1. Ch. 1 Section 2 Scientific Inquiry
Key Concepts
Hypothesis
What is scientific inquiry?
Variable
Manipulated variable
What makes a hypothesis testable?
Responding variable
Operational definition
What attitudes are important in science?
Data
Communicating
Key Terms (write in your ISN with enough room to define):
Scientific inquiry

2. The “Scientific Process”
How should we define “scientific inquiry”?
Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence they gather.
What are the steps to “scientific inquiry”?
Posing Questions
Developing a hypothesis
Designing an experiment
Collecting and interpreting data
Drawing conclusions
Communicating

3. How to learn this section:
This section tells you how scientists use the scientific method (called scientific inquiry in your textbook).
We’re going to practice designing experiments so you can see the process at work. As you learn the experiment process, I hope that memorizing the steps will be easier for you because you will understand them 1st hand.
If you don’t understand a part of the process, ask 

4. The scientific process starts with observations or posing questions
The scientific process starts with observations or posing questions! Both will be considered correct on the exam.

5. The steps… explained! Posing Questions
Begin with a problem or question about an observation
Developing a hypothesis
Hypothesis: a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a specific scientific question.
Must be testable. What makes a hypothesis testable?

6. The Steps… continued… Designing an experiment
Variables – factors that can change in an experiment
Controlled experiment – an experiment in which only one variable is changed at a time
Collecting and interpreting data
Data – facts, figures, and other evidence obtained through observations
Drawing conclusions
Communicating - sharing ideas and experimental findings with others

7. Variables and Operational Definition
Manipulated variable
Also called “independent variable”
The one variable that is purposefully changed to test a hypothesis
Responding variable
Also called “dependent variable”
The factor that may change in response to the manipulated variable
Operational definition (this will not be on the test)
A statement that describes how to measure a variable or define a term.

8. Let’s put figure 9 on page 17 in our ISNs
Why is “pose questions” at the center?
Scientists possess certain important attitudes, or habits of mind, including curiosity, honesty, open-mindedness, skepticism, and creativity.
What DOES make a hypothesis testable? Let’s design some experiments and find out --

9. Skills Activity page 16
Design an experiment to determine whether birds eat a larger number of sunflower seeds or millet seeds.
What is your manipulated variable (what are you changing)?
Type of seed
What is your responding variable (what is being affected)?
Number of seeds eaten
What other variables would you need to control?
Species of bird, number of birds, way in which the seeds are provided, type of container, time period birds have access to the seeds

10. Okay, so, like, basically…
If you want to design an experiment:
Make sure you know what you want to test.
In this case, it was what type of seed was more desirable.
So, you would test the type of seed (manipulated) against how many were eaten (responding). That will tell you… tada… which seed was more desirable.
What might a resulting data graph look like??

11. A possible data chart for the experiment

12. Developing Hypotheses
Propose a hypothesis that could explain the observation that crickets seem to be noisier on some nights than others.
1. Perhaps the cricket chirps more when the temp is higher
Must be testable – is this testable?
What is our manipulated variable?
Air temperature
What is our responding variable?
Cricket chirps
Why is this considered a controlled experiment? How do we set it up?
How can we make sure it is “controlled”?
Only one variable is being tested at a time: air temperature. We must control the number of crickets, food, etc.

13. Design an experiment with a partner in your ISN
Choose one of the following:
Write a hypothesis
What boils faster – water, water with salt, water with sugar?
Does temperature affect the life of a battery?
What is the effect of music type on plant growth?
What color water evaporates the fastest?
What holds boards together better, a nail, a bolt, or a screw?
Design your experiment
What variables will you need to control?
What is your manipulated variable? What is your responding variable?
Predict your outcome
What do you expect to happen?

14. Do you have questions? Ask me!
Remember: when it comes to experiments, simplify.
Make your hypothesis simple.
Make your variables simple.
Make your data collection simple.
You want your results to be clear. If you have a lot of extraneous (not needed) information, it will be harder to read your results and know what really happened in your experiment.
This does not need to be finished today, but get as much done as you can in your ISN. We may come back to it.

15. What you need to know from this section:
The steps!
The key terms!
How to design an experiment!
How to develop a hypothesis 

16. Practice questions: What is a hypothesis? What are data?
What is classifying?
Why is honesty important for scientists?
Why is it important to control all variables except for one (in an experiment)?
What is a testable hypothesis?
What are graphs used for?
Review! Practice with friends! Be able to speak about these things easily and clearly! You will be tested on chapter 1 sections 1 and 2 only. We will talk more about this tomorrow.