SCIENTIFIC REASONING
A student says:
“I think plants grow faster when they receive more sunlight because plants need sunlight.”
What part of this statement makes it a hypothesis rather than simply an observation?
It is a prediction/explanation about what will happen, based on existing knowledge.
A class tests whether watering plants more frequently affects plant growth.
They use two groups:
How frequently the plants are watered.
These communities have deep knowledge about the natural world that has been passed down through generations.
Indigenous communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples
Scientists use new technology because it can help them find this.
New evidence.
A scientist's experiment produces results that don't match the prediction in their hypothesis.
Does this automatically mean the scientist's entire scientific explanation is proven wrong?
No. The evidence may contradict the hypothesis or show that the explanation needs to be reconsidered or changed. Scientists use the results to continue investigating.
The students measure the height of each plant in centimetres after four weeks.
Why is plant height the dependent variable?
It is the outcome being measured to determine the effect of the watering schedule.
Name TWO ways Indigenous knowledge can be passed on.
Examples include stories, oral traditions, visuals, art, symbols, drawings, or written texts.
Why might a scientist explain the same discovery differently to elementary students and to other scientists?
Scientists adapt their communication to their audience, including word choice, amount of detail, and how they present the information.
Two scientists investigate the same natural phenomenon. One performs an experiment while the other simply observes what happens in nature.
Explain why both investigations can produce evidence.
Evidence can come from experiments or observations. Scientists don't always need to conduct an experiment to gather useful evidence.
A student uses different plant species in the two groups.
Explain why this creates a problem with the experiment.
The type of plant should be a controlled variable. If the plants are different, differences in growth could be caused by plant type rather than watering frequency.
Many Indigenous teachings are passed from elders to younger generations in this way.
oral tradition
A scientist gives a presentation containing extremely technical vocabulary to an audience with little science background.
What aspect of scientific communication could be improved?
Word choice should be adapted so the audience can understand the explanation.
A student creates a hypothesis that cannot possibly be tested through an experiment or observation.
Why is this a problem?
A hypothesis needs to be testable. Scientists need to be able to gather evidence to determine whether it is supported or contradicted.
A student says:
“I'll water Group A every day and Group B every two days, but I'll give Group A more sunlight because I think sunlight helps plants grow.”
Identify the problem with this experimental design.
Sunlight should be controlled. Changing both watering frequency and sunlight means the scientist cannot determine which factor caused differences in growth.
Stories and legends can teach people about these aspects of nature. Name TWO.
Animals, seasons, ecosystems, or other aspects of the natural world.
Why are scientists expected to honestly report their data, even if the results don't support their hypothesis?
Scientific ethics requires scientists to honestly report data and not fabricate, falsify, misrepresent, or deceive others. Honest data allows scientific knowledge to be checked and improved.
A scientist has an explanation for why a natural event happens. Three experiments support the explanation, but a fourth experiment produces contradictory evidence.
What should the scientist do according to the scientific process?
The scientist should continue investigating and reconsider the explanation, rather than simply ignoring the contradictory evidence. Scientific explanations can be changed when new evidence appears.
A student conducts the plant experiment but changes three things between the groups: watering frequency, amount of sunlight, and type of soil.
The plants in Group A grow taller.
Can the student confidently conclude that watering frequency caused the difference? Explain.
No. There are multiple variables changing, so the evidence cannot isolate watering frequency as the cause.
According to the presentation, why is Indigenous knowledge valuable when thinking about the environment?
It contains centuries of knowledge about living in harmony with nature and offers perspectives on sustainability and conservation.
A scientist has discovered something complicated. They create a graph, write a scientific paper, and give a presentation.
Why might using all three be useful rather than choosing only one?
Different forms of communication make scientific ideas accessible in different ways. Graphs can visually represent information, written texts provide detailed explanations, and verbal presentations allow discussion and questions.