Definitions
IRRELEVANT
Information that DOES NOT matter.
Someone took the cookies from the classroom cookie jar! Three students were in the room. Sam had chocolate on his fingers. Mia had cookie crumbs on her shirt. Ben was holding a bag of chips. The cookie jar was open, and only two cookies were left. Who do you think took the cookies?
Mia, because she had cookie crumbs on her shirt!
Why is the data about they other two students irrelevant?
What is the first step in the Scientific Method?
Ask a question.
RELIABLE
Can be repeated with the same results.
Someone took the teacher’s special pencil! Three students were near the teacher’s desk. Alex had a blue pencil in his hand. Emma had yellow pencil shavings on her desk. Liam had just broken his pencil. The teacher’s pencil was yellow and big. Who do you think took the pencil?
Emma, because she had yellow pencil shavings on her desk.
The last step of the Scientific Method, when we look at our results and prediction and make a statement of what happened.
CONCLUSION
DATA
Information.
Someone walked into the classroom with muddy shoes and left footprints on the clean floor! Three students had been outside. Jake had mud on his pants. Lily had wet boots but no mud. Noah had clean shoes and was carrying a raincoat. The muddy footprints led from the classroom door to Noah's desk and then the sink. Who do you think made the footprints?
Jake, because he had mud on his pants. He most likely wiped his shoes off at the sink after visiting Noah's desk!
When we write or draw what we see during the experiment it is called _______________.
EVIDENCE
Someone spilled water on the classroom library books! Three students were reading near the bookshelf. Noah had a full water bottle. Emma had a wet sleeve. Lucas had a dry desk and was reading a comic book. Who do you think spilled the water?
Emma, because she had a wet sleeve!
What are the materials?
The items we need to conduct the experiment.
VALID
How accurate is the data collected.
Someone took the classes orange and black soccer ball from the playground! Three students were playing outside. Liam had grass stains on his knees from playing soccer. Sophie was carrying a skipping rope. Ethan said he played tag at recess, but had something orange and black in his backpack. Who do you think took the soccer ball?
Ethan, because the soccer ball was orange and black!
Before we conduct the experiment we make a HYPOTHESIS, which is ________.
An educated prediction.