Scientific Skills

 The investigation and exploration of natural events and the new information that results.

 Life science (Biology)  The study of all living things  Earth science  The study of Earth, including it’s landforms, rocks, soil, and forces that shape Earth’s surface.  Physical science  The study of chemistry and physics  The interactions of matter and energy.

 As scientists study the natural world, they ask questions about what they observe.  They then use a reliable set of skills and methods to find answers to their questions.  This is known as scientific inquiry – a process that uses a variety of skills and tools to answer questions or to test the ideas about the natural world.

 You are planting a garden. As you plant the seeds, you water them (although not equally), you weed part of the garden and mix fertilizer into some of the soil.  After a few weeks, some of the plants are growing better than others.

 Using one or more of your senses to gather information. Observations are often the beginning of the process of inquiry because they lead to questions – Why are some plants growing better than others?

 Quantitative  Observations dealing with numbers Example: o There is 1 tomato plant in the picture. o The plant has 26 tomatoes on it.

Quantitative Observations Write down 3 Quantitative Observations that you observe within the tree frog picture.

 Qualitative  Observations that cannot be expressed in numbers using your senses. Example: o The girl has a purple shirt on. o The girl has green paint on her left hand.

Qualitative Observations Write down 3 Qualitative Observations that you observe within the tree frog picture.

 Explaining or interpreting things you observe  An inference is a logical explanation of an observation that is drawn from previous knowledge  Explains what may have happened or what might be happening Maybe some plants are getting more sunlight than others and are therefore growing better?

 These two are very similar.  Hypothesis: a possible explanation about an observation that can be tested by scientific investigation.  Prediction: a forecast about what may happen in the future (based on past experiences).

 Hypothesis: some plants are growing taller and more quickly because they are getting more sunlight.  Prediction: If some plants receive more light, then they will grow taller and more quickly.

 Design an experiment to test the hypothesis and the prediction.  Put some of the plants in full sunlight and others in the shade.  If the prediction is confirmed, it supports the hypothesis.  If the prediction is not confirmed, your hypothesis might need to be revised.

 Collect data and organize it so that it can be studied and a conclusion can be drawn.

 A conclusion is a summary of the information gained from testing a hypothesis.  You must decide whether or not your data supports your hypothesis.

 Sharing the results to the scientific community  This is important because scientists use new information in their research or perform other scientists’ investigations to verify results.

Observation? - Quantitative - Qualitative Inferences? Hypothesis/Prediction?

 The Scientific Method involves a series of steps that are used to investigate a natural occurrence.

1. Problem/Question 2. Formulate a Hypothesis 3. List Materials Needed 4. Design Experiment (Procedures) 5. Collect and Analyze Data/Results 6. Conclusion

 Develop a question or problem that can be solved through experimentation. Example: Does soil temperature effect how a plant grows?

A possible answer to the problem or question and why you think it to be true. Example: If soil temperatures rise, then plant growth will increase because warmer soil allows plants to absorb more nutrients.

 List all the materials need to perform experiment. Example: inch marigold plants 2. 5 pots of room temperature soil 3. 5 pots of warmed soil (10ºF warmer then room temperature) 4. 1 oz fertilizer 5. Etc.

 Develop and follow a step by step procedure for completing an experiment.  Ex. 1. Warm the soil of 5 marigold plants using a heat rod to 10ºF warmer then room temperature. 2. Give all 10 plants 1 oz of fertilizer. 3. Water all 10 plants with 1 oz of water each day for 2 weeks. 4. Etc.

 Information taken or gained from experiment.  Maybe expressed using a table or a chart. Ex. PlantsRoom temp. soil Heated soil 1Grew 1 inch Grew 2 inches 2Grew.75 inches Grew 2.5 inches 3+ 1 inch+ 2 inches 4+ 1 inch+ 2 inches 5+.5 inches+ 2 inches Average.85 inches2.1 inches

 Include a statement that accepts or rejects the hypothesis.  Make recommendations for further study and possible improvements to the procedure.