What is science? Branches of science & Recurring Themes Lesson 1

Open Ended

Why do you think making careful observations is important in science?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a key reason scientists make observations during experiments?

• To gather evidence and data

• To guess the outcome

• To ignore unexpected results

• To make the experiment shorter

What are the similarities and differences between science and pseudoscience?

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank: The factor that is changed by the investigations to observe how it affects a dependent variable is called the ___.

• independent
• dependent

• control

• constant

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the difference between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas?

• Scientific ideas are based on empirical evidence and can be tested, while pseudoscientific ideas lack empirical support and do not follow scientific methods.

• Scientific ideas are always correct, while pseudoscientific ideas are always false.

• Scientific ideas are only about biology, while pseudoscientific ideas are about chemistry.

• Scientific ideas are based on opinions, while pseudoscientific ideas are based on facts.

Open Ended

Explain the fundamental goal of science in your own words.

Open Ended

How can you use scientific inquiry to find the answer to a question about the natural world?

Multiple Choice

Why is openness important in the scientific community?

• Because scientific ideas must be testable and reproducible

• Because scientists like to share secrets

• Because it makes science more fun

• Because it is required by law

Multiple Choice

Science is characterized by the use of systematic methods and ___ evidence.

• empirical
• systematic

• scientific

Multiple Select

Which of the following are characteristics of empirical evidence in science?

• It is measurable

• It is based on opinions

• It can be observed by the senses

• It includes guesses

Multiple Choice

What is the role of empirical evidence in science?

• It provides observations and data to support and evaluate scientific explanations.

• It is used only in pseudoscientific investigations.

• It is not important in forming scientific theories.

• It is only used in physical sciences.

Open Ended

Describe how specialized tools can help scientists collect more accurate and safer empirical evidence when studying dangerous phenomena like volcanoes.

Multiple Choice

Empirical evidence is the basis for scientific ___ .

• explanations
• evidence

• testable questions

Multiple Choice

What should scientists do if the results do not support their explanation?

• Reject or modify and retest the explanation

• Ignore the results

• Change the data to fit the explanation

• Stop doing science

Open Ended

Explain the steps involved in evaluating a scientific explanation, and why each step is important.

Open Ended

Why is empirical evidence considered the cornerstone of scientific knowledge?

Open Ended

What is empirical evidence?

Multiple Select

Select all statements that describe similarities between science and pseudoscience.

• Both claim to be based on empirical evidence

• Both use technical or scientific-sounding language

• Both rely only on personal experiences

• Both involve topics related to the natural world

Open Ended

Define pseudoscience in your own words.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a characteristic of pseudoscience but not science?

• Based on empirical evidence that can be tested

• Uses accepted scientific methods

• Supported by vague or unmeasurable evidence

• Requires repeatable experiments

Multiple Choice

The biggest difference between science and pseudoscience is that pseudoscience does not use accepted scientific ___.

• methods
• inquiry

• evidence

• investigations

Multiple Select

Which of the following are characteristics of science?

• Based on empirical evidence

• Open to revision

• Relies on personal beliefs

• Follows a systematic process

Science and Pseudoscience Sort

Multiple Select

Which of the following are branches of science?

• Life Science

• Physical Science

• Earth Science

• Astrology

Open Ended

Describe one way in which Earth science and physical science differ in their focus of study.

Poll

My understanding of the different branches of science is ____.

• Level 1: I do not understand. I need to attend tutoring and redo the quizizz at home.

• Level 2: I understand a little but need more practice. I need to redo the quizizz at home and attend tutoring.

• Level 3: I understand the material and I am confident that I will do well on my quiz or assessment.

• Level 4: I can teach it.

Discuss and Notebook

​What are some examples of patterns you have observed in everyday life?

Open Ended

What are some limitations of models?

Open Ended

Why is it important for models to be to scale?

Open Ended

Give an example of energy and matter.

Multiple Choice

Why are making observations important in science?

• Because they help us gather information and understand the world around us.

• Because they allow us to guess answers without evidence.

• Because they make science more difficult.

• Because they are only used in experiments.

Open Ended

What is one thing you learned today about making scientific observations that you would like to remember or use in the future?