Transcript Planet Earth - Madeira High School

Introduction to Science
Chapter 1 Class Notes
State Indicators
 Draw
logical conclusions based on scientific
knowledge and evidence from investigations
 Recognize
that science is a systematic method of
continuing investigation, based on observation,
hypothesis testing, measurement,
experimentation, and theory building, which leads
to more adequate explanations of natural
phenomena
State Indicators
Distinguish
between observations and
inferences given a scientific situation
Present
scientific findings using clear
language, accurate data, appropriate
graphs, tables, maps and available
technology
Nature of Science
Branches
of science
Biological
science - study of living things
Biology/Zoology/Ecology/Botany/etc
Physical
energy
science - study of matter and
Chemistry/Physics/etc
Earth
science - study of our planet
Geology/Meteorology/etc
Laws & Theories
Scientific
Law - summary of many
experimental results and observations
Scientific
Theory - explanation for
some phenomenon based on
observations, experiments, and
reasoning
Laws and Theories
Laws
tell HOW things work but not
WHY things work
Theories are always being questioned
Must
meet three criteria
Explain
observations clearly/consistently
Must be repeatable
Used to make predictions
Scientific Method
 Process
used by scientists to solve problems
and/or find answers to questions.
 There are several versions to the scientific
method. Some of more steps while others have
less.
 All versions do the same thing - Provide a logical
and organized method to conduct an experiment.
Steps of Scientific Method
Identify
What
the Problem/Question
do you want to know or explain
What are you trying to figure out
Steps of Scientific Method
Make
Data
some Observations/Collect
What
is already known about your
question
Includes research done by others
Steps of Scientific Method
Form
a Hypothesis
Hypothesis
is another way of saying
“educated guess”
Hypothesis is derived from your
observations, research, etc
Steps of Scientific Method
Design
How
an Experiment
will you test your hypothesis
Procedure for a reliable experiment
Steps of Scientific Method
Conduct
Follow
the Experiment
steps in your procedure
Record data and observations
Steps of Scientific Method
Analyze
Use
the Results
Data Tables, Graphs, and Equations
Does your data support your hypothesis
Yes
- Move to next step
No - Redesign your experiment or form a
new hypothesis and start again
Steps of Scientific Method
Summarize
Write
your Results
a conclusion that summarizes the
important parts of the experiment
Share your results with others - Publish
Scientific Method
Identify
the Problem/Question
Make some Observations/Collect Data
Form a Hypothesis
Design an Experiment
Conduct the Experiment
Analyze the Results
Summarize your Results
Observation vs. Inference
What is the difference?
Observation
When studying something describe only
facts that you can see, touch, smell,
taste, and hear (use your senses). You
are not making any guesses.
THIS IS NOT AN
OPINION
Ohh… This
liquid is green
and it is leaking
from a brown
can. It also
smells funny.
Inference
Using your observations to make a
guess about an object or an
outcome
THIS CAN BE A
SCIENTIFIC OPINION
Based on my
observations, I
think that this
can is old and is
leaking a toxic
substance.
Organizing Data
Data
is normally organized using
graphs - Common types are:
Bar
graph
Pie chart
Line graph
There are others
Bar Graph
A
bar graph is used to
Compare
similar data types for several
individual items or events
Examples:
Melting
points of various metals
Birth rate by month
Bar Graphs
Pie Chart
A
pie chart is
Ideal
for displaying data that are parts
of a whole
Examples:
Composition
of Atmosphere
Grade distribution for class
Pie Chart
Line graph
A
line graph is
Best
used for data that undergoes
continuous change
Examples:
Air
temperature throughout day
Size of tree vs age of tree
Line Graph
Line Graphs
Independent
Value
Variable
that is selected by the person running
the experiment (x-axis)
Dependent
Value
Variable
that changes based on the results of the
experiment (y-axis)
Control
Variable
Variable
graph)
held constant by experiment (not on