Understanding Fossil Butte

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Understanding Fossil Butte

• In the southwest corner of Wyoming, there is a
  flat-topped mountain called Fossil Butte. A
  fossil of a fish was found near the top of the
  Fossil Butte in a rock formation that is about 50
  million years old. Fossils of other kinds of
  fish, as well as turtles, have been found at
  Fossil Butte. The land around Fossil Butte is
  dry, and the Pacific Ocean is more than 1000km
  away. How could fossils of sea-dwelling animals
  have formed at Fossil Butte?

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Understanding Fossil Butte

1. Working with a partner, think of several
   questions that a scientist might ask in order to
   understand why there are fish fossils in the
   desert of Wyoming. Write these questions on a
   sheet of paper.
2. Discuss your questions with your partner, and
   suggest a possible answer to each question.
3. How could a scientist go about fishing an answer
   to each of the questions?

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WHAT IS SCIENCE?

• The Scientific Method
• Parts of the Experiment

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GOALS OF SCIENCE

• Investigate and understand nature
• Explain events in nature
• Use those explanations to make useful predictions

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The Scientific Method

• There are FIVE main steps to the scientific
  method
• Stating the Problem
• Forming a Hypothesis
• Setting up a controlled experiment
• Recording and analyzing the results
• Drawing conclusions

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STATING THE PROBLEM

• This can be in the form of a question or
  statement.
• Implies that an observation has been made to lead
  to a question
• Science is based on experimentation and
  observation
• Observations can be
• Made directly with your senses
• Color
• Taste
• Shape
• Feel
• Smell

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INFERENCES

• In contrast to observations, which are things
  that we see or measure, inferences are
  conclusions based solely on observation
• The only rule of inferring is to be logical
• They are always tentative, meaning, they are not
  final explanations
• Usually changed when new information is gained,
  or observations are made

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FORMING A HYPOTHESIS

• A testable statement, a possible explanation
  that explains known facts and predicts new facts
• Should be in the form
• If... then
• Cause and Effect

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DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT

• Must have several things
• VARIABLES
• Experimental Group(s)
• receives all of the conditions of the experiment
• Independent (manipulated) Variable one thing
  that is changed
• Dependent (responding) Variable measurable
  result of the independent variable
• Control Group
• receives all of the conditions of the experiment
  except one (the independent variable)
• used as a means for comparison in the experiment
• CONSTANTS
• Factors in the experiment that are maintained
  throughout the experiment, they remain the SAME
  throughout
• PROCEDURE
• Must be clear and detailed

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RECORDING ANALYZING DATA

• RECORDING DATA
• Numerical data should be graphed and/or tabled
• Observations should be written in clear, complete
  sentences.
• TWO TYPES OF DATA
• Qualitative descriptive a behavior or
  appearance
• Quantitative numerical data

Data Table
Independent variable (unit)
Dependent variable (unit)
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RECORDING ANALYZING DATA

• ANALYZING DATA
• Attempt to figure out what the collected data
  means why did it happen as it did?

Graph
Title Dependent variable vs. Independent variable
Dependent variable (unit)
Independent variable (unit)
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Graphing

• Graph
• A visual display of information or data
• Three main types
• LINE GRAPH
• BAR GRAPH
• PIE GRAPH

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Line Graph

• Shows how data changes over time or shows basic
  trends
• Plotting data
• Independent variable x-axis
• Dependent variable y-axis

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Bar Graph

• Compares information collected by counting groups
• Plotted the same as a line graph

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Pie Graph

• Shows how some fixed quantity is broken down into
  parts

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FORM CONCLUSIONS

• Be sure to draw conclusions based on the data
  collected.
• Make inferences based on prior knowledge and the
  new knowledge gained in the experiment.
• DO NOT restate the procedure or simply restate
  the results
• How do the results compare to your hypothesis?
• How can this data be used further?
• What other tests could be done?