The Scientific Method

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The Scientific Method
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Standards and Objectives

• State standards
• 1.a-tools of science and graphing
• 1.f- theory vs hypothesis
• 1.j- the need for experimental controls
• 1.k- the cumulative nature of science

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A way of solving problems.
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There are 4 steps to the scientific method.
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STEP 1Turn the problem into a question.
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STEP 2Make observations or gather information.
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STEP 3Form a hypothesis or educated guess it
follows the format if.then
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STEP 4Test the hypothesis through observation or
experimentation.
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Heres how it works
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The story

• You are a world famous physician. The governor
  of Alaska calls to ask you to help with a
  mysterious illness that has killed many native
  Aleuts.

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Why are the Aleuts getting sick?
Problem 1 Step 1
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The story cont.

• You fly to Alaska and collect air water and food
  samples and carefully and thoroughly examine the
  sick Aleuts.

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Gather information about the Aleuts.
Step 2
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The story continued

• The lab reports show the Aleuts infected with a
  bacteria also found in the drinking water.

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The bacteria in the water are making them sick.
Step 4
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If the bacteria are causing the illness, then
treating the sick Aleuts with antibiotics and
purifying the well will bring about the end of
the illness.
Step 4 Written as If, then
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The story continued.

• You return to the clinic with special antibiotics
  for the Aleuts and the well is treated with
  Chlorine to kill the bacteria.

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Treat the Aleuts with antibiotics and the wells
with chlorine to test your hypothesis.
Step 4
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• Problem 2

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The story

• You are a world renowned shark expert when the
  phone rings and the mayor of San Francisco calls.

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• He describe several recent shark sightings on the
  surfing beach and including attacks on surfers.
  He wants your help!

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• Write Step 1 on your paper.
• The correct question is...

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Why are the sharks attacking the surfers?
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• You get in your land rover, throw your Zodiac on
  top and head for the beach. While there you take
  samples and make films of surfers. (Cont.)

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• You go out to the Farrallon Islands and observe
  the sea lion
  
• populations.

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• What is Step 2?
• The correct answer is...

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Gather information about the sharks and the
surfers.
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• Your underwater footage shows that surfers look
  like sea lions from below and the sea lion counts
  at the islands show reduced numbers of sea lions
  this year.

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• What is step 3?
• The correct hypothesis is..
• State it as an
• If..then. statement

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The sharks are mistaking the surfers for sea
lions.
Hypothesis
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If the sharks are mistaking the surfers for sea
lions, then changing the way the surfers and surf
boards look should reduce the number of shark
attacks.
If then statement
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• You head back to the beach to try to persuade the
  surfers not to wear black wet suits and fins and
  flippers on their hands and feet.

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• What is the last step of the scientific method?

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Change the way the surfers look to the sharks, or
test the hypothesis.
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• Example 3

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Step 1

• You are an astronaut. Astronauts cant sleep very
  well in space because they keep waking up every
  few minutes.

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Step 2

• You watch as some astronauts try to sleep. You
  see that as they start to fall asleep their heads
  begin rocking. You time this and discover their
  heads rock in time to their pulse rate.

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Step 3

• You think the pulse of their blood vessels rock
  their heads and wakes them up.

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Step 4

• You build a special strap for their heads to hold
  them still at night.

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• Check your answers

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Step 1

• Why cant the astronauts sleep in space?

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Step 2

• I observe the astronauts heads rocking in time to
  their pulse rate as they try to sleep.

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Step 3

• I think the pulse of their blood vessels moves
  their heads and wakes them up.
  

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If/then

• If their heads moving wakes them up, then holding
  their heads still should enable them to sleep.

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Step 4

• I will build a special strap to hold their heads
  still.

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• Example 4

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Step 1

• You cant seem to stay awake in school. You fall
  asleep and miss important information.

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Step 2

• You eat a good breakfast, your teacher is
  friendly and nice and you go to bed at 200 am.

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Step 3

• You think your bedtime is too late and you are
  not getting enough sleep.

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Step 4

• You start going to bed at 1000 pm. And find you
  dont have trouble staying awake anymore.

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STOP
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STOP
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STOP