Scientific Method

How do scientists answer a question or solve a problem that they have

encountered?

Scientists use organized ways to plan and conduct a study.

They use science process skills (step-by-step) to help them gather, organize,

analyze, and present their information.

Steps of the Scientific Method

• These are the steps for our activity

– Purpose– Predict (hypothesis)– Materials– Procedure– Observations– Conclusion

Purpose

• What do you want to find out?

•How do scientists group living things?

Predict

• How do you think scientists group living things?

•Discuss how you think living things are grouped. You have 2

minutes!!

Materials

• What do you need in order to classify living things?

•What you already know about living things, your brain, your eyes, knowledge about what a

living thing eats, where they live, how they relate to other living

things, …

Procedure

• What steps will you follow?

•Gather a variety of pictures of living things, make a list of their characteristics, sort living things

based on characteristics

Sorting

1. Look at the pictures and group them into 5 groups.

2. Give a name to each of your groups.

3. Be ready to explain how you grouped these items.

Observations

• What happened during this activity?

•Based on the results of your characteristic list and sorting

activity, what ideas do you have about how scientists sort living

things?

Conclusion

• What did you learn from this activity?

•Scientists group living things based on similarities and differences.

Chart (A39)

?? Important Characteristics

Examples (put your numbers)

Steps of the Scientific Method

• These were the steps for our activity.

– Purpose

– Predict (hypothesis)

– Materials

– Procedure

– Observations

– Conclusion