The Scientific Method

CG KHOA

With Teacher Toby

The Scientific Method

• What is it?

• What can we use it for?

• Examples

What is the Scietific Method?

It is a system/process that we can all use to find answers to questions.

It has many steps that we can follow.

Step 1: Observation

The first step of the scientific process involves making observations.

For example:

What do you see, hear, taste, smell, feel? What did you notice about the rocks? Can you tell me about the your friends behavior? What do you notice about the plants?

Step 2: Question

Form questions from your problem. Think about what you want to find out. Your questions have to be measurable.

For example: I wonder what will happen if the rocks get wet? I wonder why my friend is being quiet? I wonder why these plants are dying?

Step 3: Hypothesis

 A hypothesis is like a guess or prediction to answer the question.

For example:

I think the rock will change colour?

I think that my friend is sad?

I think these plants have not had enough water?

Step 4: Experiment

Plan a test for your hypothesis. Write down the steps you will use.

For example:

Pour water on the rock and see if the colour changes.

Asking your friend how they are feeling.

Add water to one of the plants to see if it improves.

Step 5: Analysis & Conclusion

Decide if your hypothesis was correct or not?

If it is correct - you can share your results.

If it is not correct - make more observations and make a new hypothesis.

Step 6: Share results

When you have finished you can share what you have learned with others.

If your hypothesis is correct, then other scientists can try your experiment too.

If your hypothesis is wrong, other scientists can be inspired to find a correct hypothesis.

Multiple Choice

What is the Scientific Method?

• Doing experiments and seeing what happens

• Reading from a science book

• How you become a scientist

• A process we can use to find answers to questions

Multiple Choice

What is a hypothesis?

• A prediction to answer a question, based on what you have observed.

• A test to see if your idea was correct.

• Information you can find about something

• a large mammal from Africa

Multiple Choice

Why do we do experiments?

• Because that is the job of a scientist

• To have fun

• To test our hypothesis

• To get a good grade in science class

Multiple Choice

To make sure your experimental results are reliable, you should:

• Write more than one hypothesis

• Only do the experiment one time

• Repeat the experiment many times

• Copy an experiment from another scientist

Scientific Method Example

A simple version of how we can use the scientific method in our everyday lives.

Step 1: Observation

You go into the kitchen and turn on your kettle to make some tea, but the kettle does not work.

Step 2: Question

Why is the kettle not working?

Step 3: Hypothesis

Maybe there is a problem with the electricity?

Step 4: Experiment

Try to use your rice cooker using the same electric socket

Step 5: Analysis & Conclusion

The rice cooker works fine.

Conclusion: The kettle is broken.

Step 6: Share results

Tell your parents that the kettle is broken so they can get it repaired.

Multiple Choice

If you wake up on a Saturday morning, and notice you cannot find your phone, you have made a

• discovery

• observation

• idea

• problem

Multiple Choice

You think that you may have left your phone in your pocket. This is a

• result

• conclusion

• observation

• hypothesis

Multiple Choice

Going to check your pocket to look for your phone is an example of a

• hypothesis

• idea

• question

• experiment

Multiple Choice

If you do not find your phone in your pocket, what do you do next?

• Tell everyone that your phone WAS in your pocket

• Give up

• Check your pocket again

• Make a new hypothesis

Multiple Choice

The hypothesis is similar to making a ___________ of what the results will be in an experiment.

• Prediction

• Promise

Multiple Choice

What is the last step in the scientific method?

• Observation

• Hypothesis

• Share results

• Analysis and Conclusion