biology what will we cover? scientific method and inquiry ecology cells genetics evolution ...

BiologyBiologyWhat will we cover?What will we cover?Scientific Method and InquiryScientific Method and InquiryEcologyEcologyCellsCellsGeneticsGeneticsEvolutionEvolutionKingdomsKingdomsPlantsPlantsAnimalsAnimalsHuman BodyHuman Body

Let’s begin!Let’s begin!

The Nature of Science (NOS)The Nature of Science (NOS)

Topics CoveredTopics Covered

1. What is Science?1. What is Science?

2. The Scientific Method2. The Scientific Method

What is Science?What is Science?

Definition: Definition: – a system of knowledge concerned with a system of knowledge concerned with

understanding the physical world. understanding the physical world.

Science comes from the Latin “to know”.Science comes from the Latin “to know”.

Science must be:Science must be:

1. Testable1. Testable

2. Falsifiable2. Falsifiable

3. Repeatable3. Repeatable

ScienceScience must not be: must not be:

influenced by culture, politics, religion, influenced by culture, politics, religion, gender, etcgender, etc

Purpose of SciencePurpose of Science

is to know our physical existence is to know our physical existence only. only.

Scientific MethodScientific Method1. 1. ObservationObservation

2. Ask a Question2. Ask a Question 2. Do Background Research2. Do Background Research

3. Construct a 3. Construct a HypothesisHypothesis 4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an 4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an

ExperimentExperiment (controlled, independent, dependent variables)(controlled, independent, dependent variables)

5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a 5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a ConclusionConclusion (support or refute your hypothesis???)(support or refute your hypothesis???)

6. Communicate Your Results6. Communicate Your Results

Ask a QuestionAsk a Question

How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where? or Where?

Answer must be measurable!Answer must be measurable!

Do Background ResearchDo Background Research

What’s been done?What’s been done?

Use resources: Use resources: – a. librarya. library– B. internetB. internet

Construct a HypothesisConstruct a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work:about how things work:"If _____"If _____[I do this][I do this] _____, then _____ _____, then _____[this][this]_____ will happen.“_____ will happen.“

Hypothesis Hypothesis

easily measureeasily measure should be constructed in a way to help you should be constructed in a way to help you

answer your original question.answer your original question.

Test Your Hypothesis by Doing Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an an ExperimentExperiment

Experiments test:Experiments test: whether or not your hypothesis is supported whether or not your hypothesis is supported

or not supported. or not supported.

Make sure you conduct an experiment Make sure you conduct an experiment changing only 1 variable at a time.changing only 1 variable at a time.

Repeat your experiments several timesRepeat your experiments several times

Analyze Your Data and Draw Analyze Your Data and Draw a a ConclusionConclusion

Communicate Your ResultsCommunicate Your Results

Science fair (students)Science fair (students)

Scientific Meeting (scientists)Scientific Meeting (scientists)

Publish articles in journalsPublish articles in journals

Example using the Example using the Scientific MethodScientific Method

Step One: Problem or unknown.Step One: Problem or unknown. A gardener buys two fertilizers A gardener buys two fertilizers

for his tomato plants (Fertilizer for his tomato plants (Fertilizer A and Fertilizer B). This A and Fertilizer B). This gardener wants to know which gardener wants to know which fertilizer will make his tomato fertilizer will make his tomato plants produce more fruit.plants produce more fruit.


Step Two: Researching what is Step Two: Researching what is known about the problem.known about the problem. The gardener reads the labels of The gardener reads the labels of

each fertilizer and tries to find any each fertilizer and tries to find any information he can on the internet information he can on the internet about these two brands of fertilizer.about these two brands of fertilizer.


Step Three: Proposing a possible Step Three: Proposing a possible answer, or a hypothesis.answer, or a hypothesis. The gardener decides that fertilizer The gardener decides that fertilizer

A will probably work better based on A will probably work better based on the research he has done on the two the research he has done on the two products.products.


Step Four: Conducting an experiment for a Step Four: Conducting an experiment for a possible solution to the problem. possible solution to the problem.

The gardener uses fertilizer A on five of his tomato The gardener uses fertilizer A on five of his tomato plants.plants.

Fertilizer B on the other five tomato plants he has Fertilizer B on the other five tomato plants he has in the garden.in the garden.

He also grows five plants with no fertilizer at all. He also grows five plants with no fertilizer at all. He treats all of the plants the same: watering, soil, He treats all of the plants the same: watering, soil,

sunlight. The only difference is the fertilizer sunlight. The only difference is the fertilizer between the first two groups.between the first two groups.

Fertilizer is the variable.Fertilizer is the variable. The untreated plants are the control group.The untreated plants are the control group.


Step Five: Collecting and analyzing data from the Step Five: Collecting and analyzing data from the experiment.experiment. After a two week period, the gardener checks the After a two week period, the gardener checks the

amount of fruit on the 15 plants in the study. Because amount of fruit on the 15 plants in the study. Because the gardener is counting the number of fruit on each the gardener is counting the number of fruit on each plant, this is considered quantitative data.plant, this is considered quantitative data.

Quantitative data is information that involves numbers. Quantitative data is information that involves numbers. Data that would not involve numbers, but instead Data that would not involve numbers, but instead

involves such things as a description, is called involves such things as a description, is called qualitative data. qualitative data.

The results show that the five plants grown with The results show that the five plants grown with fertilizer B have almost twice as much fruit as the five fertilizer B have almost twice as much fruit as the five plants grown with fertilizer A. The five plants grown plants grown with fertilizer A. The five plants grown without any fertilizer have the least amount of fruit. without any fertilizer have the least amount of fruit.


Step Six: Drawing conclusions based on Step Six: Drawing conclusions based on the data collected and analyzed.the data collected and analyzed.

The gardener saw that his initial The gardener saw that his initial hypothesis that fertilizer A would work hypothesis that fertilizer A would work better to produce more fruit than better to produce more fruit than fertilizer B was not supported. Even fertilizer B was not supported. Even though his hypothesis was refuted, the though his hypothesis was refuted, the gardener learned a valuable gardener learned a valuable information that he can now apply to information that he can now apply to the success of his garden.the success of his garden.


Step Seven: Making sure the Step Seven: Making sure the experiment and results are experiment and results are repeatable.repeatable.

The gardener tested these two The gardener tested these two fertilizers on five plants each fertilizers on five plants each within the garden, and all within the garden, and all showed that fertilizer B showed that fertilizer B produced more fruit than produced more fruit than fertilizer A.fertilizer A.


Step Eight: Sharing the results with Step Eight: Sharing the results with others.others.

The gardener showed all his The gardener showed all his friends that grew tomatoes, friends that grew tomatoes, the wonderful results he had the wonderful results he had obtained in his garden with obtained in his garden with the use of fertilizer B.the use of fertilizer B.

Scientific Method Scientific Method ActivityActivity Using what you have learned Using what you have learned

about the scientific method, write about the scientific method, write out a step-by-step scientific out a step-by-step scientific method solution to each of these method solution to each of these problems. Be sure that each step problems. Be sure that each step in your solution is connected to in your solution is connected to the previous step in the scientific the previous step in the scientific method.method.

Questions for ActivityQuestions for Activity

1.1. Do colorful male birds more Do colorful male birds more successfully attract female birds successfully attract female birds for mating than less colorful male for mating than less colorful male birds?birds?

2.2. Do carpenter ants prefer to make Do carpenter ants prefer to make their nests in oak or pinewood?their nests in oak or pinewood?

3.3. Do rose bushes grow better in Do rose bushes grow better in acidic soil or alkaline soil?acidic soil or alkaline soil?

biology what will we cover? scientific method and inquiry ecology cells genetics evolution ...

Documents