Nature of Science

Harry decided to study insects. He marked off an area in his yard with string. Each day he observed the insects within the area with a hand lens. He recorded the kinds of insects he saw and the number of each kind. How could Harry best communicate to his classmates the kinds and numbers of insects in his study area?

• Graph his data.

• Take a picture of some of the insects

• Write a story about his favorite insect.

• Tell someone about the insects he saw.

Tera conducted an experiment to test the best way to clean up an oil spill. She tried many different materials, solutions, and products. She collected a lot of data. What should Tera do with the data she collected?

• Write a conclusion and then analyze her data

• Write a procedure and then a conclusion

• Analyze her data and then write a conclusion

• Tell what she learned and clean up

Juan wanted to know if plants could grow in water alone. He placed a plant in a small pot with soil. He placed the same kind of plant in a small pot with water. Both plants were put near a sunny window. Justin watered the plant in soil each day and checked the water level of the other plant. What factor was Juan testing in order to draw a conclusion about plant growth?

• The place where plants were placed

• The kinds of plants used

• The size of the container

• The material in which the plants were grown

Which of the following could scientists do to determine whether the alligator population in the Everglades is increasing or decreasing?

• watch for alligators for a week as they travel around the Everglades and compare it to last year’s data

• look in the newspaper for articles about alligator attacks

• observe and record the number of alligators they see in the Everglades for several months and compare it to last year’s data

• estimate the answer from the number of alligators they counted last year

A scientist discovered a new species of animal. She wants to find out what this animal eats.

Which of the following would be the BEST way for the scientist to get the information she needs?

• capture several animals and try to feed them different foods

• predict that it will eat the same foods as other animals in its habitat

• put plants and meat near its home and see which it chooses

• observe the animal eating in its natural habitat

A scientist wants to learn more about the behavior of pelicans in Florida. Which of the following would be the BEST way for the scientist to study pelican behavior?

• make a hypothesis, observe the pelicans in their natural environment in Florida, and record behaviors that agree with the hypothesis

• read books about pelicans that live in many different states and draw conclusions from her reading

• use the information she knows about pelicans to write down how she thinks pelicans should behave

• observe pelicans in their natural environment in Florida, record all behaviors she observes, and analyze her observations

A research scientist noticed that every time he combined certain chemicals together the beaker he was using felt cooler. How could he determine accurately whether combining these chemicals actually lowered the temperature during an experiment?

• take the temperature at the end of each experiment to see if it is cold

• determine the change in temperature from how the beaker feels when he touches it

• record the temperature before and after each time he combines the chemicals

• look for evidence of frost on the outside of the beaker

Tara is doing the same experiment as her friend Jessica. At the end of the week, Tara calls Jessica. She finds out that Jessica’s experimental data is very different from hers. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the difference?

• Tara is measuring accurately and Jessica is estimating.

• Jessica has done the experiment before.

• Tara and Jessica have different science teachers.

• Tara knows more science than Jessica does.

Which of the following is important for scientists to do when they work together?

• explain and justify their conclusions to each other

• throw out their results and start over if they got different results

• compete with other to get their results first

• insist that everyone has to do things the same way they did

Samantha and Alexis were both growing mold on fruit for their science experiments. Samantha measured her mold every two days by putting a sheet of clear graph paper over it and counting the number of squares that covered the mold. Alexis estimated the amount of mold growth every day. When their experiments were complete, the girls got

different results. Which of the following is probably the reason for the difference?

• Samantha’s measurements were more accurate.

• Alexis’s measurements were more accurate.

• Neither girl followed the directions.

• The girls used exactly the same procedures.