1. What Is Science?

2. Science is the study of the natural world that is always
What Is Science?
Science is the study of the
natural world that is always
growing and changing.

3. Scientific Inquiry Skills
Asking Questions
Curiosity drives scientific inquiry by leading people to think about a question or a problem.

4. Making Observations
Observations - using the five senses to find out about nature.
An example of an observation might be noticing that many salamanders near a pond have curved, not straight, tails.

5. Making Observations
Direct Observations - using only the five senses
Indirect Observations - using scientific instruments to aide the five senses.
Qualitative Observations- describes characteristics or qualities
Quantitative Observations – involving numbers

6. Making Inferences
Inference - a conclusion or judgment that is based on an observation or prior knowledge.
Clues from what observed
+ What I already know (knowledge)
= Inference (logical conclusion)
What can you infer by observing this picture of the earth?

7. Developing Hypothesis
Hypothesis - a possible explanation for a set of observations.
In science, a hypothesis must be testable.
If… then… statements work best!
work best!

8. Developing Hypothesis
An example of a hypothesis might be that if a pollutant is in the moist soil where they live, then the salamanders will have curved tails.

9. Designing Controlled Experiments
Experiments are designed to test a hypothesis.
Controlled Experiment - an investigation in which all variables except one remain the same.
Variable - any factor that can change in an experiment.

10. Manipulated (Independent) Variable - the one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment; the cause
Responding (Dependent) Variable - the variable that is expected to change in response; the effect
Controlled Variable – any variable that remains the same; unchanged

11. For example, suppose you want to figure out the fastest route to walk home from school.
You will try several different routes and time how long it takes you to get home by each one.
Since you are only interested in finding a route that is fastest for you, you will do the walking yourself.

12. What are the Variables in Your Experiment?
Varying the route is the manipulated (independent) variable.
The time it takes is the responding (dependent) Variable
Keeping the same walker makes him/her a controlled variable.

13. Collecting Data and Making Measurements
Data - the facts, figures, and other information that are collected during an experiment.
Scientists always use the metric system for measurements.

14. Meaningful Data
Scientists use charts graphs and data tables to analyze data.

15. Meaningful Data Precision & Accuracy
Precision is the exactness >>>>>>
of a measurement.
Accuracy is how close <<< to the true value
a measurement is.

16. A conclusion tells whether or not the data supports the hypothesis.
Stating Conclusions
A conclusion tells whether or not the data supports the hypothesis.

17. Making Scientific Models and Simulations
Another way to test a hypothesis is to use models or simulations.
A model can be a three-dimensional or diagrams.
Computer simulations are very important

18. Developing Scientific Laws and Theories
A scientific law is a statement that describes what scientists know will always happen in nature.
A scientific theory is a well-tested idea that explains the natural world.

19. Communicating Scientific Information
Scientists communicate worldwide by writing articles in scientific journals, speaking at meetings, attending conferences and by using the Internet.

20. Branches of Science
Physical Science - includes the study of nonliving matter. Examples are motion and forces, sound and light, electricity and magnetism.
Earth Science - the study of Earth and the processes that created it.
Life Science - the study of living things including plants, animals and microscopic life forms.

21. Other Scientific Inquiry Skills
Researching Predicting
Classifying Analyzing
Measuring Studying
Communicating Modeling
Defining Recalling