Transcript Problem Solving - Louisiana Association of FFA

Introduction to Agriculture
Problem Solving
Steps in
Problem Solving
Scientific Method
May 2007
Animal Science Revision Committee
What is agriculture?
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Farming
Cows and hogs
Technology
The study of animals
Growing plants
Others??
How has your life and your
family’s life changed as a
result of agriculture?
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Many choices of high quality foods to eat
Clothing made out of many different fibers
produced from agricultural products
A source of fuels to replace gasoline
Others??
What is science?
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Study of life
Study of the earth
Experimenting
A way to make things better
Technology
Science and Agriculture
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What are some Similarities between science
and agriculture?
Seven Steps In the Scientific
Method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Identify the problem
Formulate the hypothesis
Design and conduct experiments
Collect Data
Analyze the data
Draw conclusions
Make recommendations
What is the importance of
the scientific method?
 Logical
problem-solving approach
to answer questions
 Provide clues or remedies to make
logical changes
 Repeat or replicate another
scientist's experiment
Need for problem
solving skills
 Why
is having problem solving
skills important?
– Lots
of problems develop or
decisions have to be made, in
any agriscience endeavor.
– Solving problems in a logical way
helps to alleviate stressful
feelings.
What types of problems
arise in Agriscience?
 Growing conditions of animals
– Fish kill in aquaculture lab
– Best feed, amount for animals
– Rabbits won’t breed
 Growing conditions of plants
– Plants wilt and die
– Greenhouses too hot
– Soil doesn’t hold enough fertilizer
– Poinsettias weren’t turning red
4 Easy Steps to
Problem Solving
1. UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
 Can you state the problem in your own
words?
 What are you trying to find or do?
 What are the unknowns?
 What information do you obtain from the
problem?
 What information is missing or not
needed?
Steps in Problem Solving,
cont.
2. DEVISING A PLAN
 Look
for a pattern.
 Examine related problems, and
determine if the same technique can
be applied.
 Make a diagram.
 Use guess and check.
 Work backward.
Steps in Problem Solving,
cont.
3. CARRYING OUT THE PLAN
Implement the strategy or strategies in step
2, and perform any necessary actions or
computations.
 Check each step of the plan as you
proceed. This may be intuitive checking or
a formal proof of each step.
 Keep an accurate record of your work.
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Steps in Problem Solving,
cont.
4. LOOKING BACK
 Check the results in the original problem.
 Interpret the solution in terms of the original
problem. Does your answer make sense? Is it
reasonable?
 Determine whether there is another method of
finding the solution.
 If possible, determine other related or more
general problems for which the techniques will
work
Activity:
Problems, Problems
 Think
of a problem you had to solve
today or yesterday. How did you solve
it?
 Write the 4 steps you used in solving
your problem.
Activity 2: Hand in, work
individually
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What steps would you follow in solving
the following problems?
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1. Tomato plants in garden are droopy.
2. Lettuce leaves have holes in them.
3. Calf is standing away from the herd, head
down, and bleating “mooing”.
Solving Research Problems
through the Scientific Method
1. Ask a question.
What is the purpose of the experiment?
– What do you want to learn?
– Ex: What will a spider plant do without
water for 2 weeks?
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2. Research information
Has anything been written about the
problem?
– Ex: Some plants can hold water
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The Scientific Method,
cont.
3. Develop a hypothesis
– Educated
guess predicting the
results of the study
– Always a statement.
– Ex: A spider plant will hold water
for 2 weeks without wilting.
The Scientific Method,
cont.
4. Perform the experiment.
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Design a test to prove or disprove the
hypothesis.
Include a “control” that in unaffected by the
experiment
Procedures – steps in the experiment
Ex – Water 1 plant normally, every 4-5
days (control). Refrain from watering 1
plant for 2 weeks. Observe condition of
plant daily.
The Scientific Method,
cont.
5. Analyze the results.
– Record
what happened
during experiment
– Use charts, graphs, etc.
6. Conclusion
– Was
your hypothesis correct?
The Scientific Method,
cont.
 Do
Experiment: Shiny as a
New Penny
Assignment
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Read and answer questions to “The
Circumstances” handout.