Study Jams: Scientific Methods

Study Jams: Scientific Methods

What is the Scientific Method

• Scientists are always working to better understand the world.

• They use the scientific method to help them.

• The scientific method includes making observations, forming a hypothesis, designing experiments, collecting data, and then drawing conclusions.

Vocabulary

• scientific method: the method of finding out more about the world using several steps: observations, hypotheses, designing experiments, gathering data, and drawing conclusions.

• observation: careful watching of someone or something.

• hypothesis: a temporary prediction that can be tested about how a scientifici investigation or experiment will turn out.

• experiment: a scientific test to try out a theory or to see the effect of something.

Vocabulary

• conclusion: a decision or realization based on the facts that you have.

• data: information or facts

• outcome: the result of something

• procedure: a way of doing something, especially by a series of steps.

• variables: things that can change and affect the outcome of an experiment.

Notes

• Scientists make observations about the world

• From observations, scientists develop hypotheses about how things in the world work

• scientists develop experiments to test these hypotheses

• from the data, the scientists draw conclusions about the hypotheses they are testing

Multiple Choice

Why don’t scientists stop with the first step in the Scientific Method, making observations?

• They don’t trust their own observations and want others’ opinions.

• They would rather run experiments than observe the world around them.

• They want to test what they observe to make sure it is correct.

• They don’t think that observations are a very good place to start

Multiple Choice

What is a hypothesis?

• an experiment

• a conclusion

• a prediction

• a variable

Multiple Choice

How do scientists form a hypothesis?

• by drawing conclusions from their data

• by asking questions about their observations

• by designing experiments

• by writing down everything they see

Multiple Choice

Once they form a hypothesis, what do scientists do next?

• design experiments to test their hypothesis

• draw conclusions based on their predictions

• compare their hypotheses to other scientists’

• ask the question, “Why?”

Multiple Choice

What does it mean to control variables in an experiment?

• to use different colored objects for all of the parts of an experiment

• to take complete notes about everything you observe in the experiment

• to not touch anything once you set up the parts of an experiment

• to keep as many things the same as possible across the parts of an experiment

Multiple Choice

What do scientists do when they run an experiment?

• walk away from the experiment

• write down their observations

• change parts of the experiment

• develop a hypothesis

Multiple Choice

Why do scientists write down every detail of an experiment?

• because they do not take any pictures

• so they can leave the experiment alone to run itself

• because they always change their hypothesis

• so they can do over the experiment to compare results