CSCOPE Unit 14 Lesson 01

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

• What does “scientific inquiry” mean to you?

• Scientific Inquiry: “The diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work.”

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

• What are the “steps” in a scientific method?

• Does a scientific method always have to include the same steps and have a definite starting and ending point?

HYPOTHESES

• What is a hypothesis?

• Hypothesis: “A tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation.”

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT

• Select a topic in biology that is interesting to you and is something around which you could design an experiment

• Select 2–3 scientific research articles on this topic. Review and summarize each article as part of the background research for your project.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT

• Based on your research, formulate a testable problem.

• Then, develop a hypothesis for your problem.• Next, write detailed procedures for your

experiment. Be sure to include the equipment/materials you will need and review any safety precautions that are necessary.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT

• Select and use appropriate equipment to conduct your experiment.

• Collect appropriate data while conducting your experiment.

• Analyze your data, and communicate valid conclusions based on your data.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT• Finally, you will write and present a report that

follows the experimental design process and communicates your results and conclusions.

• You should record all of your experimental design project work in your science notebooks, then your final report will be typed using the information in your science notebooks.