the 6 step scientific method a review & extension mr. gibson science room 213

The 6 Step Scientific MethodA Review & Extension

Mr. Gibson ScienceRoom 213

Unit 2 – The Six Step Scientific Method

What is the Six (6) Step Scientific (or Experimental) Method?

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Unit 2 – The Six Step Scientific Method

The Six (6) Step Scientific Method - termsTERM(S) Working Definitions of the terms.

Systematic approach Using similar ways/common procedures

Scientific “Method” A “step-wise” systematic approach supported by repeatable experimental data that can be verified or falsified by peer group scientists.

Observation Noticing an event or pattern of events [and then] the gathering of information

-- Existing Knowledge

-- Qualitative Data

-- Quantitative Data

Let’s start with an observation…

Mr. Gibson

No… not that observation… a natural observation; one that can be experimented

with.

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Unit 2: The Six Step Scientific Method

A Flow Diagram is provided to the right. This should have been part of your middle school experience but, that was soooooo long ago…

Observed events


So; we will be using a “Twin-burning”

candle demo-experiment in class

to study the six steps of this Method first

hand.

Observed events

What’s he talking about? I’ve got

no clue…


After making an observation the scientist goes to the 1st Step:Anyone know what the first step is ?

Observation

I’m drawing a blank. You know? I’ve got

no clue…

?


The 1st Step is creating a

Purpose –or- Question.

for your scientific study.

Observed events

Oh yeah! That’s right.

I’ve got no clue…

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION


PURPOSE -OR-

QUESTIONWhat do we really

mean for this step…?

How about me? How long do I

have to stand here holding this

candle?

Geeze-loueeze! All these

questions! Do you know?


PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION


PURPOSE -OR-

QUESTION[Hint: It goes back to

the original observation.].



candle?

Nope, still a blank but,;

dude! You need a new script!!!


PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION


PURPOSE -OR-

QUESTIONWhat did the

scientist(s) observe that they now want

to learn about.



candle?

Of course! I knew that! Yeah,

right…

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION


Now that we’ve observed something

and asked our question or stated a

purpose; Step 2 is????

Observed events

I must be getting old… I don’t remember ANY of this! You know?


PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

?


[Hint: copy one person’s is

“plagiarism”, copy many is

“research”…]

(sigh)

(Sigh) My mind’s broken… and if you say that again I’m going to get it tattooed on your

forehead!I’ve got no clue…

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

?


RESEARCHSearch as many

sources as you can, getting the most

information before experimenting!

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONObserved events

Why does he ask and then give the answer so fast?

IDK…

RESEARCH


The third step is?

PURPOSE-or-


?

This’ too much! Think I’ll get him

to give me an “RR” pass. I’m going

with!

RESEARCH


HYPOTHESIS

PURPOSE-or-


HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH

Someone take good notes for us… brb.


HYPOTHESISThis is an

“educated guess”

PURPOSE-or-


HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH


HYPOTHESISIn this step you

are trying to “predict” your answer to your

Purpose –or- Question in step

one.

PURPOSE-or-


HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH


HYPOTHESISAND!!!!

In Mr. Gibson’s class your hypothesis

MUST come in an

“IF…. THEN…” format.

PURPOSE-or-


HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH


HYPOTHESISFor example…“IF we use a

green colored grow light in our

greenhouse to take advantage

of the chlorophyll “c” pigment THEN

will lettuce grow faster?

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONInstead of doing this… think I’ll ask for an “RR” pass

too.

HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH


HYPOTHESISSo; this step is an

educated guess that comes in the format of an “IF… THEN…”

question that “predicts” the

answer or outcome.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONOBSERVATION

HYPOTHESIS

RESEARCH

‘scuse me… didn’t realize I dropped my antennae. I need ‘em to find the “rr”.


This now brings us to Step Four…

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONOBSERVATION

HYPOTHESIS

?

RESEARCH


STEP FourWith our

observation, research and

hypothesis question done…

How do we move forward in trying

to find our predicted answer?

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONOBSERVATION

HYPOTHESIS

?

RESEARCH


STEP FourYes! The FUN

part of science…

EXPERIMENT

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONOBSERVATION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

RESEARCH


EXPERIMENTThe designing and testing of

your HYPOTHESIS question –or-

“IF… part;to see if the “then” part;

of your PREDICTION will

be correct.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONOBSERVATION

I’m back… in case you missed me.

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

RESEARCH


EXPERIMENTRemember!!!

Your experimental

design must have a “variable”, a “non-variable”,

and a “control” in order to avoid

“scientific confirmational

bias”.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONOBSERVATION

… didn’t think so… did I miss anything?

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

RESEARCH


Now that we are this far along and you

DID have this in your middle school

experience… what would Step Five be?

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTIONI’m a higher order life form… I don’t need antennae to

find the “rr”. Much faster.

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

?

We’re back. Hey candle holding dude how’d you beat us back?

Are both my antennas on? Mom says I’d forget my head if it wasn’t

fastened on.

RESEARCH


If you recalled that the Fifth Step is…

ANALYSIS… you would be

correct!!!

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION… geeze those two

go on & on… Makes Mr. G. a

“piker” compared to ‘em.

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

?

No antennae, huh? How do

you get through the day? Would

make a great experiment.

Uh, what is a head??? What

did mama mean?

RESEARCH

OBSERVATIONSUnit 2: The Six Step Scientific Method

ANALYSIS It’s your data which

you can put into tables, charts,

graphs… [ACT] “data representation”!!!

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Hey! Who took notes for us while we were

gone? Uh…IDK

RESEARCH

Hmm… that’s an honest question.

Would that go into step one or three?


ANALYSIS In your analysis you will also include a

statement of falsifiability which

means…

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

(sigh) How are we supposed to learn

anything if someone doesn’t take notes for

us while we mess around in the “rr”?

No clue…

RESEARCH

… geeze! The way those two talk in class all the time

they must think they are special and the only ones

here!


ANALYSIS “IF (some other

testable condition or facts) were to be true… THEN my

hypothesis would be false.”

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Goof! My question was rhetorical. That means the question is really

the answer.Okay but,

that seems silly to me.

RESEARCH

When do we get up outta here?Unit 2: The Six Step

Scientific Method

And finally…Step Six is?

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

?Hurray! A light at the

end of the tunnel?Uhhh… what

tunnel are you talking

about?

RESEARCH

Now there’s an idea for those two… flames. And

low & behold I’ve got two!


Step Six is

Conclusion

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

ConclusionI could flame you for a

week if I answered you.Sorry, but I

don’t get you OR him…

RESEARCH

Hmmm, at least I now know why I’ve been

holding this all this time.Unit 2: The Six Step Scientific Method

Step Six is

Conclusion This is basically your

“answer” to your hypothesis question

or prediction.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

ConclusionArrrgh!

RESEARCH

Oh! Was that another of those

rhetorical question thingys?

DratS! I should have thought of this in slide

four.Unit 2: The Six Step Scientific Method

Step Six is

Conclusion Even if your

hypothesis was wrong, you’ve

learned something.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

ConclusionWait a minute, we’re

bugs. Let’s go under the door now!

RESEARCH

I’m with you. I don’t trust a guy

with one eye bigger than the other holding a burning candle.


Step Six is

Conclusion If you were wrong,

you can “re-hypothesize” and

conduct new experiments that

have been adjusted for what you’ve

learned.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Conclusion

RESEARCH

Hey! You lost

your

antennas

again Leave them!

It’s a fair

trade!


There are three terms you’ll need to know for the

Six Step Method:• Independent variable;• Dependent variable;• Control

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Conclusion

RESEARCH



Six Step Method:• Independent variable;

The part of the experiment that the experimenter does or controls directly.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Conclusion

RESEARCH



Six Step Method:• Dependent variable;

The part of the experiment that changes (varies) because of what the experimenter does.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Conclusion

RESEARCH



Six Step Method:• Control

The control should be the part of the experiment where you make a copy of the independent variable and set it aside in the same area subject to the surrounding environment outside the experiment.

PURPOSE-or-

QUESTION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ANALYSIS

Conclusion

RESEARCH

the 6 step scientific method a review & extension mr. gibson science room 213

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