told that they were getting the breath mint that would cure their bad breath. Two hours after eating the crabby patties, thirty customers in Group A and ten customers in Group B reported having better breath than they normally had after eating crabby patties. What was Mr. Krab’s 6. Observation? ___________________________________________________________________ 7. Testable question? ________________________________________________________________ 8. Hypothesis? If_______________________________________ then ________________________. 9. Manipulated variable ______________________________________________________________ 10. Responding variable ______________________________________________________________ 11. What should Mr. Krab conclude from the data? __________________________________________ 12. Why did he tell both groups that they were getting the special mint? 13. Why did he divide them into two groups? Why not give all 100 the special mint? 11 Marshmallow Muscles Larry was told that a certain muscle cream was the newest best thing on the market and claims to double a person’s muscle power when used as part of a muscle-­‐building workout. Interested in this product, he buys the special muscle cream and recruits Patrick and SpongeBob to help him with an experiment. Larry develops a special marshmallow weight-­‐lifting program for Patrick and SpongeBob. He meets with them once every day for a period of 2 weeks and keeps track of their results. Before each session Patrick’s arms and back are lathered in the muscle cream, while SpongeBob’s arms and back are lathered with the regular lotion. 14. What was Larry’s hypothesis? 15. Which person is in the control group? ____________________________ 16. Which person is in the experimental group? _______________________ 17. What is the independent variable? _________________________________________________ 18. What is the dependent variable? ____________________________________________________ 19. What should Larry’s conclusion be based on the data shown above? Microwave Miracle Patrick believes that fish that eat food exposed to microwaves will become smarter and would be able to swim through a maze faster. He decides to perform an experiment by placing fish food in a microwave for 20 seconds. He has the fish swim through a maze and records the time it takes for each one to make it to the end. He feeds the special food to 10 fish and gives regular food to 10 others. After 1 week, he has the fish swim through the maze again and records the times for each. 20. What was Patrick’s hypothesis? 21. Which fish are in the control group? __________________________________________ 22. Which fish are in the experimental group? ______________________________________________ 23. What is the independent variable? __________________________________ dependent? _______________________ 24. Look at the results in the charts. What should Patrick’s conclusion be? 12 Practice Activity #9-­‐ Analyzing Biological Graphs & Tables Guided Notes-­‐ Tables are generally set up with the variables Graphs always position This activity requires that you have your textbook and go to the specific pages listed. Carefully review the written information as well as the graph or table to answer the questions. Graph Bone Density. Turn to page 941 in textbook and read the paragraph above the graph. 14. Write a hypothesis. (If..then..format) ______________________________________________________________________________ 15. Identify manipulated variable _________________________________________________ 16. Identify responding variable ___________________________________________________ 17. Answer Question #8. __________ 18. Answer Question #9. __________ Effect of Temperature on Snake Movement. Turn to page 819 in text and read the paragraph above. 19. What do you think was the researcher’s hypothesis? If ______________________________________________________ then ____________________________________________________. 20. Identify the manipulated variable ______________________________________________ 21. Identify the responding variable _______________________________________________ 22. Why did she repeat the experiment four times? ____________________________________________________________ 23. Do you think she used different snakes? Explain. 24. Answer Question #9. ___________ 25. Answer Question #10. __________ Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Action. Turn to page 995 in textbook and read the paragraph above graph. 26. What did the student keep constant in the experimental design? (List) 27. Identify the manipulated variable __________________________________________________ 28. Identify the responding variable ___________________________________________________ 29. What can the student conclude? (Note-­‐Room temperature is 22 C, and body temperature is 37 C.) 13 ACTIVITY #11-­‐ Putting It All Together: Identifying Steps & Sequencing Steps Each sentence below describes a step of the scientific method. Match each sentence with a step of the method using the letters given. P/? = Recognize a problem or question H = Form a hypothesis or make a prediction E = Test the hypothesis with an experiment C = Draw a conclusion from data. ____ 1. Stephen predicted that seeds would start to grow faster if an electric current traveled through the soil in which they were planted. ____ 2. Susan said, “If I fertilize my geranium plants, they will blossom.” ____ 3. Jonathan’s data showed that household cockroaches moved away from raw cucumber slices. ____ 4. See grew bacteria from the mouth on special plates in the laboratory. She placed drops of different mouthwash on bacteria on each plate. ____ 5. Jezim used a survey to determine how many of his classmates were left-­‐handed and how many were right-­‐handed. ____ 6. Dana wanted to know how synthetic fibers were different from natural fibers. ____ 7. Pascal saw bats catching insects after dark. He asked, “How do bats find the insects after dark?” ____ 8. Justin wondered if dyes could be taken out of plant leaves, flowers, and stems. ____ 9. Arjulia soaked six different kinds of seeds in water for 24 hours. Then she planted the seeds in soil at a depth of 1 cm. She used the same amount of water, light, and heat for each kind of seed. ____ 10. Rashawn read about growing plants in water. He wanted to know how plants could grow without soil. ____ 11. Kelly said, “If I grow 5 seedlings in red light, the plants will grow faster than the 5 plants grown in white light.” ____ 12. Yang’s experiment showed that earthworms move away from light. ____ 13. Scott said, “If acid rain affects plants in a particular lake, it can affect small animals, such as crayfish, that live in the same water.” ____ 14. Desiree experiments with the diets of guinea pigs. He found that guinea pigs need vitamin C and protein in their diets. ____ 15. Margarita’s experiment showed that chicken eggshells became stronger if the hen ate feed to which extra calcium had been added. ____ 16. Based on past experience, Susie said, “If you leave your sandwich in a bag in your locker, over time it will start to smell.” 14 After looking at and identifying the name of the steps in the scientific method, let’s now review the entire process. The sentences below describe a scientific experiment, but the steps are not in the correct order. (1) Identify what step is being described and write in the first column. Each of the following is included: Gathering Background Information Conclusion Question/Problem Reporting Results to Other Scientists Observation Analysis of Data Hypothesis Experiment Identification of Step Description A. The scientists reported their findings in several scientific journals. B. The scientists thought that a certain artificial sweetener used in foods and soft drinks could be the cause of changes in mood and sleep patterns in people who used those products frequently. C. The amount of sweetener consumed by laboratory rats was carefully measured, as was the amount of a certain chemical in their brains. One group given the chemical slept 50% more than the group not given the chemical. Also observed, was that 40% of the group given the chemical had greater mood swings between active, passive and aggressive behaviors than the group not given the chemical. D. Because human subjects are difficult to study, laboratory rats were used. One group of laboratory rats was given the artificial sweetener and another group was not. All the rats were given an identical diet and living conditions. E. College students consume a heavy amount of sugar free sodas that contain a new artificial sweetener. Many college students also complained to doctors about moodiness and sleep disorders. F. When the results were analyzed, the scientists found that the experimental rats had three times and amount of indicator chemical in their brains compared to the control rats. Based on data they determined that this artificial sweetener contributes to moods and sleep disorders. G. Scientists at a leading university were concerned about a new artificial sweetener on the market. Did this sweetener cause side effects such as change sin mood and other emotional problems in the people who consumed them? H. The scientists read about all the tests that had been done on the sweetener before it had come onto the market. Numerical Sequence (#1-­‐8) (2) Next, Sequence the Steps by filling in the last column #1-­‐ #8 in the correct order that the steps would be carried out. (3) Read through your sequence, does it make sense? 15 Pseudoscience vs. Science Eyes of Nye-­‐ Pseudoscience Pre-­‐Viewing Questions (10 min) (30 min video) Do you believe in ESP? Have you ever had your palms read? If yes, do you believe the information given from the reading? Do you believe in UFOs? Do you read your horoscope (Astrology)? Do you believe what the horoscope predicts? 1. From these questions, what do you think pseudoscience is? 2. Pseudo= ___________________________ science = ____________________________________________ 3. How can you tell the difference between science and pseudoscience? 4. If something is “natural” than it cannot harm you. True or False? Explain. 5. Are there any dangers presented by pseudoscience? 6. Examples given in the video of pseudoscience. ******************************************************************************************************** You will be given a passage to Read, Write, Discuss with your POGIL groups. Prepare a whiteboard to share with the class that addresses the following points: 1. What is the question that the author wants you to consider? 2. What kind of example or explanation does the author provide you to better understand why this question is important? 3. Can you and your group come up with another example or explanation based on your own experiences to help your classmates remember and apply this concept?
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