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
-----------------------
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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