Lesson 1.2 The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge Grade 8

​Science Root of the Day

​DO NOW: Infer what the example Words mean in your lab manual.


Extra Credit: Find three additional words that use this root and write them and their definition in the space in your lab manual (6 Points Max)

The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge

Dr. Percy Lavon Julian started his scientific journey by trying to separate different compounds in plants. Through his discoveries, he was able to develop and mass produce many life saving medicine and technologies.

Multiple Choice

Review Question: Scientists use past experience or evidence to make _____________________ about what

will happen in the future.

• Classifications

• Observations

• Predictions

• Inferences

Multiple Choice

Review Question: To draw a conclusion, scientists must ____________________ data from an investigation.

• Model

• Classify

• Predict

• Analyze

Multiple Choice

True or False: A qualitative observation involves descriptions that cannot be expressed in numbers.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Tools, such as the microscope, can help scientists when they are observing.

• True

• False

Lesson Objectives

• Explain what is involved in Scientific investigations

  • Discuss what characterizes science and its methods

• Compare and Contrast Scientific vs. Nonscientific views

What do Scientific Investigations involve?

• ​In additions to the skills scientists practice, a scientist needs to have a specific attitude toward their work

  • Creative, honest, curious, open-minded​

  • Need to be willing to accept new ideas, but also be skeptical

    • Skepticism: having an attitude of doubt​

      • Helps keep scientists from accepting faulty ideas blindly

  ​

What do Scientific Investigations involve?

• Scientists also need to preform investigations in a scientific way

  • Collecting evidence and using that evidence to make inferences and conclusions

Collecting Evidence

• Data: Facts, figures, and other evidence collected during a scientific investigation

  • Empirical evidence: Data collected using scientific processes that describe particular observations​

• All scientific investigations involve collections of empirical evidence

  • During the crow study, researchers wrote down their observations of the crows in notebooks as they walked

• After data is collected, scientists carefully look through it to find patterns

  • Patterns can help in making good inferences​

Objective and subjective reasoning

• Objective Reasoning: Reasoning that is based on evidence

  • Can't be easily disproven

  • Example: Crows have two wings, so they can fly

• Subjective reasoning: Reasoning based on feelings or personal values

  • Can be argued or debated​

  • Crows are ugly birds, so they aren't very smart

Multiple Choice

Is the following objective or subjective reasoning: Red is a bright annoying color, so people who wear red are always loud and annoying

• Objective

• Subjective

Multiple Choice

Facts and other evidence collected during a scientific investigation are what type of evidence

• Empirical

• Amazing

• Critical

• Numerical

Multiple Choice

What are Facts, figures, and other evidence collected during a scientific investigation

• Data

• Math

• Qualifications

• studies

​Science vs Pseudoscience

• Pseudoscience: a set of beliefs based on science, but makes conclusions based without objective reasoning

  • Can be confused with legitimate science

    • Astronomy is a real science that studies and observes the planets and stars.

    • Astrology is a pseudoscience that guess how peoples lives will go based on the movement of the stars​

Multiple Choice

Science or Pseudoscience: Taurus is the name of a constellation, or pattern of stars

• Science

• Pseudoscience

Multiple Choice

Science or Pseudoscience: If you are a Taurus you are automatically a loyal and trustworthy person.

• Science

• Pseudoscience

Multiple Choice

Science or Pseudoscience: The star Aldebaran is the brightest burning star in the constellation taurus

• Science

• Pseudoscience

Multiple Choice

Science or Pseudoscience: Each year Taurus reaches its highest point in the sky in January

• Science

• Pseudoscience

Multiple Choice

Science or Pseudoscience: Bulls are colorblind, so people whose zodiac sign is Taurus can't tell red or green apart

• Science

• Pseudoscience

Open Ended

Why is it important to distinguish between science and pseudoscience? Give an example of how someone could be effected by a mistake.