Warm-up

Copy the objective Sequence the steps listed below. Use the

textbook for a reference if necessary. Communicate results Develop a question Perform research Test hypothesis Create hypothesis Analyze results

What’s wrong with these questions?

1. What does that thingy do?2. How do I do this?3. How does texting effect it?4. How do you find out what happens?

Warm-up

Explain why the Scientific Process should not be considered a step-by-step checklist.

Questions about questions

1. Why is it important to ask “GOOD” questions?

2. What makes a good question?

FORMULATING QUESTIONS

To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science. Albert Einstein

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW, DOES

Objective

Create and evaluate scientific questions

Testable questions

Why must scientists ask testable questions?

Testable questions

Testable How do North’s 2012

math TCAP scores of compare to those of 2011?

What percentage of trees in Colorado Springs are conifers?

How does the temperature of water effect the amount of sugar that can be dissolved?

Not testable What is the meaning

of life? How long am I going

to live? Is my goldfish happy?

Check for understanding

Choose a topic Develop two testable questions and

one untestable question regarding the topic.

Characteristics of good questions

Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers. (Tony Robbins)

Purposeful Does the question have meaning?

Logical Does the question make sense?

Understandable Does the question use proper grammar?

Specific Does the question have details and key words?

Writing scientific questions…

Don’t It Thing You Poor grammar Confusing wording

Do Key words Appropriate

vocabulary Proper grammar Precise wording

What is Selena’s question?

Selena is doing a science fair project for her school. For her experiment, she gathered 10 pots and placed 5 seeds in each. She then added the same soil to each pot and made sure that each pot received the same amount of water and sunlight. However, half of the pots also received a weekly dose of fertilizer.

What is Rahmel’s testable question?

Rahmel is conducting research on the Internet. After visiting several reliable websites he learns about what is needed to support life. After further research, he finds that Europa, a moon of Jupiter, has an atmosphere and contains surface ice, perhaps with liquid water underneath.

What is Julio’s question?

Julio gives a questionnaire to 50 different students at Carmel Middle School. After looking at the results of the questionnaire, Julio determines that approximately 45% of Carmel students have Internet access at home.

What is Samuel’s question?

Samuel sets up three different aquariums with different temperature water. He places a goldfish in one aquarium and allows it to sit for 5 minutes. Next, he counts how many times the fish breathes in 1 minute. He repeats his procedure with the other two aquariums.

Mythbusters

What is the question (myth)? MacGyver Myth - Light bulb and Drain Cl

eaner Drowning Cockroaches Plane on Conveyor Belt

More vids

Banana peels Parachute Car Jet Stream Taxi Tree and Machine Gun Texting and Driving

Evaluating Questions

Scoring scale 5 – excellent, testable, PLUS, critical

thinking 4 – good, PLUS, testable 3 – average, testable, missing one PLUS 2 – below average, testable, missing

multiple PLUS 1 – poor, not testable, confusing 0 – off topic

Examples

1. How does rolling a ball compare to speed?

2. How does the speed of a ball change when rolled on different surfaces?

3. What effect does friction have as a ball rolls down a ramp made from different types of surfaces?

Testable Questions

1. Cell phone2. Video games3. Exercise4. Plants5. Dog behavior

Evaluating questions1. Cell phone

2. Video games

3. Exercise

4. Plants

5. Alternative energy

6. Global warming

DOL (part I)

Write a scientific question for one of the topics below.

Air pollution Gravity Immigration

Scoring scale 5 – excellent,

testable, PLUS, critical thinking

4 – good, PLUS, testable

3 – average, testable, missing one PLUS

2 – below average, testable, missing more than one PLUS

1 – poor, not testable, confusing

0 – off topic

DOL (part II)Evaluate the questions

Car and Driver recently published an article regarding texting while driving. They had people drive at the same speed while texting and not texting. Each driver was asked to stop as quickly as possible after a light flashed on the dashboard. Car and Driver then measured the average stopping distance for each person.

1. How long is the delay while texting compare to not?

2. If a person is texting while driving, does he or she have any loss in motor control, and stopping when suddenly told to do so, and not texting?

3. How does texting while driving effect how quickly someone can react and stop?

DOL (part III)

Write a scientific question Wolves