Phenomena and observation
Which is a natural phenomenon: a rainbow or a bicycle?
Rainbow
What do we call the variable we purposely change in an experiment?
The manipulated or independent variable.
You test how ramp height affects how far a toy car travels. What is the manipulated variable?
The height of the ramp.
What is bias?
A personal opinion or preference that can affect an investigation.
What is data?
Information gathered through observing, questioning, or measuring.
Which senses help us observe thunder and lightning?
Sight and hearing
What do we call the variable that changes as a result of what we changed?
The responding or dependent variable
In that ramp experiment, what is the responding variable?
The distance the toy car travels.
Why must scientists avoid bias?
To make sure results are based on facts, not opinions.
What is evidence?
Data that supports a claim or conclusion.
What tool would you use to observe the rings of Saturn?
A telescope
What are controlled variables?
The things we keep the same.
You compare how quickly sugar dissolves in hot and cold water. Name one thing you should keep the same.
The amount of sugar, amount of water, or stirring method.
Amira surveys favourite foods but only offers foods she likes. How could she make her survey less biased?
Include a wider variety of foods and an “other†option.
A student records plant heights of 5 cm, 7 cm, and 9 cm. Are these measurements data or opinions?
Data
What tool would help you observe tiny organisms in pond water?
A microscope.
What is another name for the responding variable?
The dependent variable.
One plant is near a window and another is in a dark cupboard. You measure their growth. Identify the manipulated and responding variables.
Manipulated: amount of light. Responding: plant growth.
A scientists results do not match their prediction. What should they do?
Record and report all results honestly.
You measure everyone in your class. Which statement is more accurate: ”All Grade 5 students are under two metres or All Grade 5 students in our class are under two meters
All Grade 5 students in our class are under two metres, because only that class was measured.
How does an X-ray help us observe something our eyes cannot normally see?
It lets us see inside the body, such as the bones.
Why should we change only one variable at a time in a controlled experiment?
So we can tell whether that variable caused the result.
A student gives one plant sunlight and lots of water. Another gets darkness and very little water. Why is this not a fair test of how light affects growth?
Both light and water changed, so we cannot tell which caused the difference.
 Explain why scientific ethics are important when conducting investigations. Give one example of how you can show ethics in an experiment.
Ethics help keep investigations honest, safe, and respectful. Examples: protect participants privacy, avoid harming living things, or report results honestly.
A plant in sunlight grows 8 cm. A plant in darkness grows 1 cm. Everything else is kept the same. What evidence supports the conclusion that sunlight helped growth?
The plant in sunlight grew 7 cm more than the plant in darkness.