3. What is the Scientific Method?
• An organized plan for gathering,
organizing and communicating data
• The basic steps that scientists follow in
uncovering facts and solving scientific
problems ( a plan for solving a problem).
• Six or Seven Steps - depends on source
4. What is the Scientific Method?
• Make an Observation
• Ask a Question
• Complete Background Research
• Develop a Hypothesis
• Test your Hypothesis
• Analyze the Data
• Conclusion (Report and Share)
5. Step 1: Observation
• Everything starts with an observation
• What you perceive with your senses
What can you
observe about a
piece of paper?
6. Step 2: Forming a Question
• Based on your observations
• Develop a question or problem that can
be solved through experimentation.
Can you form a
question about
paper folding?
• Usually a “How’ or “Why” question
7. Step 2: Forming a Question
How many times
can you fold a
piece of paper?
8. Step 3: Complete Background
Research
• Collect knowledge needed to know
about the subject of the experiment
• It will be used to form a
hypothesis
9. Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
• Hypothesis = an educated prediction to
the answer of the stated problem
• Based on research and prior knowledge
Not a W.U.G. !
(Wild
Uneducated
Guess)
10. Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
• A proposed answer to your question
• There is no right or wrong hypothesis
Using our
question lets
develop a
hypothesis.
11. Format of Hypothesis
• Two accepted formats:
“I think…because…”
Or
“If…then…because…”
• Both formats include the all important
“because statement” used to justify your
prediction.
12. Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
• This is where you conduct an experiment (a
situation specially set up to observe how
something happens or to test your
hypothesis)
• Develop a set of repeatable methods
• The goal is to test your hypothesis by collecting
data
13. Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
• Includes variables - a quantity that is
measured or changed during the
experiment
Term Definition
Independent
Variable
What you are changing in the experiment
Dependent
Variable
The outcome caused by changing the
independent variable, a measurement
Control Used for comparison in your experiment
Constant What stays the same from one experiment
to the next
14. Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
What are our variables in the paper folding experiment?
independent variable cause
dependent variable effect
control comparison
constant unchanging
15. Step 6: Collect and Analyze the
Data
• Interpret the data you
gathered from your
experiment
• Observations, information and data are collected
from the experiment
• Organize the data and perform calculations
16. Step 6: Collect and Analyze the
Data
• Construct charts, graphs, averages,
percentages, etc.
Dependent
Variable
on the Y-axis
Independent Variable
on the X-axis
How would you
graph the
paper folding
experiment?
17. Step 7: Conclusion
• Does your data support your
hypothesis?
You just made a
scientific discovery.
YES
Revise or make a
new hypothesis and
test again.
NO
18. Step 7: Conclusion (Sharing)
• A summary of results,
the answer to your
question.
• What were the possible
sources of error?
• Does your data (answer)
support your hypothesis?
Why or why not?
What conclusion can you make about paper folding?
19. What about a huge sheet of paper?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAEBbotuIE&feature=share&list=TLWRT4dnDchcU
20. Why use the Scientific Method?
• A logical way to problem solve - in all
aspects of life.
• A way to share information that can be
proved or disproved.
• A way to find new information
Editor's Notes
If a paper is folded in half, then it can only be folded ________ times because it will become too thick to fold.
Independent - folding the paper Dependent - how many times it actually is folded
We conclude that our hypothesis was supported or not supported based on our data.
