What is science?

Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Scientists use skills such as observing, inferring, predicting, classifying, evaluating and making models to study the world. Observing – using one or more of your senses to gather information. Quantitative observation – deals with numbers or amounts. Qualitative observation – deals with descriptions that cannot be expressed in numbers.

 Inferring – explain or interpret the things you observe, based on reasoning from what you already know. Can be based on assumptions you make about your observation; not the same as “guessing”  Predicting – making a statement or a claim about what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence.

 You woke up this morning and heard water drops hitting the window, you can infer that it is raining. What other inferences might you make using this same observation? Observation: Inference 1: Inference 2:  On a family trip, you observe a car by the side of the road. There is a jack under the car, and one tire has been removed. What is one inference that you could make from this observation?  Inference:

OUTPUT – Write a short scenario or draw a picture of a scenario that you may have observed this morning on your way to school or the day before (or make a short scenario up) 1. Observation: 2. Qualitative Observation: 3. Quantitative Observation: 4. Inference:

Classifying – grouping together of items that are alike in same way. Evaluating – involves comparing observations and data to reach a conclusion about them. Making models – involves creating/representations of complex objects or processes. Some models can be touched, others can be equations. They help you study things.