The Scientific Method
What do we call your educated guess or prediction about what the answer to your question might be? (It often starts with "If...then...")
Hypothesis
This is the one and only factor the scientist chooses to change or manipulate to see what happens.
The Manipulated Variable (or Independent Variable)
Name one way a scientist can share their work
Journal, Science Fair, Media, Conferences
The fact that we used to think the Sun circled the Earth, but now we know the Earth circles the Sun, shows this important thing about science.
Scientific explanations can change (when new evidence is found).
This word means that your results are consistent (you can repeat them)
Reliability
What is the final step in the scientific method where you summarize your results and state whether your prediction was right or wrong?
The Conclusion
These are all the things that must be kept exactly the same in all parts of the experiment to ensure your test is fair.
Controlled Variables
Scientists use diagrams, models, and visuals to share information. Can you please give an example of a type of chart or graph they might use.
Pie chart, bar graph, line graph, table, tally chart...
This is the single most important thing that all scientific ideas and explanations must be based on.
Evidence (or Data)
This word means that your experiment actually measures what you planned to measure (it's true).
Validity
The detailed instructions that another person could follow exactly to repeat your experiment.
Procedure or Experiment
This is the variable that the scientist measures or observes as the result of the experiment. (It changes in response to what you changed.)
The Responding Variable (or Dependent Variable)
What type of formal, written document is created by scientists to share all their steps, data, and conclusions with other researchers?
A Scientific Report (or Journal Article)
What is the main reason an idea is not a scientific explanation? (For example, an idea about ghosts causing the wind.)
It cannot be tested (or measured).
A scientist's explanation is never final. What are 2 reasons why scientific ideas can change over time?
Because of new technology (better tools), repeated experiments that find new evidence, and realizing past findings had an error.
What is the main job of the Scientific Method?
To solve a problem or answer a question in an organized and reliable way (or to make sure results are testable).
On a graph, what are the names of the two main lines you must label? One runs side-to-side (the Manipulated Variable), and the other runs up-and-down (the Dependent/Responding Variable).
The X-Axis (side-to-side) and the Y-Axis (up-and-down)
When sharing your project, you must adjust your choice of words and level of detail based on what?
The Audience (who you are talking to)
A scientific explanation is like a puzzle. If you find a new piece of evidence that doesn't fit, what is the most likely thing scientists will do next, instead of immediately throwing away the whole puzzle?
Try to make a new prediction or test a new idea (or change a small part of the explanation).
If a scientist gets an exciting or unexpected result in their first test, what is the most important thing they must do to prove that their data is reliable?
Repeat the Experiment (or Run More Trials). It is important to repeat the experiment to make sure it is trustworthy.
An organized set of steps, from asking a question to drawing a conclusion, that scientists use to learn about the world.
The Scientific Method
Why is it a rule that scientists only change one manipulated variable at a time?
To know for sure that the change caused the result.
Instead of using written reports and graphs, what is one of the main ways that Traditional Knowledge is passed down through generations of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples?
Oral storytelling, songs, ceremonies, or art.
Why do scientists have to be extra careful and use tools properly to get exact measurements?
To improve accuracy and to make sure the data/evidence is trustworthy (or reliable).
What is the subject/area called that studies many interconnected disciplines?
Science