What is Science?

What is Science?

By Amy Amsbaugh

​Science is the study of the wonders of the universe. A scientist is a person who spends time trying to learn about things God has made. There is a huge museum in New Zealand that has many displays ​of animals and birds from all over the world. Above the entrance is a Bible text from Job 26: "Lo, these are parts of His ways: but how little a portion is heard of Him!" Even the greatest scientists understand only a small part of the wonderful things God has made.

​How do Scientists learn?

​Scientists learn in the same ways as other people.

1. They look carefully. They observe.

2. They gather information and try to think clearly.

3. They try to make sensible guesses, or hypotheses.

4. They test their hypotheses with experiments to see whether they are correct.

​Observation

​In this chapter, we shall think about observation, or observing. Observation is looking carefully at something. We can learn thousands of facts by observing. One of the best places to begin your observation of the world around you is in your own back yard. There are many interesting things there that you may have never thought about before. Perhaps you can dig up a scoop of soil and look for living, moving things in it. Do you know their names?

​Look at the soil itself. Is it sandy, or is it reddish and sticky like clay or a rich, brown color? Observe the grass. Is it green and growing, or has it dried out? Can you find what look like several different grass plants? Slowly pull up one grass plant so you can observe its roots.

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Comprehension Check 1.1

1. Name four ways that scientists (and other people) learn.

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2. What is Observation?