Lesson 1 | Scientific Inquiry - Miss Olson's 8th Grade Science



Lesson 1 | Scientific Inquiry

|Student Labs and Activities |Page |Appropriate For: |

|Content Vocabulary |6 |all students |

|Lesson Outline |7 |all students |

|Content Practice A |9 |[pic] |

|Content Practice B |10 | [pic] |

|School to Home |11 |all students |

|Key Concept Builders |12 |[pic] |

|Enrichment |16 |all students |

|Challenge |17 | [pic] |

|Assessment | | |

|Lesson Quiz A |18 |[pic] |

|Lesson Quiz B |19 | [pic] |

| | | |

| | | |

|[pic] |Approaching Level |[pic] |On Level |[pic] |Beyond Level |[pic] |English-Language Learner |

Teacher evaluation will determine which activities to use or modify to meet any student’s proficiency level.

Scientific Problem Solving 5

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly replaces the underlined words.

NOTE: You might need to change a term to its plural form.

critical thinking hypothesis inference observation prediction

science scientific law scientific theory technology

1. the investigation and exploration of natural events and of

the new information that results from those investigations

2. Rules that describe repeatable patterns in nature work

under specific conditions in nature.

3. Using wind tunnels to make bicycles more aerodynamic is

an example of the practical use of scientific knowledge.

4. A(n) explanation of observations based on knowledge from

many observations and investigations will never become

a law.

5. Rob saw an advertisement for a household tool that would

chop, slice, cook, clean, and sew. Using a comparison of

what he already knew with the information in the

advertisement, he knew this product was too good to be

true.

6. Through the use of more than one of her senses and

noting what occurred, Anika was able to think of questions

she could use to begin a scientific investigation.

7. A conclusion is a summary of the information gained from

testing the possible explanation for an observation.

8. After making an observation and a(n) logical explanation

drawn from prior knowledge, the next step in a scientific

investigation is to develop a hypothesis.

9. Scientists make statements of what will happen next in a

sequence of events based on information they think

they will find when they test their hypotheses.

6 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

A. Understanding Science

1. The investigation and exploration of natural events and the new information that

results from those investigations is called .

2. Marie Curie was a scientist who won two Nobel prizes in the early 1900s for her

work with .

B. Branches of Science

1. The study of matter and energy is called .

2. The study of natural processes that occur on and deep within

is called Earth science.

3. is the study of all organisms and the many processes

that occur in them.

C. What is Scientific Inquiry?

1. When scientists want to answer questions about the natural world, they

conduct .

2. is a series of skills used to answer questions.

3. Using one or more of your senses to gather information and taking note of what

occurs is called making .

4. A logical explanation of an observation that is drawn from prior knowledge

or experience is called a(n) .

5. A hypothesis is a possible explanation for an observation that can be tested

by scientific .

6. A statement about what will happen next in a sequence of events is called

a(n) .

7. Testing a hypothesis includes: design a(n) , make

a model, gather and evaluate evidence, and collect data/record observations.

8. Three ways to analyze are: graph results, classify

information, and make calculations.

9. To communicate their results, scientists might write scientific

articles, speak at science conferences, or exchange

information on the Internet.

Scientific Problem Solving 7

Name Date Class

Lesson Outline continued

D. Scientific Theory

1. An explanation of observations or events based on knowledge gained from many

observations and investigations is called a(n) .

2. The theory, which explains the behavior and energy

of particles that make up a gas, is an example of a scientific theory.

E. Scientific Law

1. A rule that describes a repeatable pattern in nature is called

a(n) .

2. A scientific law only states that a pattern will happen; it does not explain

or how the pattern happens.

F. Results of Scientific Inquiry

1. The practical use of scientific knowledge, especially for

or commercial use, is called technology.

2. Scientific investigations can lead to the discovery of

or events such as colliding galaxies.

3. Scientific investigations are often launched to answer

who, , when, where, or how questions.

G. Evaluating Scientific Information

1. information is information that is incorrectly

represented as being scientific.

2. Comparing what you already know with the information you are given, in order

to decide whether you agree with it, is called .

H. Science cannot answer all questions.

1. Science cannot answer questions that deal with , values,

personal opinions, and feelings.

2. Science cannot answer some questions because it is impossible to objectively collect

about these topics.

I. Safety in Science

1. You should always wear equipment when you begin

scientific inquiry.

2. To be safe while doing science, you should learn the meaning of

symbols.

8 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Directions: On the line before each definition, write the letter of the term that matches it correctly. Each term is

used only once.

1. a statement of what will happen next in a

sequence of events

2. an explanation of observations or events that is

based on knowledge from many observations and

investigations

3. a logical explanation of an observation that is

drawn from prior knowledge or experience

4. a possible explanation for an observation that can

be tested by scientific investigations

5. the investigation and exploration of natural

events and the new information that results from

those investigations

6. using one or more of your senses to gather

information and taking note of what occurs

7. a rule that describes a repeatable pattern in nature

8. the practical use of scientific knowledge,

especially for industrial or commercial use

9. comparing what you already know with the

information you are given in order to decide

whether you agree with it

A. science

B. observation

C. hypothesis

D. prediction

E. inference

F. scientific theory

G. critical thinking

H. technology

I. scientific law

Scientific Problem Solving 9

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Some terms

may be used more than once or not at all.

branches earth science hypothesis kinetic molecular theory

law of conservation life science natural organisms

physical science processes radioactivity science

1. Marie Curie was a scientist who won two Nobel prizes in the early 1900s for her work

with .

2. Scientific study is organized into several , or parts.

3. Physics, the study of matter and energy, is a(n) .

4. Earth scientists study the many that occur on Earth.

5. Life scientists study life and the many processes that occur in

living .

6. Often, scientists begin the process of scientific inquiry by observing the

world.

7. After scientists create a(n) , they try to predict the results or

conclusions of their observations.

8. The explains that the particles that make up a gas move

in constant, random motion.

9. The of energy states that in any chemical reaction or

physical process, energy is not created or destroyed.

10. cannot answer questions that deal with beliefs, values,

personal opinions, and feelings.

10 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Directions: Use your textbook to complete the activity.

Fill in the table to describe some of the steps in scientific inquiry. For each step, write a

detailed description in the right column of the table.

|Step |Description |

|Ask questions |a. |

|Hypothesize and predict |b. |

|Test hypothesis |c. |

|Analyze results |d. |

|Draw conclusions |e. |

|Communicate results |f. |

Scientific Problem Solving 11

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Key Concept What are some steps used during scientific inquiry?

Directions: Answer each question or respond to each statement on the lines provided.

1. How do scientists help shape the future?

2. Describe how Marie Curie overcame bias to excel in science.

3. What are some of the technologies made possible by the pioneering work of Marie

Curie and her associates?

4. What is unique about the series of procedures used in the scientific method?

5. Describe the relationship between hypotheses and predictions.

12 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Key Concept What are some steps used during scientific inquiry?

Directions: Use the diagram to answer each question or respond to each statement on the lines provided.

1. At which stage of scientific inquiry would you state a problem?

2. Why do you think Hypothesize and Predict are paired?

Directions: Draw another version of the scientific inquiry process in the space provided. Be sure to include each

of the following steps: Ask Questions, Hypothesize and Predict, Test Hypothesis, Analyze Results, Draw Conclusions,

Communicate Results.

Scientific Problem Solving 13

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Key Concept What are the results of scientific inquiry?

Directions: Complete the chart by writing the letter of each phrase or statement under the correct heading.

A. When a hypothesis (or a group of closely related hypotheses) is supported

through many tests over many years, this can develop.

B. Sometimes a hypothesis is used to explain a pattern in nature and if this

pattern occurs every time under the same circumstances, the hypothesis

can become this.

C. a rule that describes a pattern in nature

D. an explanation of observations or events that is based on knowledge

gained from many observations and investigations

E. usually does not develop from a single hypothesis, but from many

hypotheses that are connected by a common idea

F. kinetic molecular theory

G. law of conservation of energy

H. based on repeated observations and can be rejected or modified

|Scientific Theory |Scientific Law |Both |

| | | |

14 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Key Concept What is critical thinking?

Directions: On the line before each answer, write the letter of the question that matches it correctly. Each

question is used only once.

A. What is pseudoscientific information?

B. What are safety symbols?

C. What is critical thinking?

D. What is skepticism?

E. How does skepticism relate to scientific literacy?

F. What should be done if new information sounds unreliable?

G. What is an opinion?

1. a personal view, feeling, or claim about a topic

2. comparing what you already know with the information you are given in order

to decide whether you agree with it

3. icons meant to alert you to hazards in scientific investigations

4. research and find more information about the topic or dismiss the information

as unreliable

5. A scientifically literate person investigates information to see if it is misrepresented.

6. doubting the truthfulness of something

7. something that is incorrectly presented as scientific

Scientific Problem Solving 15

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

When did science begin?

The word science comes from the Latin

word scientia, meaning “knowledge.” In its

broadest sense, science refers to any

organized body of knowledge that can

result in a prediction. As it is used today,

science generally refers to a system of

gaining knowledge about the natural world

by using the scientific method, which you

learned about in this lesson. So is the

scientific method a modern invention?

Natural Philosophy

Before the 1700s, the study of nature was

referred to as natural philosophy. Natural

philosophers studied nature by thinking

about it. One of the most famous natural

philosophers was Aristotle, who lived in the

fourth century B.C. Aristotle’s method was to

summarize previous thinking about a subject

and then present his own arguments and

ideas. Aristotle based his explanations on

how things appeared to the senses. For

example, he stated that heavier things fall

faster—the speed being proportional to the

weight. He did not experiment, though.

Was Aristotle correct?

If you drop a stone and a piece of paper,

the heavier object falls faster. This made

Aristotle’s idea seem logical. But had he

actually dropped two objects that were not

affected by air resistance, such as a brick

and a half-brick, he would have seen that

they fell at the same speed. Aristotle was so

highly respected that, even when later

scientists showed that his ideas were

incorrect, some people did not believe it.

Scientific Methods

Many think that scientific methods began

with the scientific revolution in Europe in

the 1600s. Actually, the first experimental

scientific method was used by several

scientists in about 1000 A.D.

Isaac Newton is often credited with major

discoveries about light and optics in the

1700s. More than 700 years earlier, a

scientist named Alhazen experimented with

reflection, refraction, mirrors, and lenses. He

also calculated the speed of light and knew

that white light contained all the colors.

The word empirical refers to testing

hypotheses using observation or

experiment. Alhazen developed the use of

empirical methods. He quantified his

observations by making careful

measurements and is often know as the

father of the scientific method. Other

scientists of the time used similar methods

to study effective medical treatments,

motion, and astronomy.

Applying Critical-Thinking Skills

Directions: Answer each question or respond to each statement.

1. Evaluate the following idea: Because a person has ideas that seem to explain much of

what we observe in nature, no experiments need to be done to prove those ideas.

2. Apply If Aristotle was incorrect about falling objects, why do the paper and brick

appear to fall at the different speeds? Under what conditions would paper and a brick

fall at the same speed?

16 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Hypotheses and Predictions

You have learned that a hypothesis is a possible explanation that can be tested through

observation and experimentation. Hypotheses must be testable; that is, you must be able to

conduct tests based on the hypothesis and observe results, or the hypothesis is invalid. For

example, consider the following hypothesis: A universe exactly like ours exists next to ours,

but we have no way to contact it. You cannot contact the alternate universe, so the

hypothesis cannot be tested and is invalid. However, the following hypothesis is valid: If I

bounce a tennis ball on the Moon, then it will bounce higher than it did on Earth because

there is less gravity. This statement can be tested.

Not only must a hypothesis be testable, it must be possible to disprove the hypothesis.

Consider this hypothesis: Sea monster repellent works because no one has ever seen a sea

monster while using it. To disprove this hypothesis, someone would have to see a sea monster

while using the repellent. Because this cannot happen, you cannot disprove the hypothesis

and it is invalid.

Hypotheses are part of predictions, but these predictions are not about something that will

occur in the future. They are about something that is occurring right now but has not been

explained. Some predictions suggest the reason something occurs or a connection between

two or more events. Observations can lead to the development of a hypothesis, and a

prediction is written based on that hypothesis.

Identify a Valid Hypothesis

For the following statements, circle VH (for valid hypothesis) or NVH (for not a valid

hypothesis.) For those that aren’t valid, briefly explain what is wrong with them.

1. Dinosaurs became extinct because mammals ate all the dinosaur eggs. VH NVH

2. The best method of curing hiccups is to hold your breath. VH NVH

3. These plants grow faster when planted in compost rather than in soil. VH NVH

4. The presence of air will not affect the rate of fall of an object. VH NVH

Scientific Problem Solving 17

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Matching

Directions: On the line before each definition, write the letter of the term that matches it correctly. Each term is

used only once.

Matching Set 1

1. using one or more senses to gather information

and take note of what occurs

2. a possible explanation for an observation that can

be tested by scientific investigations

3. the practical use of scientific knowledge, especially

for industrial or commercial use

A. hypothesis

B. observation

C. technology

Matching Set 2

4. the investigation and exploration of natural

events and of the new information that results

from those investigations

5. comparing what you already know with the

information you are given in order to decide

whether you agree with it

6. a logical explanation of an observation that is

drawn from prior knowledge and experience

D. inference

E. science

F. critical thinking

Completion

Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Each term

is used only once.

life science physical science scientific law scientific theory

7. Chemical reactions, gravity, and atoms are topics in the field

of .

8. A is an explanation of observations or events that is based

on knowledge gained from many observations and investigations.

9. The field of includes the topics of cells and the interactions

of living things.

10. A is a rule that describes a repeatable pattern in nature.

18 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

LESSON 1

Scientific Inquiry

Matching

Directions: On the line before each definition, write the letter of the term that matches it correctly. Not all terms

are used.

1. using one or more senses to gather information

and take note of what occurs

2. a possible explanation for an observation that can

be tested by scientific investigations

3. the practical use of scientific knowledge, especially

for industrial or commercial use

4. the investigation and exploration of natural

events and of the new information that results

from those investigations

5. comparing what you already know with the

information you are given in order to decide

whether you agree with it

6. a logical explanation of an observation that is

drawn from prior knowledge and experience

A. inference

B. hypothesis

C. observation

D. technology

E. critical thinking

F. science

G. scientific law

Completion

Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Not all

terms are used.

Earth science life science physical science

scientific investigation scientific law scientific theory

7. Chemical reactions, gravity, and atoms are topics in the field

of .

8. A(n) is an explanation of observations or events that is

based on knowledge gained from many observations and investigations.

9. The field of includes the topics of cells and the interactions

of living things.

10. A(n) is a rule that describes a repeatable pattern in nature.

Scientific Problem Solving 19

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Content Vocabulary

Lesson Outline

Content Practice A

Content Practice B

School to Home

Key Concept Builder

Key Concept Builder

Repeat several

times to confirm

Test Hypothesis

• Design an experiment

• Make a model

• Gather and evaluate

evidence

• Collect data/record

observations

Hypothesize

and

Predict

Ask Questions

• Make observations

• State a problem

• Gather information

Modify/Revise

Hypothesis

Key Concept Builder

Key Concept Builder

Enrichment

Challenge

Lesson Quiz A

Lesson Quiz B

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