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Learn about the characteristics of living and non-living things through scientific inquiry. Explore observations, inferences, variables, and data collection in this engaging lesson.
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Warm up List 3 ways you know that fire is not alive. List 5 ways you know that a worm is living.
Warm up List 3 ways you know that fire is not alive. No cells Doesn’t reproduce Does not adapt over time (long term). List 5 ways you know that a worm is living. Maintains homeostasis. Made up of cells Adapts over time. Is organized. Reproduces Requires energy.
Framing the Investigation • Designing the Investigation • Collecting and Presenting Data
Scientific inquiry • Framing the Investigation • Designing the Investigation • Collecting and Presenting Data
Scientific inquiryframing the investigation • Gather background information. • Observation: something you KNOW (what you see, hear, smell, or feel) • Inference: something you THINK (explaining or guessing about how something works or why something happened)
Example Observations? (What you know) Inferences? (What you think is probably true)
Note the Differences • In laboratory exercises, record observations NOT inferences • Inferences may be used when writing the conclusion in your lab report. • Let’s test your observation skills…
Observations and inferences • ___ A bird is sitting on a post • ___ A bird is sitting on it’s nest • ___ A bird is on the ground because it is hurt • ___ A bird is on the ground because it is looking for food • ___ A chirping noise from the tree must be the bird’s babies • ___ The baby birds are chirping because they are hungry • ___ The baby birds are 20 feet off the ground
Scientific inquiryFRAMING the investigation • Come up with a question (hypothesis) that can be tested. • If, then statement linking independent and dependent variables. • Controls stated.
Scientific inquiryframing the investigation Control: thing that stays the same. Variable: thing you change (are testing).
Scientific inquiryframing the investigation 2 Kinds of Variables • Independent variable: thing the experimenter changes; variable that stays the same no matter what. • Dependent variable: variable that depends on the independent variable; response that is measured. (Independent variable) causes a change in (Dependent Variable) and it isn't possible that (Dependent Variable) could cause a change in (Independent Variable).
Scientific inquirydesigning the investigation • List materials. • Detailedprocedure. • At least 3 trials!
Scientific inquiryCollecting and presenting data • Make Observations in Tables (title them!) Qualitative Observations – describe something by sight, touch, smell, taste, or hearing Quantitative Observations – describes something by measuring it (mass, length, etc) and has numbers; includes units. n = numbers!
Scientific inquiryCollecting and presenting data • Graph data • Include units, labels, and title.
Scientific inquiryCollecting and presenting data • Discuss data • Was hypothesis true or false? • Support with data, making references to tables and graphs. • List sources of error. • Ask further questions/propose further experiments.
Warm up--9/19/11 Please put your homework in the appropriate basket. List 3 things you must include in a table. Title Units Average What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data? Qualitative: describes something by sight, touch, smell, taste, or hearing Quantitative: describes something by measuring it and using numbers