Scientific Inquiry Process
STEP 1: ASK QUESTIONS
Created By: Mrs. Gismonde
ASKING QUESTIONS

Asking questions about the world around us is a
natural part of life.

What questions might you have asked yourself before?

Possible Answers:
How deep is the ocean?
 What causes the wind?
 Why is the grass green?
 Why is it humid after it rains?

ASKING QUESTIONS


In order to use the scientific inquiry process, a question
must be testable.
Some questions people ask can not be answered using
the scientific inquiry process.

For example:
Is there life on other planets?
 Which is flavor of ice-cream is better, chocolate or vanilla?
 Which sport is more popular, soccer or football?



Although some questions may not be testable, they
could lead to new testable questions.
For example:

Does a sugar cube dissolve fast in cold water?


Instead we need to rephrase it into a testable question:


Why is this question “not testable”?
 Because it can not be answered by performing a single
experiment.
 If you dissolve the sugar cube in cold water only, you have
nothing to compare your results to (warm water, etc).
Does changing the temperature of water affect the time it takes
a sugar cube to dissolve in water?
Testable questions are typically written in the
following formats:
Does changing __________ affect __________.
 If I change _________ will it affect __________.
 What is the affect of __________ on _________.


In the next lesson on hypothesis you will learn how to
write a testable question in more detail 
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
Identify if the following questions are
testable or non testable
1.
2.
3.
4.
Which flower is prettier, a rose or a daisy?
A.
Testable
B.
Non Testable
How does smell affect your sense of taste?
A.
Testable
B.
Non Testable
What type of movements or activities affect the human heart
rate?
A.
Testable
B.
Non Testable
Do cats make better pets then dogs?
A.
Testable
B.
Non Testable
CORRECT
Great Job 
Click here to continue.
CORRECT
Great Job 
Click here to continue.
SORRY
Click here to try again.
Need Help?
Click the picture below.
SKILLS


Asking questions is not the only tool scientists
use.
They also observe the natural world around
them.
OBSERVING

Observation: is the act of using one or more of your
senses (hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and touching) to
gather information and taking notes on what occurs.
REAL LIFE APPLICATION

Directions:
When you are ready click anywhere on the screen.
 Study the picture that appears.
 It might help to take notes on what you see (observing).

WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE?

You might have noticed that the picture contained the
following:
A large Ferris Wheel
 Red, yellow and blue flags on the arm of the Ferris Wheel
 Blue Sky
 White clouds in the sky

QUESTION?

Have you every been to a carnival before?
What sounds might you hear?
 What smells are in the air?
 What tastes would you associate with a carnival?


You might have answered:
It sounds like people laughing and screaming while music
plays in the background.
 It smells like popcorn, hot dogs and roasting almonds.
 Tastes associated with a carnival might include:

Candy apples
 Cotton candy
 Elephant ears



In science we often draw upon our prior
knowledge and experiences to help us solve
questions.
You were able to answer the questions regarding
the sound, smell and taste of a carnival because
you’ve been to one before.
Lets try it again.
 Directions:

When you are ready click anywhere on the screen .
 Study the picture that appears.
 It might helpful to take notes on what you observe.

WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE?

Possible answers could include:
A large gathering of people.
 Colorful powder on the people and in the air.


Have you every been to the Festival of Colors before?
What sounds might you hear?
 What smells are in the air?
 What tastes would you associate with the festival?

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE


Never having attended the Festival of Colors you
would have no background knowledge.
Lets see if we can build your background knowledge

READ:
 The
Festival of Colors is celebrated in India.
 It signals the coming of spring.
 Large groups of people flood the streets and
start singing folk songs while beating sticks on
drum like items.
 Traditionally people throw colorful powder
made from flowers and herbs on each other.

It is believed that the powder will bring the people good
health, allowing them to fight off viruses such as a cold or
flu.
 Thandai

is the traditional drink of the festival.
It a spiced milk made from of almonds, pistachios and rose
petals.
LETS TRY AGAIN 

What sounds would you hear at the Festival of
Colors?


What scents would fill the air during the festival?


You would hear beating of drums, people cheering
and folk songs being sung by the crowd.
You could smell the fragrances of flowers and herbs
from the colorful dyes being thrown.
What tastes would you associate with the
festival?

You would indulge in the traditional Thandai drink.
SKILLS



Prior knowledge can help scientist make well
informed hypothesis or decisions.
However prior knowledge is just one of the skills
that scientists rely on.
Scientists also make inferences to help them
answer questions and create hypothesis.
INFERRING

An inference is a logical explanation of an
observation that is drawn from prior knowledge
or experiences.
EXAMPLE



A student observed that the bank of a nearby
river had been eroded more this year then in the
previous years.
The student asked himself “why?”
He remembered there had been an increase of
rainfall this year.
THINK ABOUT IT

What might he infer?
You could have said:
 He inferred that the increase in rainfall caused
the increase in erosion.

He decided to investigate his question future. He
then developed a hypothesis and an experiment
to test it.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE:


A farmer is curious if organic compost will help
his crop of corn grow better then his chemical
fertilizer.
He designed an experiment in which he grew one
row of corn using organic compost, and another
row of corn in soil which was sprayed with the
chemical fertilizer.
RESULTS


After charting the plants growth for three months his
data showed there was no difference between the
height of corn grown using chemical fertilizer and the
height of corn grown using organic compost.
What can the farmer infer?
RESULTS

The farmer might infer that the chemical
fertilizer and the organic compost have similar
effects on the growth of the corn.
ASSESSMENT

Directions
The next slide will contain a picture.
Record several observations about the picture.
Ask three or more questions that you would like
answered.
Make an inference based upon your prior
knowledge.
Take one of your questions and make it testable.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.


Try use one of the following sentences frames:
Does changing __________ affect __________.
What is the affect of __________ on _________.
Worksheet Template:
Observations:
1.
2.
3.
Questions:
1.
2.
3.
Inference:
Testable Question:
TRY IT AT HOME
Begin to observe your surrounds.
 Write down five or more questions you have
about the world around you.
 Take your questions and turn them into
“testable” questions.


For example:
Question: Why does my mother add salt to a pot of
water before it boils?
 Testable Question: Does adding salt to a pot of
water affect how quickly the water comes to a boil?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.
India's festival of colors. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-202_16210002642.html?tag=mncol;lst;1
2.
Investigation. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/Getting-Started/Investigation.html