What is Science?
Give a one-sentence definition of science.
A way of learning about the natural world through explorations and evidence.
What is an observation?
Using your senses to gather information about something.
What is an independent variable?
The variable that YOU deliberately change in an experiment.
What is data?
Information collected during an investigation or experiment.
Which science process skill involves grouping things that are alike in some way?
Classifying
Name the five science process skills convered in this unit.
Observing, inferring, predicting, classifying and making models
What is an inference?
An explanation or interpretation of what you observed, based on reasoning.
What is a dependent variable?
The variable you measure or observe — it “depends” on the independent variable.
Which type of graph is best for showing change over time?
A line graph
What do we call a representation of something too complex, too big, or too small to observe directly — like a globe?
What is the difference between a quantitative and a qualitative observation?
Quantitative observations use numbers or amounts; qualitative observations use descriptions with no numbers.
What is the difference between a prediction and an inference?
A prediction forecasts what WILL happen in the future; an inference explains what IS or WAS happening, based on clues.
What is a controlled variable (a constant)?
Something kept exactly the same throughout the experiment so it doesn't affect the results.
Which type of graph is best for comparing separate categories?
A bar graph
Why does a hypothesis need to be testable to be considered scientific?
Because science relies on evidence gathered through investigation or experiment, not just an idea or opinion.
Name the three main branches for science, with one sub-topic for each
Life Science (e.g. biology), Physical Science (e.g. chemistry or physics), Earth Science (e.g. geology or astronomy).
What is a hypothesis, and what sentence format is it often written in?
A testable explanation or prediction for an investigation, often written as an “If… then… because…” statement.
An experiment tests how the amount of fertilizer affects plant height. Identify the independent and dependent variables.
Independent variable: amount of fertilizer. Dependent variable: plant height.
On a graph, which axis usually shows the independent variable, and which shows the dependent variable?
Independent variable on the x-axis (horizontal); dependent variable on the y-axis (vertical).
Why do scientists run multiple trials of the same experiment?
To check that results are reliable and consistent, and not just due to chance.
Name two traits of scientific thinking and explain what each one means
Any two of: curiosity, honesty, open-mindedness, skepticism, creativity — plus a short explanation of each.
Write a hypothesis for this question: does the amount of sunlight affect how tall a plant grows?
Example: “If a plant gets more sunlight, then it will grow taller, because sunlight provides energy for photosynthesis.” Accept any reasonable if/then/because answer.
Name three variables that should be controlled in that same fertilizer experiment. (An experiment tests how the amount of fertilizer affects plant height. Identify the independent and dependent variables.)
Any three of: type of plant, amount of water, amount of sunlight, pot size, soil type, temperature.
What should a strong conclusion include?
Whether the data supports the hypothesis, evidence from the data to back that up, and an explanation of what it means.
Name one thing that observation, hypotheses, variables, and data all have in common.
Open-ended — accept reasonable answers, e.g. they're all steps in the scientific method / the process of running a fair investigation.