How did scientists study nature in the past

1. � How did scientists study nature in the past?� Bias: To influence in a particular, typically unfair direction; prejudice. Naturalist:someone with a passion for and knowledge of the natural world 

2. How do we study science? Laboratory vs field work

3. What is science? Science: A process used to solve problems or develop an understanding of nature that involves testing possible answers.

4. What is the scientific method? Method of gaining information about the world by forming possible solutions to questions, followed by rigorous testing to determine if the proposed solutions are valid.

5. Presumptions of the Scientific Method Specific causes for observed events. Causes can be identified. General rules can describe observations. Repeated events have same cause. Perceptions are not individualistic. Fundamental rules of nature are universal.

6. The Scientific Method Observation Background � literature survey Hypothesis Methods and materials Results Statistics graphs Discussion Conclusion References

7. Observation Occurs when we use our senses, or extension thereof, to record an event. Careful, thoughtful recognition of an event. Often leads to additional questions about the observations. Asking the right question is critical in determining how, and where, to look for answers. Literature Exploration

8. Hypothesis - A testable statement that provides a possible answer to a question, or an explanation for an observation. A good hypothesis must be logical, account for all relevant information, allow prediction of related future events, and be testable. Given a choice, the simplest hypothesis with the fewest assumptions is the most desirable.

9. Experiment Re-creation of an event enabling an investigator to support or disprove a hypothesis. Controlled: Separate variables and divide experiment into experimental and control groups, differing by only one variable. Reproducible: Experiment is repeated to eliminate unconscious bias. Independent investigators must be able to reproduce the experiment.

10. Publishing Results must be published for peers to be able to examine and criticize. A hypothesis supported by many experiments and by different investigators is considered reliable.

11. Control vs test variables Control: Standard, no change, not manipulated Used as a basis for comparison with test variable Test variable: Experimental Manipulated Usually changes during experiment

12. Inductive vs Deductive Inductive: Intuition insight Used to form hypothesis Deductive: Deduce Conclude Interprete Used to evaluate results

13. Laws vs theories vs models Law � hypothesis supported by many studies Law of gravity Law of Natural selection Theory � supported by some evidence Theory of Evolution Still questions about exact processes Model Physical or written schematic demonstrating how a natural event is related to other events.

14. How does the scientific method relate to lab reports? Introduction Observation: What question are you investigating? Background: Literature review � what have other scientists discovered on the same topic Describe animal, plant or habitat you are investigating. Species descriptions Habitat description Hypothesis: form a hypothesis using intuition from reading reports of other scientists and applying the information to your observation. What do you think is the explanation for what you see?

15. How does the scientific method relate to lab reports? Methods and Materials List materials used to run the experiment Describe how you will conduct the experiment Describe how you will evaluate the experiment Graphs statistics Sometimes the site description goes here

16. How does the scientific method relate to lab reports? Results Data table Graphs Statisitics Paragraph describing results

17. How does the scientific method relate to lab reports? Discussion How did your results support your hypothesis (or not). What evidence do you have of this? Stats graphs How do your results related to what other scientists have found? Do your results relate or contribute information to other theories, laws or models?

18. How does the scientific method relate to lab reports? Conclusion What is your overall conclusion or summary of this experiment?

19. How does the scientific method relate to lab reports? References cited: cite your references � Journals Beal, D.L. and R.V. Anderson, 1993. The response of zooplankton to applications of rotenone in a small pond. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 51: 551-556. Internet Beal, D.L. 2000. Restoring River Otters to the Illinois River; K-6 internet activities. http://www2.ic.edu/beal/otters. Books Use the same format as journals Author, date published, title, edition (if available), publisher, number of pages.

20. Scientific Method online Refs http://www2.ic.edu/beal/sciencemethods.html