1. The Scientific Method

2. What is it?  A procedure (or step by step guide) for developing and/or completing scientific investigations.

3. Steps of the Scientific Method 1. Purpose 2. Research 3. Hypothesis 4. Procedure 5. Analysis 6. Conclusion

4. The Purpose…  is what you want to learn from the investigation.  should be specific.  MUST be testable!!! EXAMPLES:  Does the shape of a body of water affect the rate of evaporation?  Does temperature affect how many blooms a plant will produce?

5. Research This step identifies what is already known about the topic being investigated (evaporation rates, plant growth).  Should use multiple sources!  Goal is to find information that will help you predict the results of the investigation.

6. Hypothesis What do you THINK will happen????  use the research you did to develop a prediction…it should answer the question (Purpose)

7. Procedure (yes, there’s a procedure within this procedure!!!) This step gives step by step directions for how to test the hypothesis and how to record the results. It should include: 1. Materials (be specific) 2. A detailed “how to” for setting up and completing the experiment with specific instructions for the experimental and control groups 3. Identification of ALL Variables- Independent AND Dependent 4. Data- the results you measured during your investigation (recorded in a table)

8. Analysis During this step, you determine what they results mean. You MUST: 1. SHOW the data- using 1 or more graphs (be sure to select the appropriate type) 2. Explain the data in a short paragraph detailing the specific measurements you recorded

9. Conclusion In this step you evaluate whether the results support your original hypothesis. This should be a paragraph that summarizes the experiment and explains in detail whether your prediction was supported by the experiment and “why?/why not?”.