Science Basics
What is the difference between the Foundation and Frontier of science?
Foundation = scientific knowledge humans already know and have evidence to support.
Frontier = questions and ideas humans do not know or fully understand yet.
A scientist wonders why one plant is growing faster than another and decides to investigate. What value?
Curiosity
Someone has a preference or attitude but doesn't know they have it. What type of bias?
Implicit bias
Which is scientifically testable?
A. Puppies are the cutest animals.
B. How does water temperature affect how quickly sugar dissolves?
Claim B
“Plants receiving more water averaged 4 cm taller.”
Claim, Evidence, or Reasoning?
Evidence
Scientists know that plants need light. They investigate whether different amounts of light affect plant growth. Identify the Foundation and Frontier.
Foundation = plants need light.
Frontier = how different amounts of light affect plant growth.
A scientist's experiment fails, so they determine what went wrong, change the procedure, and try again. What value?
Resilience
Someone says, “All students who wear glasses are smart.” Is this a bias, stereotype, or discrimination?
Stereotype
Why is “Summer is better than winter” not scientifically testable? Give TWO reasons.
“Better” is a personal opinion and cannot be objectively observed/measured; different people can define “better” differently.
Claim: Plants receiving more water grow taller.
Evidence: Plants receiving more water averaged 4 cm taller.
Which part of CER is missing, and what question must it answer?
Reasoning; it must answer WHY the evidence supports the claim.
A scientist discovers something new and gathers enough evidence to support it. Does that discovery remain part of the Frontier forever? Explain.
No. Once humans figure it out and have evidence to support it, that knowledge can become part of the Foundation.
A scientist's results contradict their hypothesis. They report all the results anyway. Identify the value and explain exactly what action demonstrates it.
Integrity
Someone believes dogs are dangerous. Because of that belief, they refuse to allow dogs into their store. Identify the stereotype AND the discrimination.
stereotype: Dogs are dangerous
Discrimination: not letting the dogs into the store
What is the formula for a scientifically testable question
how does (change) affect (result)
Claim: Fertilizer increases plant growth.
Evidence: Fertilized plants averaged 18 cm while plants without fertilizer averaged 11 cm. All other variables were kept the same.
Write the missing reasoning.
Example: The fertilized plants had greater measured growth than the plants without fertilizer, so the evidence supports the claim that fertilizer increases plant growth.
A student says, “Scientists can investigate the Frontier without knowing anything about the Foundation.” Explain what is wrong with this statement.
Scientists use existing scientific knowledge as a starting point for asking questions, gathering new evidence, and investigating what isn't known yet.
Two scientists disagree about the meaning of the same evidence. One listens carefully to the other's explanation before comparing both ideas to the evidence. What value is demonstrated, and why is simply “agreeing with the other scientist” NOT required?
Respect. Respect means considering the other person's ideas rather than immediately dismissing them; it doesn't require agreeing with them.
A scientist believes fertilizer increases plant growth. They notice every plant that supports their belief but overlook plants that don't. Another scientist points this out, but they respond, “You're biased, not me.” Identify TWO biases.
Confirmation bias = focusing on supporting evidence while ignoring contradictory evidence. Blindspot bias = recognizing bias in someone else but not themselves
Give ONE thing a scientifically testable question must allow scientists to do.
Observe/measure something, repeat the investigation, investigate physical factors, OR produce data/evidence
A student writes:
Claim: Plants grow better with more water.
Evidence: Plant A received more water than Plant B.
Reasoning: Therefore, my claim is correct.
What is wrong with BOTH the evidence and the reasoning? Explain how each could be improved.
Evidence: It only tells us how much water the plants received; it does not provide evidence about how much the plants grew. The student needs growth data, such as plant height.
Reasoning: It simply says the claim is correct instead of explaining WHY the evidence supports the claim.
A stronger response would include measured plant growth as evidence and then explain why greater growth in the plant receiving more water supports the claim.
Explain this cycle:
Foundation → Question → Evidence + Reasoning → New Knowledge → Foundation
What happens at each step?
Scientists start with existing knowledge, use it to ask a question about something unknown, gather evidence and use reasoning to answer it, and the supported discovery can become new scientific knowledge that adds to the Foundation.
A scientist's experiment has failed repeatedly. On the next attempt, the results finally support their hypothesis—but the scientist notices that one measurement contradicts the rest. They include that measurement in the results and continue investigating. Identify TWO values demonstrated and connect each one to a different action.
Integrity = reporting the contradictory measurement honestly. Resilience = continuing the investigation despite repeated difficulty.
A researcher already believes students hate homework. They ask, “Don't you agree that students are given way too much free time?” They focus on students who say yes and ignore students who disagree. Identify TWO different biases and explain where each occurs.
Query bias = the wording pushes respondents toward a particular answer. Confirmation bias = focusing on evidence that supports the researcher's existing belief while ignoring evidence that contradicts it.
A student asks, “How does music affect students?” Using the four requirements from class, explain what's wrong with the question and rewrite it into a clearly scientifically testable question.
“Affect students” doesn't identify a specific observable/measurable result. Example revision: “How does listening to music affect the number of math problems students correctly complete in 10 minutes?” It investigates physical/observable factors, can be measured, repeated, and produces data/evidence.
A student gives excellent evidence, but the evidence actually doesn't support their claim. Can they still have a strong CER just because every section is present? Explain using all three parts of CER.
No. The claim states the position, evidence must actually support that position, and reasoning must explain why that evidence supports the claim. Simply including something labeled C, E, and R doesn't make the argument strong.