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WHAT IS THIS SCIENCE STUFF?!
Science
• “The goal of science is to investigate and understand the natural world, to explain events in the natural world, and to use those explanations to make a useful prediction”
• So…what does that mean!?
Science
• Science is how we understand and learn about the world around us
• It is an organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world
What is Biology?
• Biology is the study of living things
Scientific Inquiry
• Scientific Inquiry – a way to investigate things and purpose an explanation as to why it happens
What are some questions a biologist may ask about this critter?
Think like a Scientist
• Observation – information that is gathered using your senses, mainly sight and sound
• Data – the information collected from your observations
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• There are 2 main types of data we can collect…
• Quantitative – data expressed as numbers; we get this data from counting or measuring
• Qualitative – data that is describing but can’t be counted
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• There are 12 blue M&Ms in a bag…• Quantitative
• The candy tasted sweet…• Qualitative
• Susie is 5 feet 6 inches tall…• Quantitative
• The water feels cold…• Qualitative
Inferences
• Scientists can use data they collect to make inferences
• Inference – a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge
Inferences
• A scientist is testing water in a reservoir, she tests water in 3 different parts. Each part tested safe to drink. She makes the inference that all the water is safe to drink.
Hypothesis
• Hypothesis – a proposed scientific explanation for a set of observations
• Should be written as an “IF…THEN…” statement
Forming a Hypothesis
• Back in the day…people believed that somehow life could arise from non-living things!
• Spontaneous Generation – the idea that life can arise from non-living matter
Francesco Redi - 1668
• Redi, an Italian physician who proved “spontaneous generation” was false
• Redi observed that maggots appeared on meat a few days after flies had landed on it.
• Redi then hypothesized that flies lay eggs too small to see
Redi’s Spontaneous Generation Experiment
Louis Pasteur• Some scientists argued that air contained a “life force”
and Redi’s experiment did not take this into account• Louis Pasteur – a French chemist who designed an
experiment using broth to finally disprove the idea of spontaneous generation
• Proved that living things only come from other living things
Pasteur’s Broth Experiment
Farmer Bob
• The Farmer Bob experiment…• IF Farmer Bob uses Miracle Grow in his garden THEN his plants will grow bigger!
Scientific Method
• Step 1: State the Problem• Step 2: Gather Info/Make Observations• Step 3: Form a Hypothesis• Step 4: Test the Hypothesis• Step 5: Analyze Data• Step 6: Draw Conclusions• Step 7:
• Hypothesis not supported – Modify• Hypothesis supported – Repeat several times
Monty Python Scientific Inquiry?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7q_b31JmBs
Designing an Experiment
• If possible, your hypothesis should test only ONE variable at a time!
• Controlled Experiment – an experiment involving one experimental variable and one controlled variable
Variables
• Independent Variable – what you change in an experiment
• Dependent Variable – what you measure in an experiment
• Controlled Variable (the control) – what you keep the same during an experiment
Controlled Variables
• Some controlled variables:• Soil• Amount of sunlight• Type of plants• Temperature• Amount of time tested
Scientific Theory
• You may think of a theory as something not yet proven BUT in science…
• Theory – a well tested explanation for a group of observations
Back to Farmer Bob…
• Hypothesis: If Farmer Bob uses Miracle Grow on his garden then the garden will grow bigger.
• Control Group: • A garden with only water, NO Miracle Grow!
• Experimental Group:• A garden with Miracle Grow!
Farmer Bob’s Variables
• Independent Variable: • Whether Bob uses Miracle Grow or not
• Dependent Variable:• The size of the plants!
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