1. The Scientific Method: Focus questions
1 – What is Biology and what sciences make up
biology?
2. What makes an experiment scientifically valid?
How do scientists determine if an organism is
living?

2. Steps in the Scientific Method
Observing
Asking a Question
Researching
Hypothesizing
Experimenting
Data and Analysis
Conclusion

3. Observevation vs Inference
1. Observation
a. Use one or more of your five senses.
b. Observations can include quantitative data.
Inference: A conclusion made on the basis of facts or premises
rather than direct observations:
a. To determine something without using your senses. You are determining data based on what you know.
EX: You smell smoke so you determined that someone is
burning something. (you do not actually see anything
burning)
You see animal tracks that are different so you
determined that two different animals made them.
(you did not actually see 2 different animals)
The understanding of the world are is based on observation. It is the observation of something that is unusual that raises questions in the first place. For example you may be observing an animals behavior in the wild or may be observing something under a microscope (a new type of disease). These observations will raise questions that can be answered through experimentation.
2. Some observations can include measuring numbers. For example, if a scientist was to examine a type of disease, the scientist would first start to count the number of people that have symptoms, number of days it took for them to get the symptoms (incubation period), and how long before the person died.

4. Question After making a observations, scientists form a question.
EX: What is the disease-causing
agent?
EX: How is the disease transmitted?

5. Research Scientist research information regarding the topic.
- use science magazines, internet, study results and experiments done on this topic before, periodicals, books.

6. Hypothesis
This is a statement that explains their observations and research and can be tested.
It is testable if evidence can be collected that either supports or disproves it.
Can be shown to be wrong but can never be proven to be true; it can only have evidence that supports it.
Prediction: this usually follows the hypothesis and makes it testable: EX: If the virus were the true disease-causing agent, then introducing the virus into healthy tissue would cause cell death like that found in the victims of the disease.

7. Experimentation
Controlled Experiment: Test the effects of 1 factor at a time. It is based on the comparison of a control group to an experimental group.
Control Group: group occurs in normal conditions, group not being tested.
Experimental group: group in which the conditions have been changed.
Independent Variable: the variable or factor you change
Dependant Variable: the variable that response to the change.

8. Example
In the case of the virus, here is how the experiment was set up. Using monkeys, cells were taken from their kidneys and placed into test tubes. The cells were divided into 2 groups (control and experimental). Drops of blood taken from a person who has the virus were added to the test tube of the experimental group. NO blood was added to the control group. What is the independent variable and what is the dependant variable? Independent: Virus added Dependant: response of the cells.

9. Collecting Data and Analysis
Collect and Organize: collect any qualitative or quantitative data. Organize the data into tables and graphs.
Analyze data: determine if the data is reliable.
statistics, comparison to other studies, determine possible errors.

10. Conclusion
Model: Make a representation of an object, process, or system that shows relationships among data.
1. This is essentially an explanation supported by data.
EX: showing the case history of the virus
Theory
1. A broad and comprehensive statement of what is thought to be true. It is supported by considerable evidence and may tie together many different hypotheses.
In some way, you are stating if the data supports or refutes you hypothesis. You must support this with data and facts.