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Warm-upHow do you solve problems in your life? List the steps in the scientific method and compare them to how you solve problems.

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Scientific Method

What is the scientific method?

A specific way a scientist solves a problem

Step 1: Step 1: Define Define

the the problem/problem/

Ask a Ask a QuestionQuestion

Questions should begin with what, why, how, and when in order to help focus the investigation and research.

Good questions come from careful observations.

How does acid rain affect plant growth?

science illusions

Step 2: Form

a Hypothesi

s

A hypothesis is a clear statement of what you expect the answer to your question to be.

A good hypothesis is testable.

A hypothesis will represent your best “educated guess”

A hypothesis can lead to predictions.

Step 2: Form a Hypothesis• What is a prediction:• A prediction is what you think the outcome of

your experiment or data collection will be.

• Predictions are usually stated in an If then statement.

RecapStep 1: How does acid rain affect plant growth?Step 2: Hypothesis- Acid rain slows plant growthPrediction: If a plant is watered with only acid

rain (which has a pH of 4), then the plant will grow at half its normal rate.

Step 3: Test the Hypothesis

How?Controlled

Experiment: Tests only one factor at a time.

There are two types of groups in Controlled Experiments.Control Group: Would

be watered with normal rain water.

Experimental Group: Would be watered with acid rain.

 

Step 3: Test the hypothesis

What is a variable?

A variable is any factor that can be controlled or changed from one group to another during an experiment.

Two types: Dependent and independent

Step 3: Test the Hypothesis

• Dependant Variable: the variable that controls the results of the experiment.

• If the hypothesis is correct, then plant growth is dependant variables.

• The amount of plant growth is dependent on the acidity of the water.

Step 3: Test the Hypothesis

• Independent Variable: factors that can change the outcome of the experiment.• The type of water each plant receives. Normal water pH of

7. Acidic water pH of 4.

Step 4: Collect Data and analyze the Results

examine all information thus far in the experiment (i.e. observations and data)

Tables and graphs are often used during this step to organize the data.

Step 5: Draw Conclusions

After analyzing your data, determine if your results match your hypothesis.

If your observations match your hypothesis, retest your experiment to verify your results.

If your observations do not match your hypothesis, check your procedures for errors.

You may have to discredit your hypothesis and make up a new one.

Step 6: Communicate

Results

• When you complete an oral or written report about your results, you let other people know what you’ve learned.

• Some reports may even lead to another question and then another investigation.

• For example: Modern Atomic theory is a result of many different experiments whose results were published.

What are the six steps of the Scientific Method?

Step 1 – • Ask a Question

Step 2 – • Form a Hypothesis

Step 3 – • Test the Hypothesis

Step 4 – • Analyze the Results

Step 5 – • Draw Conclusions

Step 6 – • Communicate Results

Create your own Scientific Experiment

Each of Lab Groups will be given 24 note cards and 20cm of tape.

You must use the Scientific Method to figure out how these supplies can hold-up Mrs. V. Murphy at least 5cm. on a plywood board. Each group must turn in a written report of how you followed the scientific method steps to solve the problem.

Warm-upHow do you solve problems in your life? List the steps in the scientific method and compare them to how you solve problems.

Create an investigation…Make a prediction to answer the following

question by using the scientific method- be sure to include a graph displaying your data. After writing your prediction gather what you need and work in table groups (make sure your hypothesis has an if…then… statement).

Is there a relationship between arm span and height? (use cm for measuring)

If your group finishes this investigation using all of the steps of the scientific method compare foot size to the length of your forearm.

Sponge Bob Square Pantsand

The Scientific MethodCan you find the mistakes that

Sponge Bob Square Pants made when completing his experiments?

• Discuss scenarios in your table group

The Bikini Bottom gang loves science class and wanted to do a little research. Read the descriptionfor each experiment and use your knowledge of the scientific method to answer the questions.(1) Flower PowerSpongeBob loves to garden and wants to grow lots of pink flowers for

hispal Sandy. He bought a special Flower Power fertilizer to see if will

helpplants produce more flowers. He plants two plants of the same size in separate containers with the same amount of potting soil. He places

oneplant in a sunny window and waters it every day with fertilized water.

Heplaces the other plant on a shelf in a closet and waters it with plain

water every other day.What did SpongeBob do wrong in this experiment? Explain.What should SpongeBob do to test the effectiveness of Flower Power

fertilizer? Write an experiment.

(2) Super SnailsGary is not the smartest snail in Bikini Bottom and

believes he can improve his brain power by eating Super

Snail Snacks. In order to test this hypothesis, he recruits

SpongeBob and several snail friends to help him with the

experiment. The snails ate one snack with each meal

every day for three weeks. SpongeBob created a test and

gave it to the snails before they started eating the snacks

as well as after three weeks.Based on the data provided, do the Super Snail

Snacks work? Explain your answer.

(3) Bubble TimePatrick loves bubble gum and would like to be able toblow bigger bubbles than anyone else in Bikini

Bottom. To prepare for the Bikini Bottom Big Bubble Contest,

hebought five different brands of bubble gum and needs your help to find the brand that creates the biggestbubbles. Write an experiment to test the bubble power of the bubble gum brands and help Patrick win the contest.

SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom pals have been busy doing a little research. Read the

description for each experiment and answer the questions.

Mr. Krabbs wants to make Bikini Bottoms a nicer place to live. He has created a new sauce that he thinks will reduce the production of body gas associated with eating crabby patties from the Krusty Krab. He recruits 100 customers with a history of gas problems. He has 50 of them (Group A) eat crabby patties with the new sauce. The other 50 (Group B) eat crabby patties with sauce that looks just like new sauce but is really just mixture of mayonnaise and food coloring. Both groups were told that they were getting the sauce that would reduce gas production. Two hours after eating the crabby patties, 30 customers in group A reported having fewer gas problems and 8 customers in group B

reported having fewer gas problems.

Which people are in the control group?What is the independent variable?What is the dependent variable?What should Mr. Krabs’ conclusion be?Why do you think 8 people in group B

reported feeling better?

Warm-upKool-aide labRead all instructions and discuss who will do which job

Warm-upWrite a paragraph summarizing yesterday’s lab using the following terms:

Scientific methodHypothesisObservationSolutionExperimentConclusion