Scientific inquiry, observation vs. inference
-
Upload
suzette-rivera -
Category
Education
-
view
1.526 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Scientific inquiry, observation vs. inference
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.