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Benchmark SC.912.1.1 The Practice of Science. By Adam Rozman, Daniel Diaz-Silva, and Vincent Vadala. First, Ask a Question.
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Benchmark SC.912.1.1The Practice of Science By Adam Rozman, Daniel Diaz-Silva, and Vincent Vadala
First, Ask a Question • I’m sure you’ve been told to ask as many questions as you can, scientists do the same thing when they are investigating something in the natural world. In fact, anyone can do this through a few steps. You start off by simply asking a question. For example: how do mountains form? (For the sake of the lesson just pretend that you don’t know.)
Now Conduct Observations • Now that you have your question, you should go out and make some observations. Mountains aren’t spaced out equally across the earth and when you find them they are usually clumped together. This means that there is probably something involved that isn’t obvious at first sight. Many mysteries of our world can be solved by an observant individual.
Step Three: Research • Hundreds of years of research from thousands of people are available today. By reading books, scientific journals, or online articles you can learn a lot about almost anything you want. Remember to take notes on your findings.
Review Your Findings • Throughout your research you notice the phrase “plate tectonics” keeps turning up. Scientists propose that tectonic plates are responsible for earthquakes as well as mountains. They claim that mountains form when two plates collide head on and crumple from the huge amount of energy.
Investigate • Once you know a bit more from research you can plan an investigation. A topic like the formation of mountains would be hard to investigate without complex equipment, so you can do so in other ways, such as an experiment. If you apply pressure on a spot from two opposite directions, creases will form.
Using Tools to Gather Data • If you don’t have enough information, you have to get it yourself. Always use the metric system when gathering data (meters, liters, grams). A lot of information on a page can be confusing. Use tables and graphs to organize your information in a way that can be understood more easily.
Pose Answers, Explanations, or Descriptions of Events • At this point you know enough to answer a few questions. Use the data from your research and your investigations. The Earth’s crust is made up of several pieces that glide over the mantle. When two of them collide they will crumple and form mountains.
Make an Inference • Inferences are interpretations of facts based on observations. For example: if you come home to find a hole in your window and a baseball in the room, you would infer that some idiot was playing too close to your house. We can infer that most mountain ranges are formed when tectonic plates crash together and make crumples on the surface.
Where’s The Evidence!? • The whole point of science is that you need evidence; you can’t just make a statement. All of the land masses we have today used to be connected as Pangaea. Over time the different plates moved around and formed what we have today. Modern day continents fit together like a puzzle.
Step 10: Share Results • Sharing your results is one of the most important steps of the whole process. What good is your discovery if only you know about it? Well-known scientists publish scientific journals, but you can also post it online or get in touch with someone who is part of a larger network of scientists. If you truly believe you’ve found something that can help mankind, get it known.
Check and Double Check • You always have to make sure the source you are using is reliable. Check the date that an article was published to see if it is outdated and decide if it can be trusted. Sites with ads and pop ups all over the place advertising weight loss usually aren’t very reliable. Look for sites that have a URL ending in “.edu” or “.gov”
Jeopardy Review Game • https://www.superteachertools.net/jeopardyx/jeopardy-review-game.php?gamefile=1389279901#.U0rGufldWio
