Science

1
Science

• What are the process skills a scientist uses in
  his/her work?

2
Observing

• Observing means to gather information about the
  environment through your five senses
• Seeing
• Hearing
• Smelling
• Touching
• Tasting

3
Classifying

• Classifying is grouping objects or events
  according to common properties or
  characteristics.
• Often you can classify things in more than one
  way.

4
Measuring and Using Numbers

• Measuring and using numbers involves the ability
  to make measurements, including time
  measurements, in order to
• Make estimates
• Record data

5
Communicating

• Communicating involves using words - both in
  speaking and in writing.
• It also involves the use of actions, graphs,
  tables, diagrams, and other ways of presenting
  data.

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Inferring

• Inferring means coming to a conclusion based on
• Facts gathered
• Observations made

7
Predicting

• Predicting involves stating in advance what you
  think will happen based on
• Observations
• Experiences

8
Collecting, Recording, and Interpreting Data

• Collecting, recording, and interpreting data
  involves gathering and understanding information.
• This skill includes organizing data into
• Tables and graphs
• Venn diagrams, charts, etc.
• Interpretation of data includes finding patterns
  and relationships that lead to new questions and
  new ideas.

9
Identifying and Controlling Variables

• Identifying and controlling variables means
  determining the effect of changing one factor,
  called a variable, in the experiment.
• To do this, you must keep all the other factors
  constant, or unchanging.

10
Defining Operationally

• Defining operationally means to describe an
  object, an event, or an idea based on personal
  observations.
• Example An operational definition of a plant
  might be that it is a green living thing that is
  attached to soil and does not move around.

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Making a Hypothesis

• Making a hypothesis is to
• suggest a possible answer to a question, or
• make an educated guess
• about why something happens.
• A hypothesis should be based on
• Observations
• Experiences

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Experimenting

• Experimenting is testing your hypothesis to
  collect evidence that
• Supports the hypothesis, or
• Shows that the hypothesis is false

13
Making and Using Models

• Making and using models includes the following
• Designing and making physical models of processes
  and objects, or
• Making mental models to represent objects and
  ideas

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Process Skills Question 1

• In your science notebook create a chart showing
  the following observations collected for three
  different animals in your neighborhood
• How it moves
• Type of body covering
• Where it lives
• Name the science process skill this represents.
• A. Making a hypothesis
• B. Communicating
• C. Collecting, recording, and interpreting
  data

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Answer Question 1

• C. Collecting, recording, and interpreting data

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Process Skills Question 2

• This summer you observe that the Nishnabotna
  River seems to be closer to the highway than you
  had remembered. At first you think that is
  impossible. Then you begin to wonder Could
  water change where the edge of the river is? You
  think, Yes, rushing water from rain or melting
  snow must have washed away soil forming the edge
  of the river.
• Name the science process skill this represents.
• A. Making a prediction
• B. Measuring and using numbers
• C. Inferring

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Answer Question 2

• C. Inferring

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Process Skills Question 3

• You have gathered all your materials together.
  Filling a plastic cup half-full with sand and
  another half-full with gravel, you then pour 20
  mL of vegetable oil on top of each. After an
  hour you observe the sand and gravel and try to
  remove the oil.
• Name the science process skill this represents.
• A. Making and using models
• B. Experimenting
• C. Identifying and controlling variables

19
Answer Question 3

• B. Experimenting

20
Process Skills Question 4

• On a test students were asked to sort five
  dinosaurs into groups and to give each group a
  name. Below is the answer given by one of the
  students.
• Carnivores Tyrannosaurus rex and Troodon
• Herbivores Stegosaurus, Triceratops, and
  Apatosaurus
• Name the science process skill this represents.
• A. Defining operationally
• B. Inferring
• C. Classifying

21
Answer Question 4

• C. Classifying

22
Experimental Design Concepts

• A science experiment is designed so that only ONE
  variable is being tested at a time.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• A VARIABLE is something that is changed to study
  how this change effects the thing being studied.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• By changing only one variable, when you make your
  conclusion you can be assured that it is only
  that one variable that is causing the EFFECT.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• Independent variable (IV) - the variable that is
  purposely CHANGED by the experimenter.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• Dependent variable (DV) - the variable that
  responds and is the variable MEASURED.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• Constant - all factors that are kept the SAME
  during the experiment.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• CONTROL - the standard to compare the
  experimental effect against.

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Experimental Design Concepts

• Repeated trials - the NUMBER of objects/organisms
  undergoing treatment for each value of the
  independent variable, or the number of TIMES the
  experiment is repeated.

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Scenario 1
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Scenario 1
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Scenario 1
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Scenario 1
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Scenario 1
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Full Inquiry Activities

• Students choose a problem, design and conduct an
  investigation, analyze the data and communicate
  the results.