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Thinking Like a Scientist and Scientific Inquiry
Approval Form Items and their
format
 Question:
What is the effect of __________ on _________?
 Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the
effects of ______________ on ______________.
 Hypothesis:
If ___________, then _______________________.
What skills do scientists use to
learn about the world?
1. Observing = using one or more of your senses to
gather information. Your senses include sight, hearing,
touch, taste, and smell.
 Quantitative observations = deal with number, or
amount
 Qualitative observations = deal with descriptions that
cannot be expressed in numbers
Jane Goodall spent countless hours
among chimpanzees – quietly
following them, taking notes, and
carefully observing.
What skills do scientists use to
learn about the world?
2. Inferring = explain or interpret the things you observe
 Does not mean guessing wildly
 Based on reasoning from what you already know
Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee peer into a
hollow in a tree. The chimp picked off a handful of
leaves from a tree and chewed on them. Then it
took the leaves out of its mouths and pushed
them into the tree hollow. The chimp pulled the
leaves back out, and Jane saw it filled with water.
The chimp put the wet leaves back in its mouth.
What was the chimpanzee doing? Jane reasoned
that the chimp was using chewed leaves to get the
water out of the tree.
What skills do scientists use to
learn about the world?
3. Predicting – making a forecast of what will happen in
the future based on past experience or evidence
Jane learned that
when a chimpanzee
is frightened or
angry, its hairs
stand on end.
Therefore, if Jane
sees a chimp with its
hairs on end, she can
predict that there
might be danger and
move away.
What skills do scientists use to
learn about the world?
4. Classifying – the process of grouping together items
that are alike in some way.
Jane wanted to know how much time Jomeo
spent feeing or resting in the morning. She
found out some information by classifying
Jomeo’s actions into several categories. She
grouped together all the information about
Jomeo’s feeding habits and his resting
behaviors.
What skills do scientists use to
learn about the world?
5. Making Models – creating representations of complex
objects or processes.
 Helps people study and understand things that are
complex or that can’t be observed directly
Is there a relationship between air
temperature and cricket’s chirping?
 Scientific inquiry – the diverse ways in which scientists
study the natural world and propose explanations
based on the evidence they gather.
Step #1 = Posing Questions
 Scientific Inquiry begins with a problem or question
about an observation
1.
The Effect question:
What is the effect of ___________ on _____________?
sunlight
eye color
oil
2.
on the growth of plants
pupil dilation
a ramp
The How Does Affect Question:
How does the _____________ affect ________________?
color of light
the growth of plants
humidity
the growth of fungi
Now its your turn:
 Create your science fair question using either “Effect
Question”, or the “How does Affect Question”
What is the effect of air temperature on the number of
chirps a cricket makes?
Step #2 = Developing a Hypothesis
 A hypothesis is a possible explanation for a set of
observations or answer to a scientific question.
 It is not a fact, but instead, it is only one possible way
to explain a group of observations.
 It must be testable. This means that researchers must
be able to carry out investigations and gather evidence
that will either support or disprove the hypothesis.
Example of a Hypothesis
If crickets are placed in a 30 degree Celsius environment,
then their chirping rate will increase by 25% .
Examples of Hypotheses
 If classical music is played while Wisconsin Fast Plants grow, then the
Wisconsin Fast Plants will grow taller to when rap, rock and roll, or country is
played.
 If the subject plays Halo 2 for 30 minutes, then his/her heart rate will rise by
30%.
 If the color placed in front of the heat lamp is a dark color such as the color
black, then the energy absorbed will increase by eight degrees Celsius when
exposed to the energy source for 9 minutes.
 If the level of acetic acid in orange juice is reduced by 25%, then the vitamin C
content will not be altered.
 If channel depth is decreased on the wave’s amplitude, then the amplitude of
the wave will increase.
Now its your turn:
 Now it is time to PREDICT what you think will happen
if you test your problem. This type of “SMART GUESS”
or PREDICTION is what real scientists call a
HYPOYTHESIS.
 How do you begin? Just answer this very simple
question:
What do you think will happen, (even before you start
your experiment)?
 Then, write the statement using the following format:
 If ________________, then _________________.
 Include specifics by quantifying items within this
statement; percent, amount of, time, etc.
Variables
 To test your hypothesis scientists design san
experiment in such a way that an experiment will yield
results that will either support or not support their
hypothesis.
1. Controlling Experiments:
2. Setting up a Controlled Experiment
3. Forming Operational Definitions
Variables –
Step #1 = Controlling Variables
 Manipulated Variable = Independent Variable
 The one variable that is purposely changed to test a
hypothesis
 Responding Variable = Dependent Variable
 The factor that may change in response to the
manipulated variable.
 Other Variables = all other factors that can change in
an experiment, but must be exactly the same
Variables –
Step #1 = Controlling Variables
Hypothesis = If crickets are placed in a 30 degree Celsius
environment, then their chirping rate will increase by
25% .
Independent variable = air temperature
Dependent variable = number of cricket chirps
Other variables to control = type of crickets, type of
container, type of thermometer used, the time of day
data is recorded.
Variables – Step #2
Setting up a Controlled Experiment
 Controlled Experiment = an experiment in which only
one variable is manipulated at a time
 Includes a control group = a group in which not
variables are changed; offering you the ability to
compare experimental groups to the control groups.
Variables – Step #3 =
Forming Operational Definitions
 Operational Definition is a statement that describes
how to measure a particular variable or define a
particular term.
 For example, in the experiment with crickets, one
would need to determine what sounds will count as a
single “chirp”.
Approval Form Items and their
format
 Question:
What is the effect of __________ on _________?
 Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the
effects of ______________ on ______________.
 Hypothesis:
If ___________, then _______________________.