1. Hold on to your socks, folks! This stuff is
exciting!
THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS!
2. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING NEEDED
FOR THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS???
(This girl is having fun! )
Receiving knowledge of
the outside world through
the senses. May also
include recording the new
knowledge.
OBSERVATION!!!!!
3. THEN: INFERENCE & HYPOTHESIS!
Inference!!
The process of drawing
a conclusion based on
your observations and
logic.
Hypothesis!!
Your proposed
explanation for the
observed phenomena.
4. THEN, SET YOUR PARAMETERS
Parameter:
How far you will be testing your hypothesis.
How in depth will you be testing?
5. Setting the
PARAMETERS
EXAMPLE: If I wanted to test the lifecycle of frogs
based on location (environment) I would need to
decide what my parameters are.
Bay Area? California? North America? Americas
(Canada, America, Central America, South
America) or the entire world.
6. INDEPENDENT VS. DEPENDENT VARIABLES
Manipulated
Variable/Independent
Variable
The variable that is
being changed.
Only ONE variable
changed at a
time!!!!!!!!!!
Responding
Variable/Dependent
Variable
The variable that
changes as a RESULT of
the independent
variable.
7. INDEPENDENT VS. DEPENDENT VARIABLES
WHICH IS WHICH?
Measuring the growth of a plant when “watered” with
different liquids.
Counting the number of people who stop when they see
a dollar on the ground.
Timing how long someone can run after drinking an
energy drink.
8. CONTROL THE EXPERIMENT!!
Controlled Experiment
This can be accomplished when you only have ONE
variable manipulated at a time!!
Or else, how do you know which changed variable
caused the results???
9. CONTROL THE EXPERIMENT!!
If I am testing what will cause people to notice T-
Pain (my fish) more, I will need to create a controlled
experiment.
I decide to test if a sign hanging above his bowl will
cause people to notice him more, but I also buy a
brighter new plant to put in his bowl.
I record that 30 more students mention T-pain
throughout the day.
Which change caused the extra 30 students to
notice him?
10. CONTROL THE EXPERIMENT!!
How could the following experiments be controlled?
Measuring the growth of a plant when “watered”
with different liquids.
Counting the number of people who stop when
they see a dollar on the ground.
Timing how long someone can run after drinking
an energy drink.
12. DATA-DATA-DATA-DATA-DATA!
Look around the room and on your notes, write
down three qualitative observations and three
quantitative observations.
When you’re done, look at me.
When I tell you to, compare answers with your
elbow partner.
13. THEORY VS. LAW
Theory:
Widely tested and
generally accepted.
We’re talking WORLD
WIDE, people
Law:
Predictable results from
a set of conditions.
No one will argue that if
you drop something, it falls
down (on earth)
14. THEORY VS. LAW
Which comes first? Theory or Law?
What comes before a theory?
How many theories do you think actually exist?
