Unit 1 Lesson 1 What Is Science?. Character Witness Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt...

Unit 1 Lesson 1 What Is Science?

Character Witness

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What characterizes science?

• Science is the systematic study of natural events and conditions.

• In general, all scientific subjects can be broken down into three areas—life science, Earth science, and physical science.



• Life science, or biology, is the study of living things.

• Earth science, or geology, is the study of the surface and interior of Earth.

• Physical science includes physics and chemistry, which involve the study of nonliving matter and energy.




• All branches of science have some characteristics in common.

• The study of science requires openness and review. Whatever information one scientist collects, others must be able to see and comment upon.

• All scientific ideas must be testable and reproducible.




• Scientific evidence must be open for all to observe. It must be measurable and not just one person’s opinion or guess.

• Empirical evidence includes observations and measurements. It includes the data people gather and test to evaluate scientific explanations.

• The scientist may use specialized tools to make observations and take measurements.



“Give me an explanation …”


What is a scientific explanation?

• A scientific explanation provides a description of how a process in nature occurs.

• Scientific explanations are based on observations and data.

• Beliefs or opinions that are not based on explanations that can be tested are not scientific.



• Scientists may start developing an explanation by examining all of the empirical evidence they have.

• Then they think logically about how all this evidence fits together.

• The explanation they propose must fit all the available evidence.




• Often, other scientists evaluate the explanation by testing it for themselves.

• The additional observations and tests may provide data that further support the explanation.

• If the results do not support the explanation, the explanation is rejected or modified and retested.



How is a scientific explanation evaluated?• First, look at your empirical evidence. Think of all

the evidence you could gather to support the explanation.

• Second, consider if the explanation is logical, and whether it contradicts any other evidence.

• Third, identify tests you can do to support your ideas.

• Finally, evaluate the explanation.



Common Habits


What is involved in scientific work?

• Science and the people who study it are diverse. However, scientists have some characteristics in common.

• Scientists are curious, creative, and careful observers. They are also logical, skeptical, and objective.

• When you use these habits of mind, you are thinking like a scientist.



• Scientists make careful observations. They observe with their senses and with scientific tools.

• Scientists are curious about the world around them and the things they observe.

• Scientists are creative. They use their imaginations to come up with new explanations, experiments, and solutions.




• Scientists are logical. They use evidence and careful reasoning to develop explanations.

• Scientists are skeptical. They do not immediately accept claims, but they ask questions and evaluate the claims.

• Scientists are objective. They set aside their personal feelings, moods, and beliefs when evaluating something.



“Space Aliens Built the Pyramids”


How is pseudoscience similar to and different from science?• Pseudoscience is a belief or practice that is

based on incorrectly applied scientific methods.

• Pseudoscience can seem like real science, but pseudoscientific ideas are based on faulty logic and are supported by claims that can’t be tested.


How is pseudoscience similar to and different from science?• Both science and pseudoscience often involve

topics related to the natural world.

• Pseudoscientific claims can sound logical. Pseudoscience uses technical language or scientific-sounding terms.

• Both science and pseudoscience claim to be supported by empirical evidence.



How is pseudoscience similar to and different from science?• Unlike science, pseudoscience does not use

accepted scientific methods.

• The evidence supporting pseudoscientific claims may be vague or lack any measurements.

• Some pseudoscientific claims are not testable, and others are supported only by personal experiences.



How is pseudoscience similar to and different from science?• Pseudoscientists may claim that results not proven

false must be true. This is faulty logic.

• Scientists must offer evidence for their conclusions. In contrast, pseudoscientists ask skeptics to prove their claims false.



Unit 1 Lesson 1 What Is Science?. Character Witness Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt...

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