Focus Activity
Check the board for what you need to hand in.
Left Hand Side of your notebook - On a new Page and #
My car broke down and I brought it to my mechanic. Describe in your own words
how the mechanic would go about fixing my car using the scientific method.
HOMEWORK: CHECK THE BOARD
WHAT IS PHYSICAL SCIENCE?
Science- way of learning about the natural
world by gathering information
 Chemistry: study of properties of matter and
how matter changes
 Physics: study of matter and energy and how
they interact
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Fill in any notes that you do not already have
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What do scientists use to begin the thought
process of a law or theory?
We use the scientific processing skills!
 These process skills use the 5 senses
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WHAT ARE THESE SCIENTIFIC PROCESSING
SKILLS?
Observation
 Inference
 Prediction
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MYSTERY FOLDER ACTIVITY
DO NOT open the folder until the class has
completed the WHOLE activity!
 On the LEFT SIDE of your notebook answer the
following questions.
 1. What colors do you observe?
 2. What textures do you observe?
 3. What do you think the picture is?
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Observations- using 1 or more of your senses (hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting,
feeling) to gather information.
There are 2 types of observations- qualitative and quantitative.
OBSERVATION
Get up and move around the room.
 Take a marker board and dry erase marker.
 A-Write down 5 qualitative- “think quality”
observations you make.
 B-Write down 5 quantitative- “think quantity”
observations you make.
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QUALITATIVE OR QUANTITATIVE?
Quantitative
The pencil is 15 cm long.
Qualitative
 I have brown hair.
Qualitative
 He is left-handed.
Qualitative
 I have a large shirt.
 There are 3 clouds in the sky.
Quantitative
 There is 15ml of water in the graduated Quantitative
cylinder.
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INFERENCES
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An EXPLANATION of your observations
Uses background knowledge
Example:
Observation-
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The ground is wet.
There are many dark clouds in the sky.
Background KnowledgeDark clouds usually indicate rain.
Rain makes things wet.
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Inference- It just rained. OR A storm just passed.
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There can be many different inferences based on what you know and
what you observe!
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MAKE AN INFERENCE
1. Observation- A call interrupts class and calls
a student from the room.
 2. Observation-A former rock and roll band
member has poor hearing.
 3. Observation- The classroom lights are off.
 4. Observation- All middle school students are
bringing lunch from home.
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FOCUS ACTIVITY: INFERENCES
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Make an inference about this picture.- 3
minutes
ELEPHANT OBSERVATIONS
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Long ago in a distant land, 6 blind men lived
together. All of them had heard of elephants,
but they had never “seen” one. When they
heard that an elephant and his trainer would
be visiting their village, they all wanted an
encounter with this beast. They made their way
to the site where the elephant was being kept.
Each blind man touched the elephant and
made his observations. The observations are
as follows.
ELEPHANT OBSERVATIONS
One man touched the elephant’s side and said,
“ An elephant is like a wall”
Another man touched the trunk and said,
“An elephant is like a snake.”
Another man touched a tusk and said,
“An elephant is like a spear.”
Another man touched a leg and said,
“An elephant is like a tree.”
Another man touched an ear and said,
“An elephant is like a fan.”
The last man touched the tail and said,
“An elephant is like a rope.”
Talk with your partner to answer these questions
*Did the blind men make appropriate inferences? Explain.
*How might the blind men improve their inferences?
*One of the characteristics of science is that scientists communicate their ideas,
observations, results, and inferences with each other. Why is this a good idea?
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PREDICTION
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A forecast about what YOU think will happen in
the future based on past experiences or
evidence.
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Example-
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Evidence- It’s cold out.
There are dark clouds approaching.
It's winter.
Prediction- It's going to snow!
NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE PROCESS
SKILLS…USE THEM!!!
Science is about solving problems.
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-A Problem -Something appears to be missing
What is it?
BE SPECIFIC!!
How do I solve it?
Where do I start?
1)Look for clues
2)Find Pattern
3)Take measurements
* The more specific you are, the better able you will be to solve it.
Strategy - Plan, Logical Sequence.
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1) Use what you know, eliminate possibilities.
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2) Patterns: Find them; Use tables or graphs.
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3) MODEL: represents what you are trying to
explain.
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Representation - Not an exact replica of
the “real” thing’.
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4) Break it down into simpler steps.
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ALL OF THESE THINGS LEAD US TO SCIENTIFIC
INQUIRY
Step 1: Ask a
question
Step 2: research
your topic and
develop a
hypothesis
Step 3: Design an
experiment
Step 4: Collect and
interpret your data
Step 5: Conclude
and Communicate
your results
HYPOTHESIS
IF/THEN statement
 Is a possible answer for the question that is
posed.
 Is not a fact
 MUST be testable by an observation or
experiment
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SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY IN ACTION
Step 1: Pose a question
Will an M&M left in water change the
color of the water?
Step 2: Research and Develop a
Hypothesis
What we know- when M&Ms melt in our
mouths or hands- the color comes off.
Hypothesis: IF I put an M&M in water and
leave it, THEN the water will change color.
Step 3: Design an experiment
*Test your hypothesis in an organized way.
*Create a STEP by STEP procedure than
can be replicated by others.
*Create a control for comparison
Step 4: Collect and interpret data
Create data tables and graphs of your data
Step 5: Conclude and Report your results
Was your hypothesis correct or not? What
evidence do you have?
Communicate with others.
VARIABLES
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When creating an experiment you need to determine what the
variables are.
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Variables- Factors that can affect an event
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Manipulated (Independent) Variable- ONE factor that you change
purposely.
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Responding (Dependent) Variable- the factor that changes in response
to the value of the manipulated variable. -THE RESULT.
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Control –An experimental setup used for a comparison
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Constant- Variables that are the same in all setups
NAME THE VARIABLES
What are some variables that might affect the
attendance at a football game?
 What are variables that might affect the
number of books sold by a door-to-door
salesman?
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HELICOPTER HAPPENING
Cut out the pattern given to you and follow the
directions to create your “helicopter”
 Drop your helicopter from the same height
several times.
 On the LEFT side of your notebook answer
these questions:
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 1.
Record your observations and inferences
 2. What are some possible variables that could
affect how it flies?
 3. Test one of your variables- does it make a
difference?
NAME THE VARIABLES
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Problem/Question- Does Brand A fertilizer cause flowers
to grow more than Brand B?
Hypothesis: IF I put beans in Fertilizer A, THEN the
beans will grow faster than in Fertilizer B.
Set up A
Set up B
1 Cup of Fertilizer A
1 Cup of Fertilizer B
2 Bean Seeds
2 Bean Seeds
1 Cup of water
1 Cup of water
Check 1 week later
Check 1 week later.
What is the manipulated variable? (What YOU change)
What is the responding variable? (The RESULT of you
changing the manipulated variable)
Which are the constants and what is the control?
WRITING HYPOTHESES
1. Manipulated Variable: Length of String telephone
Responding Variable: Clarity of sound
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2. Manipulated variable: temperature of solution
Responding variable: dissolving time of powdered drink
mix.
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3. Problem: How does the number of hours practicing
riding a bike affect the performance of riding a bike?
FOCUS ACTIVITY
1.
2.
Name 4 variables that might affect the amount of books sold door
to door.
Write a hypothesis for the following situations (If/Then)
1.
Manipulated/Independent variable- hours spent shooting free
throws
2.
Responding/dependent variable- accuracy of shots
1.
2.
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Manipulated/Independent variable- amount of air in tires
Responding/dependent variable- miles driven per gallon of
gasoline
H/W – Quiz on H Day (Thursday)
TENNIS BALL LAB
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Directions
1) Problem:/Question What can we vary to change the bounce height of a tennis ball?
2) Define the following terms and identify what each is from the lab
Variable:
Constants
Control:
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
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3) Form a Hypothesis: Choose one variable and make a hypothesis about the relationship between
the ?? variable and the height the ball will bounce.
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4) Materials
Tennis Ball
Meter Stick
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5) Procedure: Plan the experiment, write step-by-step directions
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6) Answer the questions at the bottom of your lab.
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