Transcript Thinking & Working Like A Scientist-6th Grade What is Science?  Science is the investigation and exploration of natural events and of the.

Thinking & Working Like A
Scientist-6th Grade
What is Science?
 Science is the investigation and exploration of natural
events and of the new information that results from
those investigations.
 People use science in their everyday lives and careers
for many different things.

Ex:
fire fighters’ clothing has been developed and tested to withstand
extreme temperatures and not catch fire.
 Athletic performance gear

Science involves creativity, not just in
designing experiments, but also in
creating explanations that fit evidence
Dinosaur Extinction
Hypotheses:
Asteroid?
Volcanism?
Climate Change?
Scientific Inquiry
 When scientists conduct scientific
investigations, they use scientific
inquiry.
 Scientific inquiry- a process that
uses a set of skills to answer questions
or to test ideas about the natural world.
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Scientists begin scientific inquiry with making
observations and inferences

Evidence gained from observation is called
empirical evidence.
Observation vs. Inference
Observation
 The act of using one or more
of your senses to gather
information and taking note
of what occurs.

 A logical explanation of an
observation that is drawn
from prior knowledge or
experience
Qualitative: Things you use your
5 senses to observe. What you see,
feel, smell, taste, hear. Not
expressed as a number and open to
interpretation.

Inference
Quantitative: Measureable
observations. Length, width,
height, mass, temperature,
etc.(Expressed as a number)
 Example: Students who study
for tests earn better scores!
What is an example of a
quantitative observation?
A. MY SHOE IS SIZE 8
B. MY SHOE IS WHITE
C. MY SHOE IS DIRTY
D. MY SHOE IS STINKY
Question or Problem
 What are you trying to find out?
 Also called the Purpose
 Stated in the form of a question.
Hypothesis
 Hypothesis-a possible explanation
for an observation that can be tested
by scientific investigations

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It is based on research and previous
knowledge
Often used to make a prediction which is
a statement of what will happen next in a
sequence of events.

“If______ Then “ statement.
 Ex: If the there is an increase of rainfall,
then rate of erosion will increase.
Testing a Hypothesis
 Scientists test a hypothesis by doing one or more of
these steps:
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Designing a controlled experiment
Make a model
Gather and evaluate evidence or research
Collecting Data/Record Observations
Designing a Controlled Experiment
 To design a controlled experiment, scientists identify
factors that might affect the outcome of the
experiment.
 Any factor that has more than one value is called a
variable.
Types of Variables
 Independent variable: The thing you are testing.
The one and only variable you allow to change.
 Dependent Variable: What you measure to
compare the results of your test. Should be able to be
charted or graphed.
 Constant: The variables that you don’t allow to
change. What stays the same in each test.
 Control: Used for comparison
Which of these answers best
describes a dependent variable?
A. THE THINGS THAT STAY THE SAME FROM
TEST A TO TEST B TO TEST C.
B. THE VARIABLE THAT IS CHANGES FROM
TEST A TO TEST B TO TEST C.
C. THE THING THAT NEVER CHANGES
D. THE THING THAT YOU MEASURE
Writing Response
Mr. Krabbs wants to make Bikini Bottoms a nicer place to live. He has created
a new sauce that he thinks will reduce the production of body gas associated
with eating crabby patties from the Krusty Krab. He recruits 100 customers
with a history of gas problems. He has 50 of them (Group A) eat crabby
patties with the new sauce. The other 50 (Group B) eat crabby patties with
sauce that looks just like new sauce but is really just mixture of mayonnaise
and food coloring. Both groups were told that they were getting the sauce that
would reduce gas production. Two hours after eating the crabby patties, 30
customers in group A reported having fewer gas problems and 8 customers in
group B reported having fewer gas problems.
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Which people are in the control group?
What is the independent variable?
What is the dependent variable?
What should Mr. Krabs’ conclusion be?
Why do you think 8 people in group B reported feeling better?
Procedures
 Step by step instructions for how to conduct the testing.
 Should be detailed enough that someone else could follow
them and do exactly what you did.(Replication). If
scientific explanations are replicable, they are
more valid and reliable.
 The experiment should be repeated at least five times
for valid results. (Repetition)
Recording Data
 Very careful record keeping is essential for valid
results.
 Use charts or tables to organize data.
 Records measurements as well as observations and
things you want to remember about what happened.
Analyze the Results
 What are your results? What does the data show?
 Create charts, tables, and graphs to represent all of your
data.
 Perform any calculations that will help you determine
what the results mean. (i.e. averages, percentages, totals)
 What are the possible sources of error? (i.e. inaccurate
measurements, contamination, etc.)
Draw Conclusions
 Scientists draw conclusions based on relationships
among their data; a conclusion is a summary of the
information gained from testing a hypothesis.
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What is the answer to your Question based on your results?

Was your hypothesis supported by your experimental results? Why
or why not?
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If you could do this experiment over again what would you do
differently next time?
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What other experiments could you do to further test this?
Your results are not valid if . . .
 They are based on opinions rather than data.
 You draw conclusions that don’t logically follow the
evidence.
 Your sample size is too small or is biased.
What do I do if my hypothesis is not supported
by my experimental results?
Recheck and Repeat!
Then . . . .
 Check all the
 Start questioning again
calculations and
instruments used to
measure.
 Repeat experiment at
least 5 times.
. . . . Why??
 Revise your hypothesis
and start
experimenting again!
RESULTS OF SCIENCE
 A scientific investigation can result in:
 New technology-practical use of scientific knowledge, especially
for industrial or commercial use.
 New materials, such as those developed
 New explanations as to why or how something occurs
Models
 A Model is a representation
of an object, process, system,
or event that is similar to the
original object or idea.

The scientists better understand
objects/ideas; allow hands-on
contact with matter that is too
small, too large, too far away,
too dangerous, or too expensive
to build

Models can be:
 Physical/visual
 Conceptual
 Mathematical
EXPERIMENT VS. OTHER FORMS OF
SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION
Not all scientific knowledge is derived from experimentation
Experiment – involves identification and control of variables
 Independent variable/test variable/manipulated variable
 Dependent variable/outcome variable/responding variable
 Controlled variables
Simulation – imitating a
real situation or process
Field Study – observe
a natural habitat
without manipulating
variables
Theories and Laws
Is it a Theory?
Which statement(s) do you think BEST apply to scientific theories?
A. Theories include observations
B. Theories are “hunches” scientists have
C. Theories can include personal beliefs or opinions
D. Theories have been tested many times
E. Theories are incomplete, temporary ideas
F. A theory never changes
G. Theories are inferred explanations, strongly supported by
evidence
H. A scientific law has been proven and a theory has not
I. Theories are used to make predictions
J. Laws are more important to science than theories
Adapted from Keeley, Page. Volume 3: Uncovering Student Ideas in Science. 2008.
Is it a Theory?
Which statement(s) do you think BEST apply to scientific theories?
A. Theories include observations
B. Theories are “hunches” scientists have
C. Theories can include personal beliefs or opinions
D. Theories have been tested many times
E. Theories are incomplete, temporary ideas
F. A theory never changes
G. Theories are inferred explanations, strongly supported by
evidence
H. A scientific law has been proven and a theory has not
I. Theories are used to make predictions
J. Laws are more important to science than theories
Scientific Theory = Explanation
 Evidence-based explanation based on observations of events
 Tested and supported with multiple lines of evidence
 Widely accepted and strongly supported by the scientific community
 Can be used to make predictions
 Can be modified if new evidence becomes available
 Examples:
Cell Theory
Plate Tectonics Theory
Atomic Theory
Scientific Law
 Patterns in nature derived from scientific fact
 Describe how the natural world behaves under certain conditions
 Describes an event but it does NOT explain it!
 Scientific Laws vs. Societal laws.
 They both tell us how things should work
 Scientific Laws cannot be intentionally broken
 Laws of society vary from place to place.
 Scientific Laws are the same everywhere.
EXAMPLES OF SCIENTIFIC LAWS
Newton’s Laws of
Motion
Universal Law
of Gravity
Law of Conservation of Energy
Law of Conservation of Mass
What is the difference between a
scientific theory and a scientific
law?
A. SCIENTIFIC THEORIES EXPLAIN WHY SOMETHING
HAPPENS, AND SCIENTIFIC LAWS DESCRIBE WHAT
HAPPENS.
B. SCIENTIFIC THEORIES REQUIRE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
AND SCIENTIFIC LAWS DO NOT.
C. SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ARE BASED ON OBSERVATION,
AND SCIENTIFIC LAWS ARE BASED ON OPINIONS.
D. SCIENTIFIC LAWS ARE FREQUENTLY MODIFIED, BUT
SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ARE RARELY CHANGED AS NEW
INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
Laws describe what
and
Theories describe why
Remember…
Scientific knowledge can change as new
evidence or interpretations arise
It was a widely held belief
that the Earth was the
center of the Universe
until the 1500s
Theories may be modified, but are
rarely discarded