Scientific Method

Notice
What do you notice?

Wonder
What do you wonder?

Image: Notice and Wonder

Vocabulary Term

Definition

Example Sentence

observation

hypothesis

conclusion

experiment

data

the act of noticing or perceiving something

She made an observation about the
behavior of the birds in her backyard.

Review Vocabulary

an educated guess or explanation based on limited
evidence

a decision or judgment reached after considering all the
information

a scientific procedure carried out to test a hypothesis or
demonstrate a known fact

facts or information collected and used for analysis

His hypothesis was that plants grow
better with sunlight.

Based on their research, they came to the
conclusion that exercise improves memory.

They conducted an experiment to see if
temperature affects the rate of plant growth.

The scientists recorded the data from
their study in a spreadsheet.

Take Notes Here:

The scientific method is a way that scientists use to solve problems and find
answers to questions they have. It has several steps that help scientists
organize their thinking and gather evidence to support their ideas. The first step
is to make an observation, which means noticing something interesting in the
world around you. For example, a biologist might observe that a certain kind of
cancer can't be treated with chemotherapy and wonder why. The next step is to
ask a question about what you observed. This helps scientists focus their
thinking and come up with a problem to solve. After that, scientists come up
with a hypothesis, which is an educated guess about how things work. A
hypothesis is like a possible answer to the question. Scientists then test their
hypothesis by doing experiments and collecting data. They analyze the data to
see if it supports their hypothesis or not. Finally, scientists draw conclusions
based on their data and decide if their hypothesis is correct or not. If it's not
correct, they might come up with a new hypothesis and start the process over
again. The scientific method is used by scientists in many different fields, like
chemistry, physics, and psychology. It helps them find answers to their
questions and learn more about the world around us.

Read and Take Notes

Which answer did you pick and why?

Multiple Choice Question

A) Making an observation

B) Asking a question

C) Coming up with a hypothesis

D) Testing the hypothesis

1. What is the first step of the scientific method?

Which answer did you pick and why?

Multiple Choice Question

A) A possible answer to a question

B) Collecting data from experiments

C) Drawing conclusions based on data

D) Analyzing evidence to support ideas

2. What is a hypothesis in the scientific method?

Which answer did you pick and why?

Multiple Choice Question

A) To organize their thinking

B) To find answers to questions

C) To conduct experiments

D) To make observations

3. Why do scientists use the scientific method?

Write your response below:

Short Answer

Question

1. What is the purpose

of the scientific

method?

Write your response below:

Short Answer

Question

2. What are the steps

of the scientific

method?

Write your response below:

Short Answer

Question

3. Why is it important
for scientists to test
their hypotheses?

Your Response:

Student #1:

Discuss With Your Group

Instructions:

Start by writing down

your answer to the

question above. Include
in your response what
you learned from the

reading and any

background knowledge
or real world connections

you can make to the

prompt.

Share your response
with three classmates.

Take notes on their

responses as well in the

provided boxes.

Student #2:

Student #3:

1. How can you use the scientific method in your everyday life?

Your Response:

Student #1:

Discuss With Your Group

Instructions:

Start by writing down

your answer to the

question above. Include
in your response what
you learned from the

reading and any

background knowledge
or real world connections

you can make to the

prompt.

Share your response
with three classmates.

Take notes on their

responses as well in the

provided boxes.

Student #2:

Student #3:

2. Can you think of a problem or question that you have observed in your own life? How could you apply the scientific method to find an answer
or solution?

Your Response:

Student #1:

Discuss With Your Group

Instructions:

Start by writing down

your answer to the

question above. Include
in your response what
you learned from the

reading and any

background knowledge
or real world connections

you can make to the

prompt.

Share your response
with three classmates.

Take notes on their

responses as well in the

provided boxes.

Student #2:

Student #3:

3. Why do you think it is important for scientists to draw conclusions based on data? How does this relate to making decisions in
your own life?

Comparison: List Similarities and Differences

Similarities in Answers

My Answer

Groups Answer