1. Scientific Method
You may take your notes any way that you would like on the Cornell Notes papers, but you MUST take them.

2. What is it? A systematic approach to problem solving
It’s applied to ALL
Scientific investigations!

3. The 8 Steps are: State the Problem Research Form a hypothesis
Design and conduct experiment(s) to test the hypothesis.
Record & Analyze Data/Results
State a conclusion
Reflection – Repeat/Redesign
Report – peer review

4. State the Problem What question do you want to answer? You do not have
to reinvent the
Wheel!

5. Research
Use various resources to inform yourself about the parts of your investigation
You must educate yourself about your investigation so you can make an “educated guess” to test

6. Develop a Hypothesis “educated guess”
It proposes an answer to your question or a solution to your problem
what you are testing

7. Example using 1st 3 steps…
Problem: The car won’t start
Research: How can we investigate this problem?
Hypothesis: what is your educated guess?

8. Experiment
You must design and perform an experiment that will test your hypothesis
You must be able to identify your variables

9. Variables Independent Variable
The thing that is being changed by you-that you are manipulating
There can only be ONE changed variable
Dependent Variable
The “thing” that responds to what you have changed or manipulated
This is the thing you are measuring

10. Constant Variable
These are the things that stay the same throughout the investigation or experiment
Since you can only have one changed variable everything else must stay the same

11. Back to the Car . . .
Possible hypothesis: If gas is put into the car, the car will start.
What is the manipulated or changed variable?
What are some constant variables?
What is the responding variable?

12. Results: Record and Analyze Data
Data includes the measurements and/or observations that you made about your responding variable
you must determine what type of data you will collect….

13. Types of Data Quantitative
Observations that measure such things as size, weight, distance, volume etc.
This observation uses a number
Qualitative
Observations that describe using details such as size, color, shape
They do not use numbers

14. Examples Quantitative I am 5’3” He wears a size 12 shoe
The gas tank holds 18 gallons
There are 100 classrooms in this school
Qualitative
Jane has blond hair
The walls are white
Oranges are round
Jack is older than Jane

15. Which one is more useful ?
Why?

16. Conclusion This should be your BEST explanation for your observations
Your conclusion should answer “what happened?” and “why did it happen?”

17. Reflection
How could you make your experiment better? Provide details in your experimental design?
What would you change if you were to do the experiment again?
Remember: A single experiment never “proves” a hypothesis - it only “supports” or “does not support” the hypothesis

18. Let’s Apply What You’ve Learned
Are You ready?
Start your Brains.

19. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
To test whether aspirin can keep flowers fresher for a longer period of time, take two large beakers (labeled A and B) with equal amounts of water. Place one red carnation in each beaker. In beaker A, put one tablet of aspirin. In beaker B do not put aspirin. Identify the following in regard to this particular experiment.
Identify the Independent Variable
Amount of Water Aspirin
Carnations Time the flowers stay fresh

20. Apply what you’ve learned. . . . .
To test whether aspirin can keep flowers fresher for a longer period of time, take two large beakers (labeled A and B) with equal amounts of water. Place one red carnation in each beaker. In beaker A, put one tablet of aspirin. In beaker B do not put aspirin. Identify the following in regard to this particular experiment.
What is the Dependent Variable?
Amount of water Size of Beakers
Size of Carnations Time flowers stay fresh

21. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
“If the amount of sunlight available increases, the rate of photosynthesis in a plant will also increase.”
This statement is an example of a(n):
Conclusion Purpose
Analysis Hypothesis

22. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
The effect of one minute of walking and one minute of running on the pulse and respiration rates of a human.
Speed Time
Pulse & Respiration Rates Walking & Running

23. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
If you were doing research on the deadly E-bola virus, which resource in the library would give the most current information?
Internet Book
World Book Encyclopedia Readers Guide

24. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
The effect of one minute of walking and one minute of running on the pulse and respiration rates of a human.
In this experiment, what are the Controlled Variables?
Speed Time
Pulse & Respiration Rate Walking & Running

25. Apply what you’ve learned. . . .
A student plants one marigold seed into each of three pots. One pot she uses soil from a flower bed outside her house, one pot she plants with soil from a garden store, and one she plants into rocks. She uses a pitcher and waters each seed. She puts a pot on the window sill of her kitchen, one under the grow lights on her porch and one in a bag. She waits three days and makes her first observation.
This not a well prepared experiment, on a sheet of paper, write at least three reasons why this is not a scientifically sound experiment