Download Introduction to Science

Introduction to Science
A way of learning about the
natural world is called science.
Steps to Scientific Inquiry or
Scientific Method






State the problem or ask a question.
Research information.
Form a hypothesis using IF and THEN
statement.
Design and carry out an experiment.
Record and interpret data.
Draw a conclusion.
State the problem.
Will fertilizer help tomato plants
grow?
Research information
Go to the library.
Ask a resource person (college,
greenhouse, gardener, etc.)
Research on the internet.
Read magazines, books, etc.
Form a hypothesis.
If fertilizer is added to the soil,
then the plant will grow taller.
Design and carry out an
experiment.
Manipulated variable (independent
variable)-variable that is being
changed.
Responding variable (dependent
variable) –variable that changes
due to the manipulated variable.
Controlled experiment
An experiment in which all
variables are kept constant except
one.
Examples: sunlight, soil, water,
size of containers, depth of seeds,
type of fertilizer, amount of
fertilizer, temperature, etc.
Collect data.
May be written observations or
numbers. Metric is always used in
science.
Interpret Data
Look for patterns or trends. (Ex:
the rate of growth; the end
results; the average growth, etc.)
Draw Conclusions
Was your hypothesis supported or
not? Your hypothesis does not
always have to be right.