Study Guide – Unit 1 Test
The Nature of Science, Scientific Methods, and the Characteristics of Living Things
September 30, 2014
Format
In order to successfully complete the test, a student must be able to:
 correctly answer 30 multiple choice questions.
 correctly answer 10 true/false questions related to laboratory safety rules.
 read a short description of an experiment and identify the question, hypothesis, independent
variable, dependent variable, controlled variables, and conclusion of the experiment.
 complete three (3) short answer questions for which you must construct a well-written paragraph
Important Terms
In preparation for the test, a student should understand the meaning of the following terms:
biology
biosphere
ecosystem
community
population
organism
organ system
organ
tissues
cell
organelle
molecule
emergent properties
prokaryotic cell
eukaryotic cell
producer
consumer
decomposer
science
inductive reasoning
deductive reasoning
hypothesis
theory
law
variable
independent variable
dependent variable
controlled experiment
controlled variable
experimental group
control group
data
inference
observation
quantitative
qualitative
scientific method
peer review
homeostasis
adaptation
characteristics of science
characteristics of living
things
laboratory safety rules
Important Concepts
In preparation for the test, a student should be able to…
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explain the nature of science (what science is and is not).
explain the difference between an observation and an inference.
the difference between a “testable” and an “untestable” hypothesis. (1.9)
o Be able to construct a hypothesis given a problem or set of observations
explain the seven basic steps that scientists follow when conducting an experiment.
differentiate variables in an experiment: independent, dependent, and controlled
o Be able to write a procedure for a sample experiment given a testable hypothesis
identify both qualitative and quantitative data. (1.8)
know the seven characteristics of all living things (1.1)
explain the purpose of including a control group in an experiment. (1.9)
understand how emergent properties arise at each level of biological organization (1.2)
differentiate between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (1.3)
differentiate between producers, consumers, and decomposers; be able to identify each (1.4)
explain how DNA composes genes which make up chromosomes – our genetic code (1.5)
employ inductive and deductive reasoning (1.8)
explain proper safety procedures for working in the science laboratory.