The Steps of The Scientific Method
Identify the six steps of the scientific method.
1) Ask a question
2) Make a hypothesis
3) Test the hypothesis - experiments
4) Analyze the results
5) Make a conclusion
6) Communicate results
Dawn dish soap cleaned all of the tomato stains on my plates. To which step of the scientific method does this sentence belong?
Analyzing Results
I want whiter teeth but I don't know which toothpaste to use - Crest, Colgate, or Sensodyne? I will brush my teeth with each brand of toothpaste for two weeks and note the levels of whiteness at the end of each two-week period. Identify the independent variable.
I planted three plants in my backyard, but I don't know how often to water each plant to ensure optimal growth. I will water the first plant once a week, the second plant twice a week, and the third plant every day. After four weeks, I will measure the heights of each plant. Identify the dependent variable.
Heights of plants
I bought three flowers, but I don't know where to keep the flowers to ensure that they last the longest - my kitchen, my living room, or my dining room. Identify a control variable.
Type of flower or how often each flower is watered
What is a hypothesis?
An educated guess
My favourite pizza place is always busy! I think the least busiest time to go to this restaurant is Sunday at 5pm. I conducted my own little experiment and found that the least busiest time to buy a slice of pizza was Saturday at 10am. Write a possible conclusion for this experiment.
My hypothesis was wrong. The least busiest time to go to my favourite pizza place is Saturday at 10am.
I am selling chocolate bars to raise money for my soccer team - KitKat, Aero, Oh Henry, and Twix. I am interested in seeing which chocolate bar is the most popular. Identify the independent variable.
Type of Chocolate Bar
I am baking bread, but I don't know at which temperature to bake the bread. I will bake four loaves of bread at four difference temperatures and compare how soft each bread loaf is after baking. Identify the dependent variable.
Level of softness of each bread loaf
I am baking bread, but I don't know at which temperature to bake the bread. I will bake four loaves of bread at four difference temperatures and compare how soft each bread loaf is after baking. Identify a control variable.
Bread recipe
What are the three words all hypotheses should include?
If, then, because
Quantitative or Qualitative Results? - how many pieces of pizza you and your friends eat on a Friday night
Quantitative Results
I work at a pizza restaurant. My friends and I want to know which type of pizza is most popular with the customers - cheese, cheese and pepperoni, or vegetarian. Identify the independent variable.
Type of Pizza
I need to buy a new mattress, but I don't know which one to buy!! I will read a lots of reviews and see which mattress has the best reviews. Identify the dependent variable.
Review ratings of mattresses
My little sister is running a lemonade stand, but she doesn't know where to run it. She wants a lot of people to buy her lemonade. Should she sell lemonade in front of her house, at the park, or outside the library? Identify a control variable.
The lemonade she sells or the prices of the lemonade
Identify and define the two types of results.
Quantitative Results: can be counted, measured, and expressed using numbers
Qualitative Results: descriptive and can be categorized by traits
Quantitative or Qualitative Results? - the favourite ice cream flavours of the students in our class
Qualitative Results
I bought three flowers, but I don't know where to keep the flowers to ensure that they last the longest - my kitchen, my living room, or my dining room. Identify the independent variable.
Room where I keep my flowers
I want to make brownies, but I don't want them to be too sweet. My mom, my best friend, and my cousin shared their recipes with me. Which recipe should I follow? Identify the dependent variable.
Level of sweetness of brownies
I don't want to spend too much money on groceries. At which grocery store should I shop in order to save money - Metro, Zehrs, No Frills? Identify a control variable.
The groceries I buy and the brands of all items
What the two questions every conclusion should answer?
1) Research Question
2) Was the hypothesis correct?
I want whiter teeth but I don't know which toothpaste to use - Crest, Colgate, or Sensodyne? Write a possible hypothesis for this experiment.
If I want whiter teeth, then I should use Crest toothpaste because my dentist recommends this toothpaste.
My little sister is running a lemonade stand, but she doesn't know where to run it. She wants a lot of people to buy her lemonade. Should she sell lemonade in front of her house, at the park, or outside the library? Identify the independent variable.
Where she runs the lemonade stand
I don't want to spend too much money on groceries. At which grocery store should I shop in order to save money - Metro, Zehrs, No Frills? Identify the dependent variable.
How much money I spend at each grocery store
I need to buy a new mattress, but I don't know which one to buy!! I will read a lots of reviews and see which mattress has the best reviews. Identify a control variable.
Website where I read reviews or number of reviews I read