Unit 1 Study Guide: Scientific Method Name:
Period: Date:
Helpful Pages In Your Textbook: Pages 11-21, especially the diagram on page 17 Key Vocabulary: Observation, inference, testable question, hypothesis, independent variable (IV), dependent variable (DV), controlled variable (CV), control group Labs/Demos: Investigating Termite Behavior, Potato Candle, Biology Boxes, Maze Investigations I can distinguish between observations & inferences. - What is an observation? Can you give examples? - Can we use tools like balances, thermometers, microscopes to help us make observations? - How is an inference different from an observation? Can you give examples of an inference? - Given a picture or example, be able to list observations & inferences about it. - Practice: Make at least 3 observations and 3 inferences about each of the situations pictured below:
-
Why is it important to distinguish between observations & inferences? What did we learn about observations & inferences from the potato candle demo in class? What did we learn about observations & inferences from the biology boxes in class?
I can develop a testable question. - Can all questions be investigated scientifically? Give examples of questions that cannot. - A good testable question has a specific IV and measurable DV. o Practice: Please make these question specific and measurable: § How does listening to music affect learning? § Does eating meat make you healthier? § Does mosquito repellant reduce your risk of getting the Zika virus? - The best testable questions require more than one data point to answer. o Example: “How does the color of pen affect how long a termite will follow a line?” is better than “Does a termite follow black bic ink for at least 30 seconds?” o Using the format “How does __(IV)__ affect __(DV)__?” is a good way to do this! o Practice: Please put these questions in “How does __(IV)__ affect __(DV)__?” format. § Will a termite follow a red gel pen? § Does the type of ink affect how long a termite will follow a line? § Can a termite follow pointy shapes like triangles? - Given some background information about a topic, be able to write a testable question to investigate it. I can design an investigation with independent, dependent, and controlled variables (aka IV, DV, and CVs!) - What is the difference between the independent and dependent variables? - How many independent variables should you have in an experiment? Why? - What are controlled variables? Why are they important? - Given a description of an experiment, be able to identify the IV, DV and CVs. - What did the maze mini-lab teach us about controlled variables? - Practice: Rework the practice problems from handout 1-5: Practice with Variables
I can design a control group to compare the results of my investigation. - What is a control group? Why is it important? (Hint: Use the word “compare.”) - Be careful - control groups are totally different from controlled variables! How are they different? - How do you determine what the control group should be in an experiment? - Given an experiment, be able to identify or design a control group. - What was the control in the maze mini-lab? - Practice: Testable Question
IV
DV
Control? (Observed the DV without the IV)
How does the amount of protein you eat affect how much muscle you have?
Amount of extra protein given to each player
Muscle mass gained by each player
How much muscle gained by players who did not receive any extra protein
How does the amount of sunlight a sunflower gets affect its height?
Amount of sunlight given to each flower
Height of the flower
How does the type of antibiotic used affect how many bacteria are killed?
Type of antibiotic
How many bacteria are killed
I can use evidence to support my conclusions. - Which of the following should be included in the conclusions section of your lab? o Observations/data, inferences, background knowledge, level of confidence, ideas for next steps/next investigations - If I include information from my background knowledge in my conclusions, what must I do? - Given a description of an investigation and its results, be able to state a logical conclusion and identify logical next steps. Use evidence to support this thinking. - Practice: 1. In the termite lab, Sam draws the shapes below. He uses red Bic for the square, blue Papermate for the circle, and black Gel for the triangle. The termite follows the square and circle for equal amounts of time, but does not follow the triangle. What, if anything, can Sam conclude from this investigation? What should Sam’s next investigation look like?
2.
In the termite lab, Justin draws the shapes below. Each square is drawn with a different color Papermate pen. The termite follows all of the squares for equal amounts of time. What can Justin conclude? What should his next investigation look like?
This page not included this year: I can explain how scientists use the scientific method to investigate the natural world. - Review the scientific method diagram on page 17 of our textbook. How is this different than the scientific method that you learned about in middle school? - What is a hypothesis? Why is it important to write a hypothesis before beginning your investigation? - What do scientists do if their investigation shows that their hypothesis is incorrect? - Why is it important to write clear, specific procedures? Who else might read them? - Why do scientists share their results & conclusions with others? - What must happen before the results & conclusions from an experiment will become accepted as valid by the scientific community? I can use graphs to summarize and communicate my data. - How do you know when to use a bar graph vs a line graph? - Which variable always goes on the X axis? The Y axis? - How do you decide on the best scale (numbers) for the X & Y axes? - What should your title include? - Be able to create a complete graph, given the data from an experiment. - Practice:
1) Kaylee burned a wax candle under jars of different sizes/volumes (measured in mL) to see if the volume of the jar affects the length of time (in seconds) the candle burns. Here is her data: Size/Volume of Jar Time Until Candle Goes Out (in mL) (in seconds) 30 15 50 20 70 32 90 40
2) Emily tested three types of candles to see which burned faster. The candles are all exactly the same except for the type of wax. Here is her data: Type of Candle Time Until Candle Goes Out (in minutes) Beeswax 1.2 Soy 5.0 Paraffin 3.3 Bayberry 2.8
