7th Grade Scientific method notes
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Transcript of 7th Grade Scientific method notes
The Scientific Method
The Awareness Test
http://youtu.be/Ahg6qcgoay4
What is the Scientific Method?
• An organized plan for gathering, organizing and communicating data
• The basic steps that scientists follow in uncovering facts and solving scientific problems ( a plan for solving a problem).
• Six or Seven Steps - depends on source
What is the Scientific Method?
• Make an Observation
• Ask a Question
• Complete Background Research
• Develop a Hypothesis
• Test your Hypothesis
• Analyze the Data
• Conclusion (Report and Share)
Step 1: Observation
• Everything starts with an observation
• What you perceive with your senses
What can you observe about a piece of paper?
Step 2: Forming a Question
• Based on your observations
• Develop a question or problem that can be solved through experimentation.
Can you form a question about paper folding?
• Usually a “How’ or “Why” question
Step 2: Forming a Question
How many times can you fold a piece of paper?
Step 3: Complete Background Research
• Collect knowledge needed to know about the subject of the experiment
• It will be used to form a hypothesis
Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
• Hypothesis = an educated prediction to the answer of the stated problem
• Based on research and prior knowledge
Not a W.U.G. !
(Wild
Uneducated
Guess)
Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
• A proposed answer to your question
• There is no right or wrong hypothesis
Using our question lets develop a hypothesis.
Format of Hypothesis
• Two accepted formats:“I think…because…”
Or“If…then…because…”
• Both formats include the all important “because statement” used to justify your prediction.
Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
• This is where you conduct an experiment (a situation specially set up to observe how something happens or to test your hypothesis)
• Develop a set of repeatable methods
• The goal is to test your hypothesis by collecting data
Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis• Includes variables - a quantity that is
measured or changed during the experiment
Term Definition
Independent
Variable
What you are changing in the experiment
Dependent
Variable
The outcome caused by changing the independent variable, a measurement
Control Used for comparison in your experiment
Constant What stays the same from one experiment to the next
Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
What are our variables in the paper folding experiment?
independent variable
cause
dependent variable effect
control comparison
constant unchanging
Step 6: Collect and Analyze the Data
• Interpret the data you gathered from your experiment
• Observations, information and data are collected from the experiment
• Organize the data and perform calculations
Step 6: Collect and Analyze the Data
• Construct charts, graphs, averages, percentages, etc.
Dependent Variable
on the Y-axis
Independent Variableon the X-axis
How would you graph the
paper folding experiment?
Step 7: Conclusion
• Does your data support your hypothesis?
You just made a scientific discovery.
YES
Revise or make a new hypothesis and
test again.
NO
Step 7: Conclusion (Sharing)
• A summary of results, the answer to your question.
• What were the possible sources of error?
• Does your data (answer) support your hypothesis? Why or why not?
What conclusion can you make about paper folding?
What about a huge sheet of paper?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAEBbotuIE&feature=share&list=TLWRT4dnDchcU
Why use the Scientific Method?
• A logical way to problem solve - in all aspects of life.
• A way to share information that can be proved or disproved.
• A way to find new information