Scientific Method

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Scientific Method

• Paper Airplanes
• SPI 0507.Inq.1
• v 0507.Inq.1 Identify specific investigations
  that could be used to answer a particular
  question and identify reasons for the this choice
• v 0507.Inq.2 identify tools needed to
  investigate specific questions
• v 0507. Inq.3 maintain a science notebook that
  includes observations, data, diagrams, and
  explanations.
• v 0507.Inq.4 Analyze and communicate findings
  from multiple investigations of similar phenomena
  to reach a conclusion

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What is the Scientific method?

• A series of steps, used by scientists, to gather
  knowledge

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Our experiment

• Lets say we wondered if the material that an
  airplane is made of affected the distance it
  traveled.
• What could we do?
• What materials would we need?
• How do we set up the experiment?
• Is my experiment about something that is
  relevant? Do inquiring minds want to know?

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Steps of the Scientific Method

• Step 1 Question/problem/purpose
• Do you ever wonder why something is a certain
  color, shape, or texture? Why some things melt
  faster than others? Why some cars go faster than
  others? How something works? Why something works
  the way it does?
• Well, if you have ever ask a questions about
  something in our world, you are doing what
  scientists do.
• A scientist will have a question about some
  aspect of the natural world.
• Example Will the material of the airplane affect
  the distance the airplane will travel?
• Note the tense of the verb.

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What is a hypothesis?

• Step 2 is to create a hypothesis.
• A hypothesis is an educated guess about what
  you think the end results of your experiment will
  be.
• Usually has an Ifthenstatement.
• It is in the form of a statement. What type of
  punctuation is at the end of a statement?
• It is based on previous knowledge you have gained
  from school, T.V., books, home, etc.
• Must be testable.
• For example
• If my airplane is made out of a lighter material
  such as notebook paper, then will it fly a longer
  distance.

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• Step 3
• 1. A test of a hypothesis.
• 2. One variable is tested at a time.
• Two types of variables
• Independent- what you change
• Dependent- (what you see) what happens as a
  result of the independent variable
• What are the variables in our airplane
  experiment?
• Independent variable- (What are we changing?)
  The material used to make the airplanes
  (notebook paper, construction paper, and printer
  paper)
• Dependent variable- the distance traveled

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Data

• Step Four Collect and Analyze Data
• 1. Two types of data
• a. Qualitative descriptive data, given in
  words.
• -Example lighter paper- flew further, heavy
  paper- shorter distance.
• b. Quantitative numerical data, given in
  numbers.
• -Example 4 feet, 2 feet in distance
• 2. Can be better organized for analysis by
  organizing data into charts or graphs.

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Conclusion

• Step Five Conclusion
• 1. A statement that proves or disproves the
  hypothesis.
• 2. Achieved by studying data and comparing it
  to the hypothesis. Does data prove/support or
  disprove/contradict the hypothesis.
• 3. Example The lighter material did fly the
  farthest distance. Note the tense of the verb.
  

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Your Science Fair experiment

• 1. Purpose- What is your experiment about?
• 2. Hypothesis- a STATEMENT that must be proved or
  disproved
• National Treasure movie
• -Thomas Edison tried 2,000 times to make a light
  bulb. 1,900 of those times his hypothesis was
  disproved. It is perfectly OKAY for your
  hypothesis to be disproved!! You learned
  something!!!!!
• 3. Procedure- step by step instructions of what
  you did (someone else should be able to re-do
  your exact experiment by reading your
  instructions)
• 4. Materials List- list all the materials used in
  your experiment(IF your materials are small
  enough to fit in front of your project board, you
  can put them with your project board at the
  science fair- BUT you still have to have a
  materials list.
• 5. Results- your data collected from your
  experiment (graphs, charts (can be as simple as a
  yes/no chart), pictures, drawings, etc.)
• 6. Conclusion- a STATEMENT that proves or
  disproves the hypothesis. Remember, it is okay
  for your hypothesis to be proved wrong!