What do we study in Biology?

The natural world

We use the scientific method as a problem solving strategy

What do we study in Biology?

The natural world

We use the scientific method as a problem solving strategy

Just the facts, please

In science, we only

deal with facts

Facts come from

what we observe

(see, hear, smell, feel,

taste)

Data (from

experiments)

From the research of

other scientists

Values

In biology, we do

not make value

judgments

What is best, worst,

nicest, cutest

Different from

person to person

Based on feelings,

and feelings can’t

be right or wrong

Back to the Method

In science, we

wonder about

things, and then

we try to find the

answer. We use

the scientific

method to help

us.

There are 5

steps.

Step 1

Observation

See

Hear

Smell

Taste

Feel

For example:

I got home from

school and I

smelled gas

when I walked in

my house.

Step 1, continued

An observation often

leads to a question,

and the question is

what you will try to

answer.

For example: Why

does it smell like gas

in my house?

Step 2

Form a hypothesis

A hypothesis is a statement that predicts a

relationship between cause and effect

A good hypothesis will follow the “if…then”

format

Example: If I smell gas, then there is a gas

leak.

Step 2, continued

A hypothesis must be testable.

For example: I can collect data (do a test)

to see if there is a gas leak.

But if I said, If I wear perfume, then I will

smell good

I can’t test that

Step 3

Gather

data/experiment

You can do this by

designing an

experiment,

making more

observations,

taking

measurements,

etc.

Step 4 Analyze and

interpret your

data

Look at the facts

you collected

and see if they

mean anything

or give you any

answers.

Step 5

Conclusion – Do you accept your

hypothesis or reject it?

If your data supports the hypothesis, you

accept it

If your data does not support it (even a tiny bit),

you reject it and start over