Nature of Science (5th grade)

Nature of Science

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Science is the study of the natural world using scientific tools and methods.

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How do Scientists Answer Questions

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​Questions and Investigations

Scientists look for answers by doing experiments and making observations. They keep records to share what they learn. They use their results to form explanations. A scientific explanation is an answer based on evidence.

Evidence is what scientists gather from experiments and observations. ​

Science | 5th grade

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Multiple Choice

What is science?

• Research

• A scientist

• It is what it is

• The study of the natural world

Fill in the Blank

How do scientists answer questions?

Open Ended

Why do scientists look for evidence during investigations?

Reference materials help scientists learn more about their subjects. Reference materials include encyclopedias, books, journals, and certain websites on the Internet.

Reference Materials

Science is focused on answering new questions. Designing a new experiment requires them to think of new ways to solve problems. ​

Creativity

Open Ended

Think about measuring the temperature of ocean water at different depths. How would you do it quickly and safely?

How do scientists work together?

​ When a scientific investigation is repeated in exactly the same way, the results should be the same. Scientists compare their results.

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Scientists use the same tools and the same conditions. ​If the results are different, it is important to find out why.

Science| 5th grade

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Open Ended

You and a classmate get different results in an investigation. What question should you ask to find out why?

Open Ended

Why is it important for scientists to get similar results when performing the same investigation?

​During an investigation, scientists keep records of what they observe. Records can be written notes, drawings, charts, or graphs.

Records can be written in a notebook or on a computer. Records should be accurate.​ Good records can help find what was different if two investigations give different results.

​​Keeping Records

​Scientists communicate with other scientists to share what they learned.

Communication

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Open Ended

How could a scientist use a computer to communicate with another scientist?

How do scientists use evidence?

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An opinion is a personal belief and is not always based on facts. ​

​Opinion

Empirical evidence is information that can be verified or disproven. It includes measurements and observations. ​Scientists use evidence to support their conclusions.

Empirical Evidence

Poll

What is empirical evidence?

• Information that can be verified or disproven

• Measurements

• Observations

• All of the above

Open Ended

How is empirical evidence different than a scientific opinion?

Scientists often use models to help them understand something. Models are objects or ideas that represent other things. A model shows only part of the object or system that it represents.​

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​What are scientific models?

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Models can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

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Scientists also use computers to make models.​

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​Models

There are different ways to learn about nature. One way is through observation. When scientists make observations, they do not change anything.​

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​Investigations and Experiments

In an experiment, scientists make a change to the thing they are observing. The thing that they change is called the variable.

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​Investigations and Experiments

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Open Ended

You want to learn how far the water is moving in an ocean current. Would you do an experiment or make an observation? Why?

Fill in the Blank

What is an example of a variable in an experiment that looks at salt dissolving in water?

Open Ended

How do observations and experiments differ?