Scientific Method
What is the first step you should take when beginning a scientific investigation?
What is make an observation or ask a question?
What do we call the variable that the scientist changes on purpose in an experiment?
What is the independent variable?
Which is a well-tested explanation that explains WHY something happens in nature: a theory or a law?
What is a theory?
What do we call information you gather directly using your five senses?
What is an observation?
What do we call it when a scientist conducts the same experiment multiple times to check for consistent results?
What is repetition (or multiple trials)?
A student wants to test whether plants grow better with music. She plays classical music to one group of plants and no music to another group. What step of the scientific method is she performing?
What is conducting an experiment?
In an experiment testing how the amount of water affects plant growth, what is the dependent variable?
What is plant growth?
The Law of Gravity states that objects with mass attract each other. Does this law explain WHY gravity exists?
What is no? (Laws describe WHAT happens, not why)
You notice dark clouds in the sky and feel the temperature drop. You think it's going to rain soon. Is this an observation, inference, or prediction?
What is a prediction?
What do we call it when OTHER scientists perform the same experiment to verify the original results?
What is replication?
After collecting data from an experiment about plant growth, a student creates a bar graph showing the heights of plants over 4 weeks. What step of the scientific method is this?
What is analyzing data?
A student tests whether different types of music affect heart rate. She plays rock, classical, and jazz music to different groups while measuring their heart rate. Identify BOTH the independent and dependent variables.
What is independent variable = type of music, and dependent variable = heart rate?
Scientists once believed that the atom was the smallest particle that couldn't be divided. Later, evidence from experiments showed that atoms contain protons, neutrons, and electrons. What does this tell us about scientific theories?
What is scientific theories can change or be revised when new evidence is discovered? Theories are based on current evidence and understanding, so as technology improves and new data is collected, theories can be updated or refined to better explain observations.
A student sees a plant with yellow, drooping leaves. She concludes that the plant hasn't been watered enough. What is this conclusion called, and what observations support it?
What is an inference? Observations include: yellow color, drooping/wilting leaves, etc.
A student tests whether brand of battery affects flashlight brightness. She tests each battery brand 5 times. Is this repetition or replication?
What is repetition?
A student investigates whether exercise increases heart rate. After collecting data, she creates a graph and notices that heart rate increased for all participants after exercise. Before making her final conclusion, what should she do to strengthen her scientific argument?
What is do background research to explain WHY exercise increases heart rate?
In a paper airplane experiment, a student wants to test how wing size affects flight distance. She keeps the paper type, throwing force, and room conditions the same. What are these variables called, and why are they important?
What are controlled variables (or constants)? They're important because they ensure that only the independent variable affects the outcome, making the test fair.
A scientist observes that the continents look like they could fit together like puzzle pieces and finds similar fossils on different continents. She develops an explanation that continents were once connected and have drifted apart. Is this a theory or a law, and what evidence would strengthen it? A scientist observes that the continents look like they could fit together like puzzle pieces and finds similar fossils on different continents. She develops an explanation that continents were once connected and have drifted apart. Is this a theory or a law, and what evidence would strengthen it? A scientist observes that the continents look like they could fit together like puzzle pieces and finds similar fossils on different continents. She develops an explanation that continents were once connected and have drifted apart. Is this a theory or a law, and what evidence would strengthen it? A scientist observes that the continents look like they could fit together like puzzle pieces and finds similar fossils on different continents. She develops an explanation that continents were once connected and have drifted apart. Is this a theory or a law, and what evidence would strengthen it?
What is a theory (Continental Drift/Plate Tectonics Theory)? Evidence could include: rock formations that match across continents, sea floor spreading, earthquake/volcano patterns, GPS measurements of plate movement, etc.
A scientist observes that a certain type of bird has a long, thin beak and is often seen near flowers. She infers that the bird feeds on nectar. What additional observations could she make to support this inference, and what prediction could she make about where this bird lives?
What is additional observations could include: watching the bird insert its beak into flowers, observing pollen on the bird's head/beak, or checking stomach contents? Prediction: the bird likely lives in an area with many flowering plants or in a warm climate where flowers bloom year-round.
A scientist tests whether a new medicine reduces headaches. She gives the medicine to 50 patients and tracks their symptoms for 30 days, then repeats the exact same process with the same 50 patients two more times. Meanwhile, a research team in another country tests the same medicine with 50 different patients using the same procedures. Identify which part is repetition and which is replication.
What is the original scientist conducting the same experiment three times with the same patients is repetition (multiple trials), and the research team in another country conducting the experiment with different patients is replication (by others)?
A student's experiment shows that fertilized plants grew 3 cm taller than unfertilized plants. She concludes that fertilizer helps plants grow. What should she do to defend this conclusion?
What is explain how the evidence supports the conclusion?
Design an experiment to test whether temperature affects how fast ice melts. Identify the independent variable, dependent variable, and at least two controlled variables.
What is independent variable = temperature; dependent variable = time it takes for ice to melt (or rate of melting); controlled variables could include: size/mass of ice cube, type of container, amount of ice, air circulation, etc.?
Newton's Laws of Motion describe how objects move when forces are applied. The Theory of Gravity explains why objects with mass attract each other. Using this example, explain the key difference between scientific laws and theories.
What is laws describe patterns in nature and predict WHAT will happen (like how an object will move), while theories explain WHY those patterns occur (like why gravity causes attraction between masses)? Laws often use mathematical formulas; theories provide the underlying explanation.
A paleontologist finds a fossil of an animal with sharp teeth, forward-facing eyes, and strong jaw bones. She infers it was a predator. Explain the difference between her observations and her inference, and make a prediction about what other fossils might be found nearby.
What is observations = sharp teeth, forward-facing eyes, strong jaw bones (physical features she can see); inference = it was a predator (conclusion based on observations); prediction = might find fossils of prey animals, evidence of hunting behavior, or other predators from the same time period?
A scientist publishes results showing a new fertilizer increases crop yield by 40%. She ran 10 trials on her own farm. Explain why replication by other scientists in different locations is MORE important than her 10 trials for the scientific community to accept this claim.
What is replication by others tests whether the results work in different conditions, with different scientists, and aren't specific to just her farm or methods? This eliminates bias, confirms the results aren't due to unique local conditions, and provides stronger evidence that the fertilizer actually works universally. Repetition shows consistency, but replication shows validity across the scientific community.