What is Science?

Science defined: A systematic process for questioning and

learning about the natural world

AND

the set of facts we have derived from that process

Science is:skepticalsystematicorganizedcontrolleddata-drivenevidence-based

Goals of Science– Observe

– Understand

– Explain

– Make useful inferences

Are you a scientist? Do you ask QUESTIONS?

Is the door open? Do you perform EXPERIMENTS?

Check the handle. Do you make INFERENCES?

It’s locked.

• You are a scientist!

–This is a simple way to explain scientific thinking.

Thinking Scientifically

1. Make Observations Gathering information in an organized fashion Use your Senses, prior knowledge

2. Make Hypotheses Proposed explanations for an observation set Must be able to be tested

3. Gather Data Compile the observations Two categories of data:

1. __Quantitative_______: numbers HINT: measuring or counting

2. __Qualitative___________: descriptions HINT: How does it look? Feel? Taste? Smell? Sound? Use

your five senses. (If appropriate to use the sense.)4. Draw Inferences

Logical interpretations that link observations with prior knowledge or experience

Be a good scientist – There are 5-10 steps that can may be used in an experiment, there is no exact

recipe, but a framework referred to as -The Scientific Method When designing an experiment remember to:

1. Ask a question2. Form a hypothesis3. Experiment!

• Have a single independent variable (Manipulated; deliberately changed; factor that changes)

• Dependent variable (Responding; changes in response to the manipulated)

• Maintain a control group (if possible)4. Record and analyze5. Draw a conclusion 6. Repeat if necessary