Scientific Method
Vocabulary
Day 1 : Lab Skills
Lab Skill, Units of Measurement.pptx
Labs are an important part of our class. We need to make sure that we understand the principles for all labs. In the three labs that we did on Day 1, we measured mass, volume and length. We also made sure that we used metric units, a system of units that is easy to use and universally excepted in science.
Homework: Pg 13- 15 in packet
Day 3: Thinking Like a Scientist
Starter Questions:
1. Define Hypothesis
2. What is the differnce between fact and infrence?
Thinking Like a scientist.pptx
There are four characteristics of scientist that we will be working on developing through out the year. They are observing, infering, predicting and making models. These are important in applying the scientific method and having a better understanding of the natural world. Observation, the first characteristic, has two different types. Qualitative observations are made with the 5 senses. The second is Quantitative observations and are made by using math or a measuring instrument. These are the fundamental components to making good observations. Inferences are what you come to when you combine the observations made and your back ground knowledge, and then make an assumption. Now an Inference is very different from a Hypothesis. A Hypothesis is the possible explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a scientific question. It is NOT an educated guess. A Hypothesis is the starting point for all research. It is a question or gap in knowledge that needs to be filled.
Homework: Pg 18-19
Here is a video on infrence
Day 5: Theory & Law
1. How many ways are there to answer a scientific question?
2. What is the difference between Independent and Dependent Variables?
In Science the idea of theory and Law are different from the ideas used in every day conversation. A Theory is a well tested idea that is still changing and being understood. It needs a large body of evidence before it can be excepted as a theory. A Law is a scientific fact, something that has never changed and never will. An example would be gravity. we know that it exists and that it will always exist. To deminstrate this principle of theory and how it changes, we did the black bottle demo. This challanged the mind and let each student to try new ideas. To find the black bottle demo here is a link to Mr Beadle's page. http://vhmsscience.weebly.com/scientific-method.html
Day 2: Field Research
Field Research & Data Analysis.pptx
Day 2 Quiz
There is only so much that a scientist can learn in the lab. By working in the field more data can collected and observations can be made. Our lab was collect data (or words) and try to find connections between the semmingly random words. When we analyze the data, we are looking at the connections between facts, the simularities, or differences.
Day 4: Lab Development Basics
Starter Questions
1. List one thing you learned about doing research
2. What is the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative observations?
Day 5 Quiz
Today we looked at Pennies and water. On page 20 and 21, the chart leads us through the fundamental parts of a lab. We start will basic observations like: the penny is shiny, or the water sticks to the surface. Then we write down any background knowledge that we have about pennies and water. An extra column was included so that we had space to include inferences that we had about the penny and the interaction with the water. There were also questions developed, about the things that were seen. These questions became the basis for next part of the lab. Variable were the next sections explored. There are many things that can be changed in the lab, like size of the drop, or what could be added to the water. We can use these variables to come up with a testable question and a hypothesis. To test the question we must develop procedures to follow. These are important and must be very clear so the experiment can be repeated by others. When we conducted the experiment we make new observations. At the end of the lab, we wrote a conclusion based on the experiment conducted. A conclusion has 4 parts. The first is restatement of the hypothesis and whether the experiment answered it or not. The second is what happened during the lab and if there was any unique or unexpected data. The third is any experimental error that occurred in the lab. These could be the surface of the pennies not being the same, or drops being different sizes. The last part of the conclusion is explaining any further research or experiments that might need to be done to explain your hypothesis or answer any questions that occured during the lab.
Day 6: Informational texts
Day 7 Quiz
Today we looked at the best methods for researching and looking at scientific texts. There is so much information out there for us to look at and discover. The trouble is that not all of it is accurate or what is needed for a science class. When doing research, I will not except Wikipedia as a source. However, it can be a great place to start your research. The information can get you thinking and there are refences that are listed on the bottom of the page that can aid in finding further information. Another great place to look for information is Google Scholar. Google has made it easy to search for reviewed articles from scholars and professors from around the world.
Another great source of information is books and magazines. They can cover a wide range of topics and persectives. There is one word of caution to this. Be aware of any bias that might be in the text. Not all publications are looking to give you all of the facts. Some are more interested in the spectacular nature of the store. This doesn't make them bad or wrong, its just something to be aware of.
Homework: Informational Texts
Find and Print a Scientific article and follow the instructions on the attached sheet.
