Chapter 1, Section 1

Objectives What is the goal of science?

What is a hypothesis?

Vocabulary

Create a flash card for the following terms:• Science• Observation• Data• Inference• Hypothesis

What is the Goal of Science?

• To investigate and understand nature, to explain events in nature, and to use those explanations to make useful predictions

• Science is an ORGANIZED way of using evidence to learn about the natural world.

Observations

• Science starts with observation– Observation involves using the 5 senses to gather

information– Can be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (not

numerical, more descriptive)– All of this information is gathered as DATA, or

evidence– What are the 5 senses??

INTERACTIVE

• Monster Activity

Interpreting the Evidence

• Scientists must make inferences based on the observations.

• Inferences are a logical, unbiased, interpretation based on prior knowledge, experience, and observation

• Examples of Inferences:– You see a broken window and a baseball laying on

the floor under the window. You INFER that the baseball broke the window.

INFERENCE - a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge

* Drawing a conclusion

INFERENCE - a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge

* Drawing a conclusion

INFERENCE - a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge

* Drawing a conclusion

Explaining the Evidence

• A HYPOTHESIS is a possible explanation or answer to a scientific question.

• A Hypothesis must be TESTABLE.• Examples:1.  Purina food will reduce a dog's shedding.

 

2.  Putting Miracle Grow on tomato plants will make them produce more tomatoes.

 

3.  The drug Avapro will lower a person's blood pressure.

 

Examples of HypothesesExamples

Good BadPlants will grow taller with Miracle Grow.

Plants will grow better when given Miracle Grow.

Girls will score higher on math tests than boys.

Girls are smarter than boys.

Hermit crabs will choose colorful shells over plain shells.

Hermit crabs like colorful shells.

INTERACTIVE

• Write a hypothesis for the experiment below:– A scientist is going to measure toy car speed on a

ramp. He is going to test if the size of the wheel affects the speed of the toy car going down a ramp. He has a regular toy car, a toy car with extra large wheels, and a toy car with mini-wheels.

– What is your hypothesis??

Identify the GOOD hypothesesCopy the good hypotheses and explain why it is

good.• Plants will grow taller with sunlight.• Boys like video games.• 9th graders are smarter than middle school

students.• Dogs will run faster after eating a bone.• Bounty paper towels are stronger than the

store brand.• Cats are good mouse hunters.

Quick Check

• What is the goal of science?• What is a hypothesis?• Write a hypothesis for the

following question: Which environment do ants prefer—moist or dry?