Scientific Method Stations - Science with Ms. Hawks

Looking at the questions in this station, categorize them as testable or non-testable. THEN, change

TWO of the non-testable questions to testable. Record you answers on your stations guide.

TESTABLE

NON-TESTABLE

A. Do larger or smaller

seeds make prettier

flowers?

B. Why does doing

homework help your

grades?

C. Which planet is the

most interesting one to

study?

D. Which pill design ¨C

tablet, caplet, or capsule

¨C will dissolve faster?

E. Will my plant grow?

F. Will the amount of

water increase plant

height?

G. Will the type of fertilizer H. Does the size of the pot

affect the number of fruits affect the number of plant

produced by the plant?

roots?

A good hypothesis:

? is a statement that explains an observation or an educated guess about

how things work.

? is written as an "If, then" statement

? is testable (measurable ?you need to be able to measure both "what you

do" and "what will happen¡±)

? uses the words ¡°increase¡± or ¡°decrease¡±

Choose from the testable questions below and create 5 different hypotheses.

A. What effect does studying with music have on student test scores?

B. Does giving chocolate to teachers decrease the amount of homework?

C. How does the brand of diaper affect how much liquid the diaper can hold?

D. How does the type of liquid used to make ice cubes affect the rate at which it melts?

E. How does the type of material (cotton, plastic, rubber) affect the amount of water it can

absorb?

F. How does the height of a ramp affect the distance a toy car rolls?

G. How does fertilizer effect the growth of a plant?

H. How does temperature affect the length of time it takes for mold to grow on bread?

I. How does the size of a rubber ball affect the height of its bounce?

J. How does music effect the growth of a plant?

THINGS TO REMEMBER¡­

Variable- Something that is changed.

In scientific experiments there are two variables- One that you control and one that is the result.

Independent Variable- ¡°The Cause¡±

? The one thing that is changed in

an experiment

? This variable makes one test

¡°independent¡± of another test

? On a graph it is on the xaxis(along the bottom)

Dependent Variable- ¡°The Effect¡±

? The result of the experiment

? What is measured

? This ¡°depends¡± on what you

changed

? On a graph, it is on the yaxis(along the vertical side)

******The independent variable causes the dependent variable to

change******

Think of it like this¡­ The _______________ causes the ____________________ to

change

In the following hypotheses, identify the independent and dependent variables

A. If you increase the number of cigarettes you smoke, then you will increase your risk for lung

cancer.

B.

If you increase the amount of blood in the water, then you will increase the number of sharks

in the area.

C. If you increase the amount of milk you drink, then you will increase the strength of your bones.

D. If you increase the number of hours you spend in practice, then you will increase the number

of free throw shots you will make.

E. If the amount of sugar added to water is increased, then the amount of hummingbirds

attracted to the water will increase

THINGS TO REMEMBER¡­

OBSERVATIONS...

? A statement describing a fact.

? When you observe you become aware

of something using one of your senses. If

you see, smell, taste, or hear something

you are observing it. You simply describe

something as it appears.

? Sometimes scientists must make very

careful observations. Often, their senses

are not good enough. Some things can¡¯t

be observed using human sense.

(Examples: radiation, sound waves, and

atoms)

INFERENCES¡­

? An inference is a statement based on an

interpretation of the facts.

? When you infer you make a mental

judgment based on observations.

? Can¡¯t be directly observed. They require

thought.

Categorize each statement as an observation or inference.

OBSERVATION

INFERENCE

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