The Scientific Method
The Breakdown!
What is the Scientific Method?
The steps you take
to gain knowledge
by using an
experiment.
1. Step 1 State the Problem
a. Scientist put the problem into question form
b. How will ____________________ affect
________________.
c. For example:
How will soap affect surface tension?
Partner A
How will _________ affect ________?
• You want to see what color of bird feeder the
local birds preferred.
• Put this problem in the correct question form
– How will ____________ affect _____________?
Correct Answer
How will the color of
the bird feeder affect
the number of local
birds.
Partner B
How will _________ affect ________?
• Put this problem in the correct question form
– How will ____________ affect _____________?
Correct Answer
How will the amount
of water affect the
growth of the bean
plant?
Practice:
How will ________ affect _______?
• Read each problem or look at the picture to
determine the problem.
• 2 min Rally – Coach: Partner A solve and
discuss with Partner B (DO NOT WIRTE) . Once
you agree write the correct question on your
white board.
• Once 2 minute is up you will move to a new
problem and switch roles.
Step 2: Gather Information
a. Research about yourQuestion
__________________.
b. You do not want to be denied…..You want to
Prediction
make a good ____________________.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Know!
Use what you already _________________
Look up information on the ________________.
Internet
BOOK
Use a __________________.
evaluate
Be sure to __________________
your sources.
Research
• Partner A: What were some of the things you
research about surface tension?
• Partner B: Why did you do research about
surface tension?
Partner A
• How will amount of water affect the growth of
a bean plant?
• Name three things you would research to
make a good hypothesis.
Partner B
• How will the color of the bird feeder affect the
number of local birds?
• Name three things you would research to
make a good hypothesis.
Practice - Research
• Read each problem or look at the picture to
determine the problem.
• 1 min Carousel – Partner A Begins
– Say the question out loud. DO NOT WRITE ONLY
SAY OUT LOUD
– On the paper provided list 1 thing you would
research to make a good hypothesis.
• YOU CAN NOT REPEAT WHAT ANOTHER GROUP HAS
WRITEN.
• Switch roles when you move to another problem.
Step 3: Form a Hypothesis
Prediction
a. A hypothesis is a ___________________
bases on your _____________________.
Research
b. To be valid it has to be something that you
can test by using an
experiment
_____________________.
c. A good hypothesis is formed in a
If
Then
__________....
___________.... Statement
d. For Example:
If soapy water is added to
the penny then fewer
drops will fit on the penny.
i. Is it testable?
ii. Is it predicting?
Partner A
• How will the color of the bird feeder affect the
number of local birds?
• Pretend you have done your research.
• 2 minute - Rally Coach – Create a hypothesis
that includes (Remember DO NOT WRITE until you agree)
– IF…Then…
– Testable
– Predicting Based on Research
Partner B
• How will amount of water affect the growth of
a bean plant?
• Pretend you have done your research.
• 2 minutes - Rally Coach – Create a hypothesis
that includes (Remember DO NOT WRITE until you agree)
– IF…Then…
– Testable
– Predicting Based on Research
Mix Freeze- Make a Hypothesis
•
•
•
•
For each question write a Hypothesis that is
1. In an If…Then…Statement
2. Predicting based on your research
3. Testable
Write a hypothesis for this question.
How will the color of
the fish food effect
the amount of food a
fish will eat?
Write a hypothesis for this question.
How will force
effect the speed of
an object?
Write a hypothesis for this question.
How will red bull
effect your heart?
Write a hypothesis for this question.
How will light effect
the growth of a
plant?
Individual Assignment
• 1. Complete Vocabulary Words: Scientific Method,
Question, and Hypothesis.
– Find the definition in your notes and highlight the
definition.
– Draw a picture that represents your definition.
– SEE VOCABULARY EXAMPLE ( This goes in the front of
your vocabulary section.)
• 2. Complete Questions 1-3 on each experiment (3
of them) in the “Using the Scientific Method”
Simpsons packet.
– Read the experiment
– Use your Unit 1 Lesson 2 Notes to help you answer 1-3
in each of the 3 experiments.
Step 4
Experiment
a) An experiment is used to test your
_____________ that was based on your
hypothesis
______________.
research
b) There are 7 things you need to perform a
valid experiment.
c) What do you have to have to perform an
experiment?
4. Experiment
1. M __________________
aterials
2. P ___________________
rocedure
ariales
3. V ___________________
1. I_________________
__________________
ndependent
variable
2. D_________________
__________________
ependent
variable
4. C _________________
onstants
ontrol
group
5. C _________________
____________
4. Experiment
4.1 Materials
a) Materials are what you will
_______________
in the experiment.
need
b) What did we need to test the affect of
soap on water’s surface tension?
4. Experiment
4.2 Procedure
steps
a. The ________________
you will take to test
your hypothesis.
b. A procedure is much like a ____________.
recipe
Activity: Procedure: Draw the Shape
• Each person choose a simple shape.
• You have 3 minutes to write a procedure on how
to draw this shape. STEP by STEP.
– EX:
– First you pick up your marker and your board.
– Second …..
• After 3 minutes is up Partner B read your
procedure to partner A and they will try to draw
your shape on a scrap piece of paper. (You have 2
minutes)
• Switch
Step 4
Experiment
4.3 Variables
a. A Variable is any part of the experiment that can
changed
be _____________________.
b. Independent Variable: The one part of the
experiment that is _______
____________ by the
changed
______________
person performing the experiment.
c. Dependent Variable: The part of the experiment
that is affected by the ________________
Independent
__________________.
variable
Step 4:
Experiment
4.4 Identifying the Variables
a. What did we change in the penny lab?
Type of Water
b. Independent variable: ___________
c. What did the change effect?
Surface tension
d. Dependent variable: _______________
– Look back at the question…
(water type) (IV) affect
– How will Soap
_________________
__________________
Surface tension (DV)
Find the IV and the DV for this
question.
How will the color of
the fish food effect
the amount of food a
fish will eat?
Find the IV and DV for this Question.
How will force
effect the speed of
an object?
Find the IV and the DV for this
question.
How will red bull
effect your heart?
Find the IV and the DV for this
question.
How will light effect
the growth of a
plant?
•
Assignment
1. Student Exploration: Growing Plants Gizmo
–
–
–
•
2. Using the Scientific Method Simpsons Packet
–
–
•
Work with shoulder partner
Rally coach – A does #1, B does #2, A does #3, B
does #4….. (Both of you write the answers in your
Packet)
You do not WRITE until you have explained your
answer and your partner agrees!
Read the experiment
Use your Unit 1 Lesson 2 notes to help you complete
numbers 4 and 5 in each of the 3 experiments.
3. Complete Vocabulary Words: Experiment,
Procedure, Materials, Independent Variable and
Dependent Variable.
Step 4:
Experiment
4.5Constants
a. Constants are any part of the experiment that
________
the ____________.
stay
same
b. This is to keep the experiment ____________.
fair
c. You can only change one thing and that is the
____________
Independent____________.
variable
d. What did we keep the same in the penny lab?
A bird example… How would you keep
this experiment fair?
• How will the color of the bird feeder affect the
amount of local birds.
• What would you keep constant to be sure this
experiment was fair?
– On your white board come up with a list of 3 things
Red?
Blue?
Green?
Some possible answers
Constants
Location of feeders
Kind of seed
Type of feeder
Is Sam’s experiment fair?
YES? NO? and WHY?
NO! It isn’t fair since the locations of the
feeders were very different!
Individual Assignment
• 1. Complete Vocabulary Words: Constants
Step 4:Experiment
4.6. Control Group and Testing Group
a. A control group is used to compare
______________ with
the testing group (the independent variable)
a. Control group is the group that was NOT treated or
influenced by the independent variable.
b. Testing group is the group that WAS treated by or
influenced by the independent variable.
b. How will soap affect the surface tension of
DV
water? IV
c. Which group is control and which is testing?
Testing Group
Soap Water
Control Group
Regular Water
• Smithers thinks that a special juice will increase the
productivity of workers. He creates two groups of 50
workers each and assigns each group the same task (in this
case, they're supposed to staple a set of papers). Group A is
given the special juice to drink while they work. Group B is
not given the special juice. After an thirty minutes
Smithers counts how many stacks of papers each group has
made. Group A made 30 stacks, Group B made 50 stacks.
Question: How will the special juice effect the productivity of the
workers?
1. IV _____________________ DV____________________
2. Which group is affected by the IV? Group A or Group B?
3. Identify the control and the testing group.
Control Group : Not affected by IV
Testing Group: Affected by the IV
Assignment
•
1. Student Exploration: Growing Plants Gizmo (control
and testing group)
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–
–
•
2. Using the Scientific Method Simpsons Packet
–
–
•
Work with shoulder partner
Rally coach – A does #1, B does #2, A does #3, B does
#4….. (Both of you write the answers in your Packet)
You do not WRITE until you have explained your answer
and your partner agrees!
Read the experiment
Use your Unit 1 Lesson 2 notes to help you complete
numbers 6 and 7 in each of the 3 experiments.
3. Complete Vocabulary Words: Control Group and
Testing Group
Step 5. Record and Analyze Data
a. Data is collected from the observations you make
during your ___________________.
experiment
a. Can be Qualitative: includes only letters.
a. Example: There were more drops of regular water on the
penny then soapy water .
All Letters
b. Can be Quantitative: Includes letter and numbers.
a. Example: On average there were 10 more drops of
regular water on the penny then soapy water.
Letters and Numbers
c. Your data is organized in a _____________.
Data table
Data Table
• Example:
Color of
Bird feeder
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Blue
10 birds
12 birds
10 birds
11 birds
Red
23 birds
24 birds
21 birds
30 birds
Average
• Organize the data given in you notes into a
table.
Data Table Answer
Water
type
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trail 4
Trial 5
Average
Plain
Water
33 drops
44 drops
32 drops
24 drops
45 drops
35.6 drops
Soap
Water
20 drops
18 drops
14 drops
17 drops
12 drops
16.2 drops
Dependent Variable ( y axis)
(Number of Drops)
Record and Analyze Data
Step 5:
Using Graph
2
1
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Number of drops of water on a Penny
4
3
Independent Variable ( x axis)
(Type of Water)
Water
Soap
Analyze: What does graph tell you?
• Analyze: Look over your data and find
patterns.
•
Assignment
1. Student Exploration: Graphing Skills
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–
–
•
2. Using the Scientific Method Simpsons Packet
–
–
•
Work with shoulder partner
Rally coach – A does #1, B does #2, A does #3, B
does #4….. (Both of you write the answers in your
Packet)
You do not WRITE until you have explained your
answer and your partner agrees!
Read the experiment
Use your Unit 1 Lesson 2 notes to help you
complete numbers 8 and 9 in each of the 3
experiments.
3. Complete Vocabulary Words: Analyze, Data,
Qualitative Data, and Quantitative Data
Step 6. Conclusion
a. A conclusion sums up your experiment
b. Answer four questions in your conclusion
1. Do the results support my hypothesis?
WHY or WHY not?
2. What did you learn?
3. How does it apply to the real world?
4. How valid was the experiment, can you
improve the experiment?
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•
•
•
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Conclusion
Partner 1 has question #1 ( 2, 3, and 4 will tell importance)
Partner 2 has question #2 (3, 4, and 1 will tell importance)
Partner 3 has question #3 (4, 1, and 2 will tell importance)
Partner 4 has question #4 (1, 2, and 3 will tell importance)
(2 min)
Begin with Question #1 Read the Question and the
answer out loud.
• Partner 2, 3 and 4 will take turns telling one things they
think is important about this question and answer.
– You can not repeat what someone else has said.
• Bring Class back together and discuss the importance of
this question and answer.
Example: Question #1
Did my results support my hypothesis?
• My results in this lab did support my
hypothesis. I predicted that more drops of
regular water would fit on the penny then
soapy water. In my experiment on average
35.6 regular water drops fit on a penny while
only 16.2 soapy drops fit on a penny.
Example: Question #2
What did I learn?
• In this experiment I learned that regular water
holds together better than soapy water.
Example: Question #3
How does it apply to the real world?
• What I learned applies to the real word
because soap breaks down the surface tension
of water which makes it possible to blow
bubbles.
Example: Question # 4
How valid was the experiment? Could you
improve it?
• My experiment could have been much more
valid. To be valid means you can only change
ONE thing. In my experiment there was more
than just the water type that was changed.
Things like the dropped height, the size of the
drops, the person dropping, the side of the
penny and the thickness of the paper towels,
were all things that we did not keep constant.
In order to be valid all these things must be
kept constant.
Activity
• 1. Using the Scientific Method Simpsons
Packet
–
Choose one of the three experiments and write a
conclusion using the four questions.
•
•
If you do the first one correct you do not have to do the other
two.
If you do not do the first one correct then you must do another.
• 2. Complete Vocabulary Words: Conclusion,
Theory, Law, and Valid
These word are found in the
Edheads Article