Planet Earth - Madeira High School
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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