Experimental Design & Scientific Method
Using your senses to identify a fact. Ex: The kittens smell like a skunk
Observation
Non-living. Ex: Water, air, temperature
Abiotic
A living thing. Ex: Dog
Organism
An interaction where one organism kills and eats another. Ex: Wolf-Moose
Predation
Biotic or abiotic factor in the environment that an organism needs to live, grow and reproduce. Ex: Water, food
Resource
A conclusion based on observations; an opinion. Ex: The kittens got too close to a skunk and got sprayed
Inference
Living. Ex: Dog, bacteria, tree
Biotic
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area. Ex: 15 Tigers
Population
An interaction where two organisms BOTH benefit. Ex: Bee-Flower
Mutualism
A species role (what it does) in its habitat to survive. Ex: A snake hunts mice.
Niche
The factor I’m testing or changing- I have control of changing . Graphed on the X-axis. Ex: The different shoe type
Independent Variable
1. An organism that can make its own food (PRODUCER) Ex: Tomato Plant
2. An organism that cannot make its own food (CONSUMER) Ex: Dog
1. Autotroph
2. Heterotroph
All the different populations that live together in an area. Ex: Dogs and Cats
Community
An interaction where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. Ex: Bird-Tree
Commensalism
Place where an organism lives. Ex: Bird's nest
Habitat
What is being measured/data; graphed on the Y-axis. Ex: How high the man jumps
Dependent Variable
The ability of an organism to maintain stable INTERNAL conditions. Ex: Shivering and sweating
Homeostasis
A place where abiotic and biotic factors are found. Ex: Lake, Ocean, Desert
Ecosystem
An interaction where one organism (PARASITE) harms but doesn’t kill another organism (PREY).
Ex: Human-Tick
Parasitism
When someone screams and you react by jumping. Which characteristic of life are you experiencing?
Stimulus and Response
An experiment with only one independent variable. Ex: Bob is testing different sneakers to see which helps him run a mile the fastest
Controlled Experiment
A change in an organism’s EXTERNAL conditions that causes the organism to respond. Ex: Loud sound (STIMULUS) = jump (RESPONSE)
Stimulus/Response
The parts of the earth and the surrounding atmosphere where there is life. Ex: Earth
Biosphere
The largest number of individuals of a population that: A yard can only support 5 dogs
Carrying capacity
Which of the following reasons would a population reach its carrying capacity (Stay at the same level)
Same amount of water, Same amount of food, Same amount of predators, Same amount of prey