Nature of Science
Objective 1
These types of questions….
do not require knowledge of a specific
course—YEAH!!
usually do not involve calculations—
YEAH!!
are 17/55 (31%) of the questions on the
TAKS Test.
tend to require a lot of reading (don’t let
this scare you).
can mean 17 of the 35 correct answers
needed to pass if you are willing to read!
Nature of Science Vocabulary
Question
Investigate/Study
Hypothesis/Prediction
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Constants
Control Group
Valid
Precision
Inference
Conclusion
Question?
According to these data, which
question was most likely answered
by this activity?
A How warm do materials get
when placed in an electric
circuit?
B Will an electric current change a
metal into a nonmetal?
C Which material requires the
greatest voltage in an
electric circuit?
D Can an electric current be used
to distinguish metals from
other materials?
GROUP WORK….
As a table, answer the assigned
question.
Use your white board to help you
explain your answer.
Be able to discuss the meaning of the
nature of science vocabulary word your
question addressed.
Be prepared to present in 4 minutes.
Time remaining…..
4 minutes
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3 minutes
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2 minutes
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1 minute
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30 sec.
Time remaining…..
10 sec.
LET’S PRESENT!!
Investigate/Study
The following hypothesis refers to iron in the topsoil found
on an island formed from limestone.
Hypothesis: Much of the iron found in the topsoil of the
island was carried from Africa by huge dust clouds.
Which study would most likely be used to investigate this
hypothesis?
A Tracking dust clouds with satellite photos.
B Determining the effects of iron on limestone.
C Calculating erosion rates in African limestone mines.
D Analyzing the content of comet dust clouds.
Hypothesis
A De-Icing Experiment
Some species of plants that commonly grow near roadways are
used in an experiment. The plant species are divided into control
groups and experimental groups. All groups are grown under
identical conditions except that the experimental groups are given
daily applications of a de-icing solution that is used on roadways
in winter. At the end of one month, the growth of the control and
experimental groups is compared.
Which of the following is the most likely hypothesis for the experiment
described above?
A Vegetation that grows near roadways requires more water than vegetation
in other areas.
B De-icing solution causes roadways to have more space for vegetation.
C Vegetation near roadways changes the effectiveness of de-icing solution.
D De-icing solution affects some types of vegetation that grow near roadways.
Independent and Dependent
Variables
A medical researcher hypothesizes that a newly
developed medication can reduce high blood
pressure. Which of these would most likely be the
dependent variable in a study involving this
medication?
A The number of participants in the study.
B The ages of people treated for high blood pressure with
other medications.
C The blood pressure of the participants in the study.
D The number of people treated for high blood pressure
with other medications.
Constants
The table shows the time it took trees of the same type and size to
drop all of their leaves after being grown in different atmospheres.
For the experiment to be valid, which of these must be a constant
for all trees?
F The height of all the trees during the entire experiment.
G The amount of water available to all trees during the experiment.
H The mass of fallen leaves collected from each tree.
J The rate of photosynthesis in all trees during the experiment.
Control Groups
A valid study would include a
control group containing—
F bean seed, tomato seed,
sunflower seed, and water
G water and 2% root hormone
H water only
J bean seed, tomato seed, water,
and 1% root hormone
Another round of questions…
Follow the same procedures as before
for the next question you are assigned.
Time remaining…..
4 minutes
Time remaining…..
3 minutes
Time remaining…..
2 minutes
Time remaining…..
1 minute
Time remaining…..
30 sec.
Time remaining…..
10 sec.
LET’S PRESENT!!
Valid
Conclusion: Hearing aids are an effective way to
treat hearing loss.
A study was conducted to test the effectiveness of hearing
aids. People with different types of hearing loss were
included in the study. Which question would help in
determining whether the conclusion above is valid?
A What was the average age of people in the study?
B What was the most common occupation of people in the
study?
C How many people were included in the study?
D How many people in the study had vision problems?
Precision
Which of these will give the most precise measure
of a 10-milliliter volume?
F
G
H
J
Precision
The chart shows the density of seawater samples
collected from the Gulf of Mexico by four different
groups. Which group’s data are most precise?
A Group 1
B Group 2
C Group 3
D Group 4
Inferences
The graph compares absenteeism of
elementary school students who
wash their hands properly with
absenteeism of students who fail
to wash their hands properly.
Which inference could best be
supported by these data?
F Proper hand washing may
increase attendance among
elementary school students.
G Older students have developed
better hand- washing habits than
younger students.
H Some elementary school classes
teach correct hand-washing
methods to students.
J Improper hand washings is a
common practice among most
elementary school students.
Conclusion
The data show how the mass of an undisturbed
beaker of alcohol varied during a class period.
Which of the following is the best conclusion
that can be made about the investigation?
A The beaker absorbed moisture from the air.
B A chemical change occurred in the beaker.
C The beaker experienced a change of state.
D Some material evaporated from the beaker.
Mass of beaker= 59.02 g
Graphs and Charts
Analyzing Information to
Achieve Success
Graphs and Charts
Exit Level (11th grade):
For 13 questions out of 55 total,
reading a graph or chart was key to
student success.
That’s 24% of the questions!
CHARTS
Comparison of Car Gas Mileage
Title tells
what
information
the chart will
provide.
Column titles
state what the
numbers and
letters mean.
Pay close
attention to
units used!
CHARTS
Read the
question carefully
and see how the
chart’s
information will
help provide the
correct answer.
Identify key
words/phrases
that will be
useful to
interpreting the
data.
Greenhouse emissions from cars may contribute to global warming. Cars
with better gas mileage emit smaller amounts of greenhouse gases.
Which car would emit the least amount of greenhouse gases if most of
the driving were done on the highway?
A
J
B
K
C
L
D
M
GRAPHS
From Pure Data  Visual
There are 3 different
types of graphs that
analyze data in
different ways:
– Bar graph
90
80
70
60
East
West
North
50
40
30
20
10
0
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
100
– Line graph
East
West
50
0
1st
Qtr
– Pie/Circle
graph
2nd
Qtr
3rd
Qtr
4th
Qtr
North
1 st Q tr
2 nd Q tr
3 rd Q tr
4 th Q tr
BAR GRAPHS
Show data from a one time event that is not
continuous; also, the variables do not
depend upon one another.
What does each
“hatch-mark”
represent?
LINE GRAPHS
This graph shows the trend of a car’s value depending
upon the number of miles the car has been driven.
Value vs. Mileage
LINE GRAPHS
Meaning of the slope of a line….
DY
DX
= slope
What is the acceleration of the bicycle from 1 to 5 seconds?
PIE GRAPHS
Show data as part of the whole, or as
compared percentages.
PIZZA
COMPONENTS
SAMPLE TAKS QUESTIONS
1. Which of the following conclusions is supported by these data?
A Alertness is directly related to level of distraction.
B Shuffling methods can affect alertness.
C Alertness levels vary during the day.
D Long periods of rest improve alertness.
**
SAMPLE TAKS QUESTIONS
2. Viruses can be transmitted in a variety of ways. The virus that
causes SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) can be transmitted
when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This virus is transmitted
in a manner most similar to the transmission of —
A
smallpox
B
AIDS
C
West Nile virus
D
influenza
SAMPLE
TAKS
QUESTIONS
3. The graph shows data for botulism, a form of food poisoning. The
conclusion in the box is based on these data. Which of the following is
the best reason this conclusion may be unreliable?
A The greatest number of reported botulism cases was 50.
B The number of reported botulism cases remained relatively constant
from 1988 to 1995.
C More botulism cases were reported in the 1980s than in the 1990s.
**
D The number of reported botulism cases decreased after 1994.
SAMPLE TAKS QUESTIONS
4. A student prepared this graph of tornadoes
reported over a 50-year period in a midwestern state. Which statement is supported
by these data?
A Tornadoes are less frequent in the morning.
**
B Darkness increases the strength of
tornadoes.
C Tornadoes occurring at night are brief.
D The probability of a tornado is the same
throughout the day.
SAMPLE TAKS QUESTIONS
5. Protein and dietary fiber are beneficial to health. According to the
information in the table, which flour is the most nutritious?
A Whole wheat
B White wheat
C Oat
D Rice
**