ExperimentsInvestigating the Scientific Method

Cut/Paste Activity Cut out each scenario. Glue into your

notebooks (in any order). Leave lines to write on between each scenario based on the table below.

Charater Lines to write on

Smithers Four (4)

Homer Simpson Four (4)

Bart Simpson Five to Six (5-6)

Lisa Simpson Five to Six (5-6)

Krusty the Clown Five to Six (5-6)

Scientific Method

We use the scientific method every day – in our REAL lives…› Cleaning our clothes› Car repairs› Home repairs (Fixing a plumbing leak)› Gardening› Cooking (What tastes good, what doesn’t,

how to combine items, how long to cook)

Scientific Method Do you try a whole bunch of things all

at once? Or do you try one thing at a time, in a

systematic way? Do you remember the ways that

worked? How about the ways that did not work? Do you pass on that information to

others?

Scientific Method

These things are all the Scientific Method – but now we are going to put SCIENTIFIC terms to each one of the steps we already do in our lives.

And we are going to learn how to identify them.

Variables Control

› “No change”› What you compare your test to

Independent Variable› “I” change it, “I” control it› “I” manipulate it

Dependent Variable› Responds to what was changed› Depends on what was changed

Identifying Controls and Variables

Homer Simpson:› 1. Control Group:

Water (no change group)

› 2. Independent Variable: Coconut Juice (use it or

not)› 3. Dependent Variable:

Slime (Is it still there? Did it respond?)

› 4. Conclusion: Coconut juice did not

remove the slime from the shower.

Identifying Controls and Variables

Smithers› 1. Control Group:

Group B (no change group)› 2. Independent Variable:

Super Juice (Did they have it or not?)

› 3. Dependent Variable: Amount of work completed

(Production)› 4. Conclusion:

Super Juice DID NOT increase productivity.

Group A:Super Juice1,587 stacks

Group B:Control2,113 stacks

Identifying Controls and Variables

Lisa Simpson› 1. Control Group:

No Rogooti (no change group)› 2. Independent Variable:

Use/Not use Rogooti (Manipulated variable)

› 3. Dependent Variable: Amount of hair growth (Responding

variable)› 4. How would you do the experiment?

Identifying Controls and Variables

Bart Simpson› 1. Control Group:

Non-microwaved mice› 2. Independent Variable:

Microwaving (how long, yes or no)› 3. Dependent Variable:

Strength of Mice› 4. Conclusion:

Inconclusive› 5. How could this experiment be

improved?

Non-Micro Mice

Micro Mice

87

Mouse Strength

Identifying Controls and Variables

Krusty› 1. Control:

Group A (Original powder)› 2. Independent Variable:

Itching powder (New versus Old)› 3. Dependent Variable:

How long they itched for (What results are we looking for?)

› 4. Does the data support the advertisement claims? Yes AND No… why?

› 5. How could you improve this experiment?

Controlled Experiments

How is an experiment controlled? How does one scientist take another

scientists work and expand upon it?

Open books to page 9

Review of Experiments

Scientist Experiment Results

Redi Spontaneous Generation does NOT occur(Maggots appear when flies “touch” the meat. )

Needham Spontaneous generation does occur(Boiled gravy in a closed container – “animacules” appear… believed he didn’t boil it enough)

Spallanzani Spontaneous generation does NOT occur(Boiled gravy in a closed flask – no growth, boiled gravy in an open flask – growth – showed it came from the air)

Pasteur Spontaneous generation does NOT occur (Special flask – showed growth comes from “things” (microorganisms) falling into the gravy, not the air.)