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Key Concepts/Essential Questions
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LESSON INTRODUCTION1 Understanding Science
• What is scientific inquiry?
• How do scientific laws and scientific theories differ?
• What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
Vocabulary
Watch out for these words!
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LESSON INTRODUCTION
• science
• observation
• inference
• hypothesis
• prediction
• technology
• scientific theory
• scientific law
• critical thinking
1 Understanding Science
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What is science?
Did you ever hear a bird sing and
then look in nearby trees to find the
singing bird? Have you ever noticed
how the Moon changes from a thin
crescent to a full moon each month?
When you do these things, you are
doing science. Science is the
investigation and exploration of
natural events and of the new
information that results from those
investigations.
1 Understanding Science
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People use science in their everyday lives and careers. For
example, firefighters wear clothing that has been developed
and tested to withstand extreme temperatures and not catch
fire. Parents use science when they set up an aquarium for
their children’s pet fish. Athletes use science when they use
high-performance gear or wear high performance clothing.
Without thinking about it, you use science or the results of
science in almost everything you do. Most likely, your clothing,
food, hair products, electronic devices, athletic equipment, and
almost everything else you use are all results of science.
1 Understanding Science
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Branches of Science
There are many different parts of the natural world.
Because there is so much to study, a scientist often
focuses his or her work in one branch of science or on
one topic within that branch of science. There are three
main branches of science—Earth science, Life science,
and Physical science.
1 Understanding Science
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Earth Science The study of Earth, including rocks, soils,
oceans, the atmosphere, and surface features, is Earth
science.
Earth scientists might ask questions such as:
• How do different shorelines react to tsunamis?
• Why do planets orbit the Sun?
• What is the rate of climate change?
1 Understanding Science
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Life Science The study of living things is life science, or
biology.
Biologists ask questions such as:
• Why do some trees lose their leaves in winter?
• How do birds know which direction they are going?
• How do mammals control their body temperature?
1 Understanding Science
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Physical Science The study of matter and energy is
physical science. It includes both physics and chemistry.
Physicists and chemists ask questions such as:
• What chemical reactions must take place to launch a
spaceship into space?
• Is it possible to travel faster than the speed of light?
• What makes up matter?
1 Understanding Science
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Scientific Inquiry
When scientists conduct scientific investigations,
they use scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is a process
that uses a set of skills to answer questions or to test
ideas about the natural world. There are many kinds of
scientific investigations and many ways to conduct
them. The series of steps used in each investigation
often varies.
1 Understanding Science
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Results of Science
The results and conclusions from an investigation can lead to
many outcomes, such as the answers to a question, more
information on a specific topic, or support for a hypothesis.
Technology A technical solution can be the answer to a scientific
question, such as, “How can the hearing impaired hear better?”
After investigation, experimentation, and research, the
conclusion might be the development of a new technology.
Technology is the practical use of scientific knowledge,
especially for industrial or commercial use. Technology, such as a
cochlear implant, can help some deaf people hear.
1 Understanding Science
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New Materials Space travel has unique challenges. Astronauts must
carry oxygen to breathe. They also must be protected against
temperature and pressure extremes, as well as small, high-speed
flying objects. A spacesuit consists of 14 layers of material. The outer
layer is made of a blend of three materials. One material is
waterproof. Another protects against high-speed flying objects. The
third material is heat and fire-resistant.
Possible Explanations Scientists often perform investigations to find
explanations as to why or how something happens, such as, “How do
stars form?” For example, to help answer this question, NASA’s Spitzer
Space Telescope took photos showing a cloud of gas and dust with
newly formed stars.
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Scientific Theory and Scientific Law
Another outcome of science is the development of scientific
theories and laws. What happens when a hypothesis or a
group of hypotheses has been tested many times and has
been supported by the repeated scientific investigations? The
hypothesis can become a scientific theory.
1 Understanding Science
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Scientific Theory
Often, the word theory is used in casual conversations to
mean an untested idea or an opinion. However, scientists use
the word theory differently. A scientific theory is an
explanation of observations or events that is based on
knowledge gained from many observations and investigations.
Scientists question scientific theories and test them for
validity. A scientific theory generally is accepted as true until it
is disproved. An example of a scientific theory is the theory of
plate tectonics. The theory explains how Earth’s crust moves
and why earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
1 Understanding Science
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Scientific Law
A scientific law is different from a social law, which is an
agreement among people concerning a behavior. A scientific
law is a rule that describes a pattern in nature. Unlike a
scientific theory that explains why an event occurs, a
scientific law only states that an event will occur under
certain circumstances.
Example: Newton’s law of gravitational force implies that if
you drop an object, it will fall toward Earth. Newton’s law
does not explain why the object moves toward Earth when
dropped, only that it will.
1 Understanding Science
Key Concept/Essential Question Review
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LESSON WRAP-UP
What is scientific inquiry?
1 Understanding Science
Scientific inquiry is a process that uses a set of skills to
answer questions or to test ideas about the natural
world.
Key Concept/Essential Question Review
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LESSON WRAP-UP
How do scientific laws and scientific theories differ?
1 Understanding Science
A scientific law is a rule that describes a pattern in
nature. A scientific theory is an explanation of things or
events that is based on knowledge gained from many
observations and investigations.
Key Concept/Essential Question Review
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LESSON WRAP-UP
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
1 Understanding Science
Facts are measurements, observations, and theories
that can be evaluated for their validity through
objective investigation. Opinions are personal views,
feelings, or claims about a topic that cannot be proven
true or false.