Transcript Introduction

Developing a
Research
Question
Your assignment will be to develop a
topic to establish hypotheses and a
question about Mars.
You will…
Develop the big picture
question.
Your assignment will be to develop a
topic to establish hypotheses and a
question about Mars.
You will…
Create a hypothesis about
the geology of Mars.
Your assignment will be to develop a
topic to establish hypotheses and a
question about Mars.
You will…
Create a research question
about Martian geology.
All science begins with a problem and a
hypothesis.
A good scientist is curious.
Your goals:
Follow your curiosity about
Mars.
Evaluate your questions.
Have a specific question for your research.
Recognize that scientists contribute to a greater
understanding of Mars through detailed
research.
Questions and the Hypothesis
Big picture questions are the questions a
scientist asks while making observations.
“What is that?” “How did it form?” “Why
does it appear this way?” “Why is this
different from other examples?”
Hypotheses often result from big picture
questions. These are potential answers or
explanations for the observation.
Questions and the Hypothesis
Research questions are the best
explanations to the big picture questions.
Research questions are specific to the data
that will be collected. Sometimes the
hypothesis and research question are
considered to be the same.
Example – Formation of Valles Marineris
Hypothesis
Big Picture Question
How was Valles Marineris formed on Mars?
Example – Formation of Valles Marineris
Hypothesis
Hypothesis #1
If Valles Marineris was formed by water similar to the
Grand Canyon, then water features will be evident inside
of the canyon.
Research Question #1
Are water features, such as braided channels feeding the
valley, and streamlined islands and oxbows found in the
bottom of Valles Marineris?
Example – Formation of Valles Marineris
Hypothesis
Hypothesis #2
If Valles Marineris was formed by tectonic plates and is
a giant rift valley, then there will be evidence for other
plate tectonic features on the planet.
Research Question #2
Can other tectonic features, such as trenches, island arcs,
stratovolcanoes, and fault lines be found on the surface
of Mars?
Example – Formation of Valles Marineris
Hypothesis
Hypothesis #3
If Valles Marineris was formed as a stress fracture from the rising
magma pressure below the Tharsis bulge, then there will be other
large valles features also pointing away from the Tharsis region.
Research Question #3
Do all of the major valles features found around the
Tharsis region point away from the center of the bulge
(radially)?