OBSERVING LIFE Observations and Inferences

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OBSERVING LIFEObservations and Inferences

• On the next slide you will see partial sections
  of images. Your objective is to view each image
  and record the following
• 1. Image
• 2. Describe what you see. (Observations)
• 3. Hypothesize what the image is.
• (Inference)

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Think and Process like a Scientist!

• 1. 4.
• 2. 5.
• 3. 6.

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Think and Process Like a Scientist!

• 7. 9.
• 8. 10.

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and the Results are

• 1. 4.
• 2. 5.
• 3. 6.

ANT
Chromosome
Lung Cancer
Insect Eye
Drosophila (fruit fly)
Insect Camouflage
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and the Results are

• 7. 9.
• 8. 10.

A Cell Ingesting food
Glass LIZARD
Stamen Male Part of a flower
Insect Mimicry
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So Whats the DifferenceBetween Observation and
Inference?

• Observation YOU use one or more of your senses
  to gather information. You see it, smell it,
  touch it, etc..
• Inference A logical explanation based on prior
  knowledge.
• A company sells fresh spinach. Their quality
  control division tests several samples of spinach
  for e-coli bacteria and do not find any thus
  they infer that all of the spinach is safe.

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Think like a Scientist!

• 1. Observe
• 2. Make Inferences
• 3. Form Hypothesis

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Scientific Method
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Respond to the following
A teacher collected some beetles from a rotting
log and placed them in a container of oatmeal in
her room. She kept the box lightly covered so
they could not escape. She also placed potato
and apple pieces in the container. After several
weeks, some students noticed there were some
weird looking wormlike creatures in the
container. Come up with a hypothesis that might
explain the presence of the worms in the
container. How would you test your hypothesis?
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Step One State your problem or question

• This is the problem you want to solve or question
  you want answered
• Also called the purpose
• Example How did the worms get in the oatmeal?

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Step Two Gather Information about your Topic

• Collect information about your topic
• Use different research sources such as books,
  magazines, interviews, and observations
• Obtain ideas for an experiment
• Ex What would you look up about the worms??

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Step 3 Form a Hypothesis

• Educated explanation formed after information is
  gathered
• Must be a testable answer to your
  question/problem
• Should be stated in If. . .then . . . Format
• Example What is a possible hypothesis for the
  worms in the oatmeal?

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Step 4Design a controlled experiment.

• Tests the hypothesis under certain set
  conditions
• Control group group not being tested, used for
  comparison
• Manipulated (Independent) variable variable you
  are testing/controlling
• Responding (Dependent) variable resulting
  variable what happens, what you record data about

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Step 5Record/organize/analyze data

• Record Information from Experiment
• Quantitative or Qualitative
• May be arranged in table, graphs, journals, etc.
• Example What kind of data would you have for
  your experiment?

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Step 6 Form conclusion

• Analyze data and determine if hypothesis was
  correct
• Recap the experiment
• Conclusion may be confirmed only after MANY
  trials show the same result
• If well supported over time, may be referred to
  as a theory
• Theory WELL TESTED EXPLANIATION that brings
  together a broad range of observations

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Quiz One Identify the following examples of the
scientific method.

• Conclusion C. Data
  E. Hypothesis
• Control group D. Experimental group
  F. Problem

1. A chart with the number of roaches killed and the
   treatments they received.
2. I wonder what will kill a roach?
3. Roaches are killed more quickly when sprayed with
   Raid than if sprayed with water.
4. One group of roaches is sprayed with Raid,
   another is sprayed with water.
5. If roaches are sprayed with Raid, then they will
   die quickly.
6. One group of roaches is not sprayed with anything.