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Scientific Inquiry: Understanding the Natural World

Learn the scientific method, distinguish science from pseudoscience, and explore the processes scientists use to investigate the natural world. Develop hypotheses, conduct experiments, and analyze data to draw conclusions.

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Scientific Inquiry: Understanding the Natural World

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  1. Bellwork: 8/17 Put phone in your pocket  Week 8/13-8/17 List 2 examples of science and 2 examples of pseudoscience. What is the scientific method? Try to list some of the steps

  2. Objective • Learn the scientific processes that scientists use to investigate the natural world

  3. Today: • Part III Notes • POGIL

  4. Materials • Unit Book

  5. Homework • Quiz on Google Classroom – due Monday at 11:59pm

  6. Unit I: Nature of Science

  7. Part III: Scientific Process

  8. Intro ? • Jane Goodall in Gombe Africa • Observed chimpanzees using sticks to gather termites from a tree • She concluded from this and other observations that chimpanzees had the brain power to use tools for useful function • Is this science or pseudoscience? Explain your reasoning & be prepared to share

  9. What is science?

  10. Science • Way of investigating and learning about the natural world • Accomplished through inquiry

  11. Scientific Inquiry Involves… • Making Observations • Gather information about natural world using our senses & scientific tools • Developing Scientific Questions • Forming Logical Hypotheses • Tentative answer to the formulated question • Testing Hypotheses • Through experimentation • Analyzing Data & Drawing Conclusions

  12. Identify Which of the Following Questions are Scientific… • How is bug blood different from human blood? • Is rock music better than hip-hop music? • Is vegetarianism more ethical than eating meat? • Does God exist? • Why does bright light cause some people to sneeze?

  13. What criteria did you use to determine whether the questions were scientific?

  14. Scientific Questions • Focuses on natural phenomena • Related to scientific concepts • Investigated through experimentation • Leads to gathering of data about how the natural world works

  15. Scientific Questions • DO NOT ASK ABOUT • Supernatural phenomena • Personal preference • Moral values • Religious beliefs • WHY???

  16. To be Testable, Scientific Questions Must Include… • Independent Variable: the variable manipulated • Dependent Variable: the variable measured

  17. Think • While walking outside one night, you notice that there are a lot of moths gathered around an outside lamp • Think about this observation & develop a scientific question to investigate this phenomenon • Write the question on your note guide. Circle the independent variable & the dependent variable in your question.

  18. Scientific Inquiry • Often involves controlled experiments • Characteristics of controlled experiment • Manipulate one variable keeping the other variables fixed • Consists of: • Experimental Group: exposed to condition tested • Controlled Group: not exposed to tested condition • Fixed Variable: variables kept constant other than variable tested

  19. Think • Based on the scientific questions you developed on the moths, determine the experimental group, control group, & the fixed variables. • Record on your note guide • Be ready to share

  20. Practice Problem • Do plants grow taller in the light? • Experimental Group • Control Group • Fixed Variable • Independent Variable • Dependent Variable

  21. Practice Problem • Do plants grow taller in the light? • Experimental Group • Control Group • Fixed Variable • Independent Variable • Dependent Variable

  22. Practice Problem • How does leaving Vitamin K out of the diet affect the health of the rat? • Experimental Group • Control Group • Fixed Variable • Independent Variable • Dependent Variable

  23. Practice Problem • How does leaving Vitamin K out of the diet affect the health of the rat? • Experimental Group • Control Group • Fixed Variable • Independent Variable • Dependent Variable

  24. Hypothesis • Tentative answer to the scientific question • Hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable • “If…then…because” statement • A well-written hypothesis includes • Experimental Group • Predicted Result • Possible Reason for the Prediction Result

  25. Example of a Well-Written Hypothesis • If the amount of fertilizer given to seeds is increased then the seeds will grow faster because nutrients in fertilizer is required for growth • What is the experimental group? • What is the predicted result? • What is the possible reason for the result?

  26. Think • Write down what you think the difference between a hypothesis & a scientific theory is.

  27. Scientific Theory • Explanation for something that has occurred in nature • Tested by many different experiments and many different experimenters • Distinction from hypothesis – involves a single experiment

  28. Thumbs Up = Scientific TheoryThumbs Down = Hypothesis • Is the explanation of evolution by natural selection a scientific theory or a hypothesis?

  29. Characteristics of a Scientific Theory • Best possible explanation • Not the absolute truth • Tentative • Example: • “Dinosaur extinction is a result of a huge asteroid that struck Earth 65 million years ago”

  30. Think • Why is the theory on dinosaur extinction not set in stone?

  31. Scientific Inquiry • Does not always include: • Controlled Experiments • Testable Hypotheses • Ex. Discovery Science • Descriptive • Observes and collects data that describes natural structures or processes

  32. Examples of Discovery Science • Mapping of the human genome • Accidental discovery of antibiotic penicillin by Alexander Fleming • Identifying new species of plants and animals • Jane Goodall’s observation of chimpanzee behavior

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