6.1 scientific method
DESCRIPTION
This is a middle school grade 6 lesson on the scientific methodTRANSCRIPT
SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLSPP. 4-8 ALSO P. 646-647
REVIEW THESE TERMS HYPOTHESIS
OBSERVATIONSDATA
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE(0R MANIPULATED)
DEPENDENT VARIABLE (OR RESPONDING)
CONSTANTINFERENCES
HYPOTHESIS
• AN EDUCATED GUESS OR THE PREDICTION THAT IS BASED ON YOUR OBSERVATION
• CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS
• A SPECIAL PREDICTION THAT FORECASTS HOW THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE WILL AFFECT THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE
• IF, THEN, STATEMENT
YOU TRY IT!
• WRITE A HYPOTHESIS FOR THE FOLLOWING EXPERIMENT:
• JOHN WANTS TO KNOW IF THE SIZE OF THE PAPER AIRPLANE’S WINGS WILL CHANGE THE DISTANCE THAT THE PLANE WILL FLY.
First, identify the independentvariable.
• What is the independent variable:• The size of the paper airplane’s wings
Now identify the dependent variable:The distance the plane will fly is the dependentvariable.
What is your hypothesis?
• Write your hypothesis.
• If the size of the paper airplane’s wings increase, then the distance the plane flies will increase.
WHAT DO I ALREADY KNOW?
• HAVE STUDENTS COMPLETE THE WARM UP SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
• PART 1– PUT THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN
PROPER ORDER.• PART 2 – MATCH THE FOLLOWING TERMS IN THE CORRECT
ORDER.
INFERENCES
• An inference is an explanation for what we have observed. It explains what might be happening.
• An inference must be logical.• Inferences can be changed as you get more
information.
What inference can you make?
• You come into the classroom and you observe someone’s books are on your desk.
• What inference can you make?
Variables • The part that changes in an experiment is called a variable.
Independent variable is what the scientist or you change in an experiment.
Dependent variable is the difference the scientist or you measure after making the change.
A Constant variable is what the scientist make sure stays the same so the experiment is a fair test.
You Try It!
Jan counted the leaves on each of three plants. Then she put one plant under a blue light bulb, another plant under a yellow light bulb, and a third plant under a white light bulb. She kept all three lights on from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. After 2 months, she counted how many leaves each plant had.
Name the independent variable, the dependent variable and the constant
Check your answers!
• Independent Variable: the color of the light
• Dependent Variable: the number of leaves on the plant.
• Constants: could be the kind of plants, the soil in the plant, the amount of water, the pot size, temperature, the wattage of the light bulb, or the distance the light is from the plant.
HERE IS AN EXPERIMENT TO TRY FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE
MATERIALS:• TRY THIS WITH YOUR CLASSMATE OR
PARTNER• OBTAIN TWO COINS, A PENNY AND A
QUARTER.• A CONTAINER OF WATER ( A BEAKER)• TWO EYE DROPPERS
Write a Hypothesis about your science experiment with the penny and quarter.
• Hypothesis:What is the independent variable?
What is the dependent variable?
Warm-up
• Read the article on Methane Found in MarsAtmosphere
Make a hypothesis about this article. Write your hypothesis at the bottom of your article.
WRITE YOUR HYPOTHESIS FOR YOUR EXPERIMENT
• IDENTIFY YOUR INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND YOUR DEPENDENT VARIABLE
• WHAT ARE TWO CONSTANT VARIABLES?