Key Concepts/Essential Questions

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LESSON INTRODUCTION1 Understanding Science

• What is scientific inquiry?

• How do scientific laws and scientific theories differ?

• What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

Vocabulary

Watch out for these words!

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LESSON INTRODUCTION

• science

• observation

• inference

• hypothesis

• prediction

• technology

• scientific theory

• scientific law

• critical thinking

1 Understanding Science

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What is science?

Did you ever hear a bird sing and

then look in nearby trees to find the

singing bird? Have you ever noticed

how the Moon changes from a thin

crescent to a full moon each month?

When you do these things, you are

doing science. Science is the

investigation and exploration of

natural events and of the new

information that results from those

investigations.

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People use science in their everyday lives and careers. For

example, firefighters wear clothing that has been developed

and tested to withstand extreme temperatures and not catch

fire. Parents use science when they set up an aquarium for

their children’s pet fish. Athletes use science when they use

high-performance gear or wear high performance clothing.

Without thinking about it, you use science or the results of

science in almost everything you do. Most likely, your clothing,

food, hair products, electronic devices, athletic equipment, and

almost everything else you use are all results of science.

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Branches of Science

There are many different parts of the natural world.

Because there is so much to study, a scientist often

focuses his or her work in one branch of science or on

one topic within that branch of science. There are three

main branches of science—Earth science, Life science,

and Physical science.

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Earth Science The study of Earth, including rocks, soils,

oceans, the atmosphere, and surface features, is Earth

science.

Earth scientists might ask questions such as:

• How do different shorelines react to tsunamis?

• Why do planets orbit the Sun?

• What is the rate of climate change?

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Life Science The study of living things is life science, or

biology.

Biologists ask questions such as:

• Why do some trees lose their leaves in winter?

• How do birds know which direction they are going?

• How do mammals control their body temperature?

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Physical Science The study of matter and energy is

physical science. It includes both physics and chemistry.

Physicists and chemists ask questions such as:

• What chemical reactions must take place to launch a

spaceship into space?

• Is it possible to travel faster than the speed of light?

• What makes up matter?

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Scientific Inquiry

When scientists conduct scientific investigations,

they use scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is a process

that uses a set of skills to answer questions or to test

ideas about the natural world. There are many kinds of

scientific investigations and many ways to conduct

them. The series of steps used in each investigation

often varies.

1 Understanding Science

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Results of Science

The results and conclusions from an investigation can lead to

many outcomes, such as the answers to a question, more

information on a specific topic, or support for a hypothesis.

Technology A technical solution can be the answer to a scientific

question, such as, “How can the hearing impaired hear better?”

After investigation, experimentation, and research, the

conclusion might be the development of a new technology.

Technology is the practical use of scientific knowledge,

especially for industrial or commercial use. Technology, such as a

cochlear implant, can help some deaf people hear.

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New Materials Space travel has unique challenges. Astronauts must

carry oxygen to breathe. They also must be protected against

temperature and pressure extremes, as well as small, high-speed

flying objects. A spacesuit consists of 14 layers of material. The outer

layer is made of a blend of three materials. One material is

waterproof. Another protects against high-speed flying objects. The

third material is heat and fire-resistant.

Possible Explanations Scientists often perform investigations to find

explanations as to why or how something happens, such as, “How do

stars form?” For example, to help answer this question, NASA’s Spitzer

Space Telescope took photos showing a cloud of gas and dust with

newly formed stars.

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Scientific Theory and Scientific Law

Another outcome of science is the development of scientific

theories and laws. What happens when a hypothesis or a

group of hypotheses has been tested many times and has

been supported by the repeated scientific investigations? The

hypothesis can become a scientific theory.

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Scientific Theory

Often, the word theory is used in casual conversations to

mean an untested idea or an opinion. However, scientists use

the word theory differently. A scientific theory is an

explanation of observations or events that is based on

knowledge gained from many observations and investigations.

Scientists question scientific theories and test them for

validity. A scientific theory generally is accepted as true until it

is disproved. An example of a scientific theory is the theory of

plate tectonics. The theory explains how Earth’s crust moves

and why earthquakes and volcanoes occur.

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Scientific Law

A scientific law is different from a social law, which is an

agreement among people concerning a behavior. A scientific

law is a rule that describes a pattern in nature. Unlike a

scientific theory that explains why an event occurs, a

scientific law only states that an event will occur under

certain circumstances.

Example: Newton’s law of gravitational force implies that if

you drop an object, it will fall toward Earth. Newton’s law

does not explain why the object moves toward Earth when

dropped, only that it will.

1 Understanding Science

Key Concept/Essential Question Review

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LESSON WRAP-UP

What is scientific inquiry?

1 Understanding Science

Scientific inquiry is a process that uses a set of skills to

answer questions or to test ideas about the natural

world.

Key Concept/Essential Question Review

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LESSON WRAP-UP

How do scientific laws and scientific theories differ?

1 Understanding Science

A scientific law is a rule that describes a pattern in

nature. A scientific theory is an explanation of things or

events that is based on knowledge gained from many

observations and investigations.

Key Concept/Essential Question Review

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LESSON WRAP-UP

What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

1 Understanding Science

Facts are measurements, observations, and theories

that can be evaluated for their validity through

objective investigation. Opinions are personal views,

feelings, or claims about a topic that cannot be proven

true or false.