The Scientific Method

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What is it?The Scientific Method is a step by step process for scientific

problem-solving and question-answering.

Why use it?The Scientific Method provides an

easy and organized way to do experiments and test hypotheses.

The Scientific Method is so much fun to use and

makes doing experiments easy!

Watch this video for an introduction to what we will be learning today!

There are six steps to The Scientific Method.

We will learn about each step, one at a time!

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Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Click each button to learn more about the different steps. Make sure you go in order!

Step 1: Ask a Question

A question is a sentence

addressed to a someone in order to get information

in reply.

WHAT IS AQUESTION?

Most (not all) of the questions tested using The Scientific Method begin with

the “Why” or “How.”

Questions that ask…

• How a certain thing works.

• Why a certain thing is the way it is/works the way it does.

…are very common when using The

Scientific Method.

WHAT DO QUESTIONS

START WITH?

Why?How?

NOW, LET’S

SEE WHAT YOU

KNOW!

Which question could be tested?

What color is Sally’s hair?

How many students are in the class?Why is the sky blue?

How many fingers do you have?

A

B

C

D

Help!

Oops! Try Again!

• Think about which two words most questions used in The Scientific

Method begin with

• Consider if you would be able to do an experiment to get an answer for

each of the questions given

Try Again!

The answer is c: “Why is the sky blue?” is correct because it

begins with the word ‘why’ and is something that can be tested by

doing an experiment. You can ‘make your own sky’ and pass

light through it to see what happens.

You know your stuff!

Step 2: Do Background

Research

How to Research…• Do research by looking up

information about the topic of your question online or at the library.

• You could even ask an expert in the area that your question is based in!

Purpose of Research…To find more out

about the topic – you do this to come up with a hypothesis that makes sense!

Now Let’s Try It Out!

Why do you do research before starting a project?

Because the teacher said toTo make you smart

To find out more about your topicTo learn enough that you do not have to do an experiment at all

A

B

C

D

Help!

Oh No! That’s NOT the correct answer!

Keep in mind that you do research to

make a logical/educated

guess (hypothesis). What do you need to

do that?Try Again!

The correct answer is c: “To find out more about your topic.” This is the correct answer because the purpose of the

research is to learn more about your topic so you can make an educated guess (hypothesis) to answer your question

before doing the experiment.

YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR!

Step 3: Construct a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated ‘guess’

or a possible explanation to a question asked.

What is a hypothesis…

Purpose of a hypothesis…To predict the outcome of the

experiment or the answer to the question

What is a hypothesis?

The correct answer to a questionAn educated guess to answer a questionA question starting with ‘why’ or ‘how’The incorrect answer to a question

A

B

C

D

Help!

Oops! Try Again!!

The definition of a hypothesis: “A hypothesis is an educated guess or a possible explanation to a

question asked.”Try

Again!

• The correct answer is b: “An educated guess to answer a question.” This is the correct answer because of the definition of a hypothesis “A hypothesis is an educated guess or possible explanation to a question asked.”

• You do not know if a hypothesis is right or wrong until you do an experiment.

Great Job!!

STEP 4: TEST

HYPOTHESIS BY DOING AN EXPERIMENT

To develop a procedure to test the hypothesis

formed

PURPOSE OF AN EXPERIMENT…

Use your five senses to make observations during the experiment – Sight, Smell, Touch, Hear and Taste

(be sure tasting is safe for your experiment specifically)

MAKE OBSERVATIONS…

Observations can involve any of the five senses. Which of the following is NOT an observation?

The table must be expensiveThe table is made of wood

The table is dirty

The table is hard

A

B

C

D

Not That One!

Help!

• Remember what the five senses are

• Consider which of the answers cannot be determined using the five senses. Try

Again!

The correct answer is a: “The table must be

expensive.” This answer is correct

because you cannot make this observation by using sight, smell, hear, touch or taste!

Excellent!

Step 5: Analyze the Data and

Draw a Conclusion

Purpose of Analyzing the Data…

• Record the results of the experiment in an organized and neat fashion

• Summarize the experiment

Purpose of Drawinga Conclusion…

To get an answer to the question you

asked based on the data you gathered

during the experiment

What is the point of analyzing the data?

To see if your hypothesis is correctTo answer the question

To test the hypothesis

To make the data neat and organized

A

B

C

D

Help!

OOPS! TRY AGAIN!

Try Again!

Remember that analyzing the data is done to summarize

the experiment

The correct answer is d: “To make the data neat and

organized.” This is the correct answer because in order to

summarize the experiment and results, the data must be

compiled in a logical, organized way!

Correct!!

Step 6: Report the ResultsGuess What!?

Purpose of Reportingthe Results…

To show other scientists your findings to help them

learn more/understand better!

What is the purpose of reporting the results?

To show other scientists your answers to help themTo show how smart you are

To see if you were right

To prove your hypothesis right

A

B

C

D

Help!

Not Quite!!

?

Try Again!

“Purpose or reporting the results: To show other

scientists your findings to help them learn more/understand

better!”

Awesome! You’re Right!

You report your results to help other scientists learn so they don’t have to do

the experiment themselves.

Now, let’s put your

knowledge to

the test!

Which of the following represents the ‘hypothesis’ portion of the Scientific Method?

“How many pennies are in the sealed plastic egg?”“Why is the sky blue?”I think the sky is blue because the blue particles scatter differently than the other colorsThere are 7 pennies in the sealed plastic egg.

A

B

C

D

Try Again!

Incorrect!

A hypothesis is a statement that is an educated guess or

possible explanation to a question.

Excellent!!

After identifying the problem, a scientist will develop a hypothesis. A hypothesis is ________?

An observation

A solution

A possible explanation

An experiment

A

B

C

D

Try Again!

Incorrect!!

A hypothesis is just one possible

explanation to a question.

Awesome!

Which statement is NOT true?

An experiment is a failure if the data does not support the hypothesisThe first step to the Scientific Method is to Ask a QuestionAfter performing an experiment you must analyze the data collected

A

B

C

Try Again!

Incorrect!!

Just because the experiment does not go as planned

and the results are different than your hypothesis does not mean the experiment

failed.

That’s correct!!

What do we call a step-by-step procedure for scientific problem-solving?The Scientific Method

Research

Guessing

Observation

A

B

C

D

Try Again!

Incorrect!!

Keep up the good work!!

Why does a scientist perform an experiment?

Because experiments are funTo test a hypothesis

To prove they are correct

Because they are paid to do them

A

B

C

D

Try Again!

Incorrect!!

You do experiments to

test a hypothesis to see what the answer is to a

question.

You are so smart!!

While doing an experiment, a scientist should _________.

Do nothing

Attempt to make the experiment confirm the hypothesisRead as much as possible

Observe carefully and collect data

A

B

C

D

Try Again!

Incorrect!!

Scientists need to carefully

observe and collect data in order to

get an accurate answer to

the question

Excellent!!

In order to analyze the data better, it is a good idea to _______.

Conduct the experiment only onceGet rid of data that does not confirm the hypothesisOrganize the data in charts and graphs

A

B

C

Try Again!

INCORRECT!!

In order to better summarize the data it helps to

have it organized neatly in charts

and graphs

Awesome Job!!

In the box below, create a question you want to do an

experiment on!

You have completed this presentation! You have learned so much about

The Scientific Method

Go Do SomeExperiments!!!

http://www.sweetwater1.org/nes/page.php?pid=645 – boy raising handhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_mark_3d.png – step one question mark silverhttp://www.proginosko.com/2013/01/the-most-important-question/ - step one question mark blue

http://en.hdyo.org/tee - step one question mark red

http://www.planetminecraft.com/server/sky-prison-facility-132-prison-open-d/ - sky

http://www.clker.com/clipart-12202.html - little girlhttp://bestclipartblog.com/29-hand-clip-art.html/hand-clip-art-1 - hand

http://www.languageninjas.com/the-natural-approach-to-learning-a-language/ - classroomhttp://www.chumpysclipart.com/illustration/3826/picture_of_a_confused_businessman - confused manhttp://www.skylightcentre.co.uk/2011/04/healthy/ - thinking smiley face

http://gcuonline.georgian.edu/wootton/effective_graphing.htm - chart

http://www.livebaltimore.com/resources/stats/salesbyneighborhood/ - graph

http://flyingelephantbook.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/changing-protocols-again/ - disappointed facehttp://www.toonvectors.com/clip-art/cartoon-detective-dog/19219 - investigator dog

http://www.creativepro.com/article/heavy-metal-madness-put-a-happy-face - smiley face

http://www.poolscuesspas.com/Watertesting.html - scientist

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1839139/eliminate-buyer-disappointment - thumbs down smiley face

http://www.micromationinc.com/TCO014.htm - man collecting chartshttp://chemistry.wikispaces.com/Perform+Experiment – performing an experiment cartoon

http://everyday-idioms.blogspot.com/2012/12/thumbs-up.html - thumbs up smiley face

http://aimwellwomen.blogspot.com/2011/08/14-applause.html - applauding hands

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-12431541-that-is-incorrect.php - cartoon with ‘x’ boxhttp://toonclips.com/design/11327 - cartoon lady with question markshttp://auroramag.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/thumbs-up-for-2012/ - thumbs uphttp://yaymicro.com/vector/thumbs-up-kid/3121323 - kid with thumbs uphttp://awesomedc.com/2010/06/27/what-a-sad-day-for-the-us/ - cartoon frown face

http://www.stritch.luc.edu/lumen/MedEd/hmps/Hypothesis%20Driven%20History%20Taking.htm - scientist

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/books/page/2/ - books

http://www.bubblews.com/news/240770-a-computer-poem - computerhttp://

www.123rf.com/photo_16356974_vector-question-mark.html - blue question markhttp://www.lorisreflections.com

/god-lessons/why-2/attachment/question-mark-2/ - cartoon sitting on question mark

http://depositphotos.com/4403790/stock-illustration-Library-cartoon-with-child.html - libraryhttp://mnnit.ac.in/rnc/table4.html - cartoon man studyinghttp://sjsdblogs.com/jordansblog/2013/01/14/one-word-365-days-a-year/ - excited girl

http://www.cartoonfaces.net/2009/12/picture-of-sad-cartoon-emoticon-for.html - face looking uphttp://yaymicro.com/vector/thinking-creativity-cartoon-face-emoticon/3107673 - smiley face thinking with pencilhttp://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-11555872-rockstar-boy.php - kid rockstar

http://subabaloo06.blogspot.com/2011/11/baby-star.html - starhttp://desiko.ro/ - construction worker

http://tx.english-ch.com/teacher/yanda/home/predict-the-future/ - wizard

http://www.tubecad.com/2007/07/blog0114.htm - wrong way signhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pe

nny_(United_States_coin) – penny

http://drawsketch.about.com/od/cartooning/ss/cutecartoon.htm - cartoon boyhttp://www.twiniversity.com/2012/50-uses-for-plastic-easter-eggs/ - plastic eggshttp://stpaulscompstall.co.uk/?page_id=200 – group of kidshttp://quite-rightly.blogspot.com/2011/07/congress-let-there-be-edison-light-bulb.html - lightbulbhttp://www.123rf.com/photo_10433177_a-little-black-boy-is-raising-his-hand-to-answer-a-question-in-school--there-is-a-book-and-an-apple-.html - children raising hand

http://protectportelos.org/the-mike-bravo-experiment-thwarting-retaliation/ - scientist doing experiment

http://www.williamsclass.com/MainSitePages/studentresource.htm - equipmenthttp://www.clker.com/clipart-26924.html - notebook and pencilhttp://www.playingiseducational.info/early-childhood-activities/2558-five-senses/ - five senses

http://www.clker.com/clipart-3492.html - table

http://sciencegames.4you4free.com/five_senses.html - lady with five senseshttp://

vector.us/browse/107071/bitterjug_magnifying_glass_clip_art - magnifying glass