Unit 1 lesson 1 what do scientist do

Unit 1 Lesson 1 What Do Scientists Do?

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The Role of Scientists


• Science is the study of the natural world.

• A scientist asks questions about the natural world.

• There are many kinds of scientists and many questions to ask.

• Scientists work alone and in teams.


The Role of Scientists


• Earth scientists study things like rocks, weather, and the planets.

• Physical scientists study matter and energy.

• Life scientists study living things.


Making Observations and Asking Questions


• Scientists make observations about the world around them.

• An observation is information collected by using the five senses.

• Scientists ask questions about their observations.


Making Observations and Asking Questions


• Scientists conduct an investigation to answer their questions.

• The steps of an investigation may include asking questions, making observations, reading or talking to experts, drawing conclusions, and sharing what you learn.

Experiments


A Fair Test

• An experiment is a fair test. An experiment can show that one thing causes another thing to happen.

• In each experiment, you change only one factor, or variable.


A Fair Test

• To be fair and accurate, you conduct the experiment multiple times.

• To test something else, you must start a new experiment.

• Being creative and working in teams can help scientists conduct experiments.



Scientific Methods

• Scientific investigations use scientific methods.

• Scientific methods may include the following activities: make observations, ask a question, form a hypothesis, plan and conduct an experiment, record and analyze results, draw conclusions, communicate results.

• A hypothesis is an idea or explanation that can be tested with an investigation.




Other Kinds of Investigations


• Many science questions cannot be answered by doing an experiment.

• Some science questions can be answered by using an investigation guide.

• Other science questions can be answered by using models or tools.

• Some science questions can be answered with research. Research includes reading what others have written and asking experts.


Scientists Share Their Results as Evidence


• When scientists explain how things work, they must give evidence.

• Evidence is data gathered during an investigation. Evidence might support your hypothesis, or it might not.

• A conclusion is an explanation that is based on evidence.

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Unit 1 lesson 1 what do scientist do