BIOLOGY



BIOLOGY NOTES 1.2 NAME:

SCIENTIFIC METHODS PART 2 DAY / MOD:

PAGES 13-18 DATE:

Standards:

____ Describe how scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observations and provide examples from the

content being studied

____ Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge and: pose a question about the natural world;

plan an investigation; conduct systematic observations; infer the meaning of data collected to answer the

question; communicate the data and explanations to others

____ Recognize that theories do not become laws, nor do laws become theories; theories are well supported

explanations and laws are well supported descriptions

Essential Question:

1.

I. The Goal of Science

The goal of science is to ________________ and _______________ nature

• How is this goal accomplished? By using the ________________ _______________

❖ Scientific Method = the use of certain processes to find _____________ to questions about the world

➢ it is an _________________ process

➢ it provides us with a way of knowing ______ and ______ things occur in nature

➢ it does NOT answer questions about ______________, ________________, or morals

➢ it is considered science only if it is __________________, _________________, _______________, ________________, ___________________, and ____________________

e.g. There are no scientific methods to discover if:

II. Steps of the Scientific Method

1. Asking questions about ____________

• Usually, a scientists seeks answers to topics that are ___________________ to him or her

e.g.

2. Make observations about the _________ through ________________ or _________________

• Observations = information that is gathered using the five __________

❖ 2 Types of observations:

a. quantitative observations = observations in _______________ form

e.g.

b. qualitative observations = observations that are _____________ and do not involve ____________

e.g.

3. Form a scientific ____________________

• A scientific question differs from a general _________________ because it is very ________________

❖ observations and ___________________ allow a scientist to narrow his _____________ so that the outcome answers a very precise question

e.g. A good scientific question would be:

A bad scientific question would be:

4. Form a ________________

❖ observations and research on a specific scientific question lead scientists to make ________________

➢ inference = a logical explanation using __________ knowledge, research or _______________

e.g. You are interested in the subject of Daphnia, or water fleas, and their heart rates. You know

caffeine speeds up human heart rates through experience and research. You have already formed

the following scientific question: What is the effect of caffeine on the heart rates of Daphnia? What

is a reasonable inference based on your observations and research of your topic?

❖ hypothesis = a tentative, _______________ explanation for a question or problem.

➢ What is the difference between a hypothesis and an inference? __________________________________________________

➢ a hypothesis is not just a random ____________

➢ to make a hypothesis testable apply ____ and _____ statements

e.g. How could you turn your inference above into a hypothesis?

5. Design an experiment

• Experiment = a _____________ that tests a _______________ by the process of collecting information under ____________ conditions.

❖ light, temperature, ___________, equipment used, type of material and use of ____________ are all different conditions or variables that could be considered in any _________________

❖ the goal of an experiment is to know that only ______ variable effects the ______________

➢ controlled experiments test a hypothesis by changing only _____ condition or ____________ at a time

➢ 2 types of variables in controlled experiments:

a. independent variable = the variable that is ____________ in the experiment; also known as the ______________ variable

b. dependent variable = the variable that is being _______________ in the experiment; also known as the ______________ variable

e.g.It is hypothesized that if roses are given more water than normal, then they will grow taller than normal. To test this, a student grew 3 identical types of roses. One with a normal amount of water, one with twice as much water and one with three times the recommended amount of water. They were given the same amount of sunlight, plant food and type of water.

1. What is the independent variable?

2. What is the dependent variable?

3. Why were all other variables kept the same?

➢ in any experiment in which a scientists changes how something naturally occurs, he or she must also have a control ___________ to serve as a basis of ___________________

➢ control groups allow a scientists to compare their outcome to what is ________________ seen

e.g. In the example above, was there a control group? If so, why?

6. Collect Results

• Results, often called the _________, can be collected in a variety of ways

e.g.

• Some results will be collected in a ______________ under controlled conditions. Other results cannot be collected in a lab. These types of experiments are called _____________ _____________.

e.g.

• A good scientist will have results that include both __________________ and _________________ observations

• Results from an experiment that are ____________________ can be represented easily using a __________

❖ the independent variable would be on the _______________ axis (also called the ___ axis) while the dependent variable would be placed on the ____________ axis (also called the ___ axis).

e.g.Using the chart below to graph the results:

|ROSE PLANT |AMOUNT WATER |AMOUNT GROWTH |

|1 |40 mL |2 cm |

|2 |80 mL |10 cm |

|3 |120 mL |8 cm |

7. Draw a conclusion

• Conclusion = a logical ________________ that summarizes the results or evidences and either _______________ or denies the hypothesis.

e.g. What was the conclusion of the rose experiment?

• A good scientist will repeat their experiments many times so that their experiment can be considered ___________

e.g.

• Data and conclusions that are proven ___________ because of repeated trials are often published in scientific ________________ so that other scientists can test them.

III. Theories vs. Laws

If a particular hypothesis is supported by a large body of evidence, over time, from many different ______________ conducted by multiple scientists then it can become a ____________

• Theory = an explanation of natural phenomenon that is ______________ by a large body of scientific evidence from many different _______________ and _________________; explanation of _____ things occur in nature

e.g.

❖ theories DO NOT become scientific ________ thus, a theory is generally considered a universal _____________________ for some sort of natural phenomena

• Scientific law = certain __________ of nature; descriptions of ______ things occur in nature

e.g.

❖ What is the difference between a theory and a law?

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STUDENT SYNTHESIS

To demonstrate knowledge of the information contained within these notes, within the space below EITHER 1. Create two higher level test questions and answers based on the information OR 2. Write a comprehensive one-sentence summary of the information

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