1. SCSh7. Students analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.
Scientific Methods
SCSh1. Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.
SCSh7. Students analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

2. What is science? Goals of Science
Investigate & explain nature
Explain events in nature
Make predictions
Use technology to improve condition of human life.

3. Evidence Is Based on Observation
Observation involves using senses to gather information.
The information is called data.

4. Evidence Is Based on Observation
Types of Observations :
Quantitative: involving numbers (like counting or measuring objects)
Qualitative: involve characteristics that cannot be easily measured or counted (like color)
Important to be objective and avoid bias when making observations.

5. Interpreting Evidence
Observations are followed by inferences.
An inference is a logical interpretation of data.
based on prior knowledge and experience

6. Explaining the Evidence
A hypothesis is a possible explanation
useful only if it can be tested
results may support, partly support or disprove the hypothesis
only valuable if it helps to advance scientific knowledge

8. Scientific Method state the problem form a hypothesis
“If, then” statement
 perform a controlled experiment.
Gives information about hypothesis
Factors that change are  variables
Test one variable at a time

9. Scientific Method independent variable is deliberately changed
dependent variable changes in response to independent variable
constants are conditions that do not change for either group

10. Scientific Method
4. Results are Recorded and Analyzed 5. Draw a conclusion

12. Scientific Method
A hypothesis that is supported by experimental observations may become part of a theory
tested many times and proven to be reliable

13. Scientific Method
Scientific laws must be simple, true, universal, and absolute
law of gravity,
Newton's laws of motion
Mendel's Laws regarding inheritance

15. Read the information below and then answer the questions.
SpongeBob and Patrick love to go jellyfishing. They wondered if a new brand of jellyfish bait would help them catch more jellyfish. To test their idea, they bought a big container of bait for their next 3 trips to their top-secret fishing spot. SpongeBob fished without any bait, while Patrick used the new bait. Both of them kept track of how many jellyfish they caught in 30 minutes, which is shown in the chart.
SpongeBob
Patrick 25 24 18 28 26 19
Which person was the control?
2. What is the independent variable?
3. What is the dependent variable?
4. Based on the data, how would you rate the new bait?

16. Read the information below and then answer the questions.
SpongeBob and Patrick love to go jellyfishing. They wondered if a new brand of jellyfish bait would help them catch more jellyfish. To test their idea, they bought a big container of bait for their next 3 trips to their top-secret fishing spot. SpongeBob fished without any bait, while Patrick used the new bait. Both of them kept track of how many jellyfish they caught in 30 minutes, which is shown in the chart.
SpongeBob
Patrick 25 24 18 28 26 19
Which person was the control?
SpongeBob
2. What is the independent variable?
Jellyfish Bait
3. What is the dependent variable?
Number of jellyfish caught
4. Based on the data, how would you rate the new bait?
The bait appears to have helped a small amount, but shouldn’t be rated as a great deal. Overall Patrick caught 2 more jellyfish than SpongeBob.

17. Read the information below and then answer the questions.
SpongeBob loves to grow flowers for his pal Sandy, who loves big, colorful flowers. He found a new brand of seeds coated with a special “booster” fertilizer that said it would produce huge flowers. He planted 5 of the new seeds in one container and 5 of the old brand of seeds in another container. He placed both containers on a sunny windowsill and watered them every day. He measured the diameter of each flower, which is shown in the chart.
Old Seeds
10 cm
12 cm
14 cm
6 cm
8 cm
New Seeds
16 cm
Which group was the control?
2. What is the independent variable?
3. What is the dependent variable?
4. What is the average diameter for each group?
5. Which seeds are the best for big flowers?

18. Read the information below and then answer the questions.
SpongeBob loves to grow flowers for his pal Sandy, who loves big, colorful flowers. He found a new brand of seeds coated with a special “booster” fertilizer that said it would produce huge flowers. He planted 5 of the new seeds in one container and 5 of the old brand of seeds in another container. He placed both containers on a sunny windowsill and watered them every day. He measured the diameter of each flower, which is shown in the chart.
Old Seeds
10 cm
12 cm
14 cm
6 cm
8 cm
New Seeds
16 cm
Which group was the control?
The seeds without the booster fertilizer
2. What is the independent variable?
Booster fertilizer on the new seeds
3. What is the dependent variable?
Size or diameter of the flower
4. What is the average diameter for each group?
Old = 10 cm, New = 12 cm
5. Which seeds are the best for big flowers?
New seeds w/ the booster