Science is a Process

Scientists:

!  ask questions about how the world works

!  they discover pieces of the answer of what we know could CHANGE

Scientific Inquiry

!  Is a way scientists answer questions about the world.

!  Is a way to investigate an observable event

!  Is a way of getting new knowledge, as well as correcting and integrating previous knowledge

Scientific Method – Scientific Inquiry

!  Make an Observation !  Ask a question !  Research !  Form or construct a Hypothesis !  Experiment (Test the Hypothesis) !  Analyze the Data !  Draw a Conclusion !  Communicate Results

Make an observation

Observation

!  Information gathered using one or all of your five senses.

Observation

!  Factual information that describes an object.

Observations

!  The plant is green. !  The piece of metal is orange. !  It is raining outside. !  The car alarm is beeping. !  The wall has cracks in it. !  The room feels humid.

Observations are:

Quantitative or Qualitative

QUALITATIVE

!  measureable or countable ü 3 meters long

ü 4 marbles

ü 50 kilograms ü 25 degrees Celsius

QUANTITATIVE

!  describable, not measureable ü  red flowers

ü smells like fresh baked cookies

ü Tastes bitter

Observations are:

Qualitative or Quantitative?

Qualitative - (not measureable)

!   emerald-green bird possesses black edging to the feathers of the head, mantle and breast, characterized by a red band across the forehead and conspicuous white eye-rings. The primary wing feathers are a soft blue, the tail is green, and the bill and feet are flesh-coloured, voice noisy and only native parrot of Puerto Rico.

Quantitative - (measurable)

–  1 of the 10 most endangered birds in the world,

– measures ~ 28 –30 cm (11–12 in)

– weighs ~ 250–300 g (8.8–11 oz.), or 275 g (9.7 oz.).

Qualitative or Quantitative?

_  The candy was sour _  The bug was 5 cm

long _  The flower is red _  The mass of the

beaker was 122 g _  My fingernail is 2 cm

long

_  The slug was slimy _  That laptop is white _  She is 150 cm tall _  His hair is black _  You have three

sisters

Inference

!  A conclusion drawn using observations and reasoning

!  An explanation NOT a fact you can detect using one of the five senses

Inference

!  A statement based on your interpretation of the facts.

!  Cannot be directly observed. !  The process of drawing a

conclusion from given evidence

Inferences

!  The table looks like it is made of wood. !  The piece of metal is red, so it must be hot. !  The plant is green, so it must be healthy. !  The room is dark, so the light bulb must not

be on. !  Andrea is studying, so she probably does well

in school. !  The street is wet, so it must have rained.

OBSERVATION VS. INFERENCE

OBSERVATIONS !  That plant is

extremely wilted.

!  The car stopped running.

INFERENCES !   That plant is extremely

wilted due to a lack of water.

!   The car stopped running because it was out of gas.

Observation or Inference?

The guy doing a reverse vault is wearing a white tank top.

Observation or Inference?

The guy doing a reverse vault is the best traceur.

Observation or Inference?

The grass is wet, so it must have rained last night.

What do you observe?

!  In your notebook write 3 observations

What do you infer?

!  In your notebook write 3 inferences based on your observations

Influences

!  Several things can influence our observations and our inferences – Experience – Knowledge – Emotion – Attention to detail.