Scientific Process Skills Station Review

A variable that the scientist changes or what changes on its own (the cause).

• independent variable

• dependent variable

• controlled variable

• constant

Gathering all the information (or data) about an event, object, or experiment, and using it to answer questions or solve problems. You practiced this skill when you analyzed the circle and bar graph.

• data collection

• data deletion

• data manipulation

• data visualization

Scientists must give talks, write lab reports, talk with a variety of audiences, and educate others. Therefore, they must be able to do this effectively. You practiced this skill when you drew a simple picture and described it to your partner.

• communicate

• calculate

• experiment

• analyze

These skills involve length, volume, area, mass and temperature to describe objects. You practiced this skill when you measured your partner’s body parts.

• Measurement skills

• Communication skills

• Artistic skills

• Analytical skills

A variable that is being studied and/ or measured (the effect).

• Dependent variable

• Independent variable

• Control variable

• Extraneous variable

Categorizing something into a group, based on certain common characteristics. You practiced this skill when you grouped the buttons in different ways.

• Categorizing

• Analyzing

• Summarizing

• Comparing

This skill refers to both describing, while using the 5 senses, and measuring. You practiced this skill when you completed the “Brown Bag Activity.”

• Observation

• Inference

• Prediction

• Classification

Forecasting of future events based on past observations or available data (information). You practiced this skill when you dropped water onto the coins.

• Forecasting

• Guessing

• Speculating

• Predicting

The logical conclusion drawn about an object or event based on an observation. You practiced this skill when you guessed the identity of the object in the bag without looking inside the bag.

• Inference

• Observation

• Hypothesis

• Prediction

How many species ate corn?

• 10

• 12

• 4

• 16