1. The Scientific Process Section 1-3 Room 7 - Ross
Life Science
The Scientific Process
Section 1-3
Room 7 - Ross

2. Think Like a Life Scientist
Scientists are curious about the natural world.
Scientists use a systematic approach to solve problems.

3. The Scientific Method Six easy steps!
A creative process --- OK to skip or repeat steps as necessary
Know the steps!

4. Step One: Ask a Question
Observations bring about questions.
In other words, state the problem that needs to be solved.

5. Step Two: Form a Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a possible explanation or answer to the question.
This is your “best guess” based on personal observations, extensive reading, or research.
It must be testable by experimentation.

6. Step Three: Test the Hypothesis
Design an experiment to test the hypothesis.
The best experiment is a controlled experiment

7. Controlled Experiment
Two groups
Control group = group where all conditions are kept the same; used as a basis of comparison
Variable group = experimental group or test group where everything is the same except for one condition that is being tested
Who will win?

8. What is the VARIABLE? Control Experimental

9. Step Four: Analyze the Results
Organize the data.
Use a graph, chart, table, look for trends
Study the data gathered.

10. Step Five: Draw Conclusions
Decide whether or not your hypothesis was correct.
If your hypothesis was wrong, you must come up with a new hypothesis!

11. Step Six: Communicate Results
Share your results with other scientists!
Report in newspapers, science journals, television, public forums, etc.

12. Deformed Frogs!
Minnesota made headlines around the world in 1995 when schoolchildren discovered dozens of grossly deformed frogs in a pond in south central Minnesota.

13. Soon, there were more reports of deformed frogs from around Minnesota and other places — gruesome photographs of frogs with extra legs, or missing legs, or eyes in the wrong place.
People wondered if the frogs were a sign that something in the environment was wrong, which could also spell trouble for humans.
Scientific Inquiry!!

14. Years later, scientists still have not completely solved the mystery of what caused frogs to develop those deformities.
Possible explanations. The pond was manmade: had the digging exposed some toxin in the soil? Were pesticides running off from the farm fields above? Was it damage from the sun? Parasites?

15. Danger to humans?
Scientists regard frogs as a "sentinel species" — they are the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
Their skin absorbs what surrounds them, and they move from pond to grass and woods to deeper water and back.
When they have problems, it can be a signal that other animals, including humans, may face the same problems eventually.

16. Pictures of these frogs
One eye

17. Missing back right leg

19. Know the Six Steps of the Scientific Method!
Ask a question, Hypothesize, Test, Analyze results, Draw conclusions, and Communicate results.
“Ann Has Twenty Angry Dogs and Cats.”

20. Your Turn . . .
Can you come up with your own sentence to help you remember the 6 EASY steps of the Scientific Method?
Prepare to share!
HW: Write your silly sentence on paper, illustrate, color! Be sure to include what each letter REALLY means . . .(due Friday)

21. Ann has twenty angry dogs and cats.
Example
Name
Date
Period
Ann has twenty angry dogs and cats.
A = Ask a question
H = Hypothesize
T = Test the hypothesis
A = Analyze
D = Draw conclusions
C = Communicate
Color!