A. How does science happen?1. Scientists investigate2. Scientists plan experiments3. Scientists observe4. Scientists always test results

I. The Nature of Science

B. Science1. a system of knowledge based on

facts and principles2. Science has many branches

a. biological science – science of living things1) botany – study of plants2) zoology – study of animals3) ecology – balance in nature4) medicine

b. physical science – science of matter and energy

1) physics – forces and energy2) chemistry – matter and its

changes

c. earth science – science of the earth

1) geology – rocks and minerals –

the science of the physical

nature and history of the Earth

2) meteorology – atmosphere and weatherd. crossover – ie. – biochemistry,

geophysics

C. Science and technology work together1. technology

a. the application of science

D. Scientific Theories – Laws – Facts - Hypothesis1. Fact – in science, an observation that has been repeatedly confirmeda. i.e. objects fall when droppedb. i.e. humans have 46 chromosomes

2. Lawa. a descriptive generalization

about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under

stated circumstancesb. i.e. the path of each planet

around the sun is an ellipse with the sun at one focus (Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion)

3. Hypothesis a. a testable statement

about the natural world that can be used to

build more complex inferences and explanations

b. If…then…

4. Theory a. a broad and comprehensive statement of what is believed

to be true, supported by

considerable experimental evidence resulting from

many tests of related hypotheses

c. Examples of Scientific Theories1) atomic theory – all matter is made of atoms2) cell theory – all living things

are composed of cells3) theory of gravitation – all matter attracts other matter4) theory of plate tectonics – Earth’s crust is made of plates which move over time

5. Theories and laws are not absolute – as we do more experiments and learn more about the world around us, our explanations can change

Why is it important to study science?

So we can:1.2.3.4.5.

What do we need to know about science?1.2.3.4.5.

II. Science SafetyA. What are the five most

important things to remember about safety in the science laboratory?

1.2.3.4.5.Prentice Hall Biology. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2002?

III. The Way Science Works ** Critical Thinking – applying logic

and reason to observations and conclusions

A. Scientific Processes1. Observing and Collecting Data

a. all scientific understanding of

the natural world is ultimately based on observations

b. Observing 1) the use of one or more the five senses to perceive objects or events

c. Collecting Data 1) the gathering and recording of specific information based on observations

2. Measuringa. the process of determining the dimensions of an object, the #

of objects in a group, the duration of an event, or

other characteristics in precise

units

b. Types of Data1) quantitative data

a) numbers b) ie- 2,457 meters, 87 seeds

germinated2) qualitative data

a) descriptive (adjectives)b) ie – a long distance, dark

green, plant B is taller than

plant A

c. accuracy1. number that is close to the true value

d. precision1. number that is as exact as possible

(ie – 47.452134 cm)

Not Accurate

Accurate

c. accuracy1. number that is close to the true value

d. precision1. number that is as exact as possible

(ie – 47.452134 cm)

Precise

Not Accurate

Precise

Accurate

3. Organizing Dataa. involves placing observations and measurements in some kind of logical order – graph, chart, map

Prentice Hall Biology. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2002?

4. Classifyinga. the process of grouping objects, organisms, or phenomena into an established organizational scheme, or developing new organizational schemes

PIC of Periodic Table

Physical Science – Prentice Hall – Ch. 5 PowerPoint, 2007.

The Periodic Table

5. Hypothesizinga. the process of forming testable

statements about observable phenomena

b. hypothesis – testable statementc. a statement is testable if

evidence can be collected that either supports the hypothesis or rejects it

D. How to write a Hypothesis1) the hypothesis must be a

complete sentence2) to the point/concise3) must try to answer the

question/problem4) must be TESTABLE

5) “IF…THEN…”6) do not use pronouns (I, we, it,

etc.) – BE SPECIFIC7) “IF (independent

variable/cause)…THEN (dependent

variable/effect)

6. Predictinga. After making a hypothesis,

make a predictionb. Stating in advance the result

that will be obtained from testing a hypothesis

c. “If…then…”

7. Experimentinga. some hypotheses or predictions can be tested through observations in a natural setting while others cannotb. Experimenting – the process of testing a hypothesis or prediction by carrying out data – gathering procedures under controlled conditions

c. controlled experiments 1) based on a comparison of a control group or phase with an

experimental group or phase

2) independent variable a) the manipulated variable –

the one that is different

3) dependent variable a) the thing that is different

because of the independent

variable – usually what is being

measured

4) extraneous variables a) factors which may impact the effect on the dependent variable

5) validity a) do the results answer the questions that we are asking in the hypothesis

6) reliability a) will you get the same results if you do these procedures again

7) cause:effect = independent:dependent

8. Analyzing Dataa. the process of determining whether data are reliable and whether they support or refute a given prediction or hypothesis

b. ways to analyze data1) using statistics2) interpreting graphs3) determining relationships between

variables4) comparing the data to those

obtained from other studies5) determining possible sources of

experimental error

9. Inferringa. the process of drawing conclusions

on the basis of facts or premises instead of direct perception

b. Facts might include data gathered during a field study or an experiment

c. Premises might include conclusions drawn from previous knowledge or from past experience

d. some inferences are testable and some are not

Statement Observation Inference

Object A is round and orange.

Object A is a basketball.

Object C is round, black & white

Object C is larger than Object B

Object B is smooth

Object B is a table-tennis ball

Each object is used in a different sport

Observation vs. Inference

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

10. Modelinga. constructing a representation of

an object, a system, or a process that helps to show relationships between data

b. visual, verbal, mathematicalc. model airplane, computer models,

experiments in a lab, mathematical equations

11. Communicatinga. sharing information 1) to keep from repeating experiments2) Utilize resources more effectively3) To keep from repeating failed experiments4) Swap ideas b. scientific journals, newspapers, magazine, conferences, internet, television news

B. The Scientific Method of Investigation

1. Identify the Problem2. Review Related Literature3. Develop a Hypothesis4. Design the Experiment5. Conduct the Experiment/

Make Observations6. Draw Conclusions7. Communicate the

Findings

*** Scientists do not always follow the above steps in order

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