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Scientific Endeavour: Chapter 1 - Ms. Olin
Scientific Endeavour: Chapter 1 - Ms. Olin
Endeavour
Chapter 1 – Ms. Olin
Learning Outcomes
Here’s the learning out comes of this chapter:
vs.
• Science can be done poorly, just like any other human endeavor.
• Health care
• Environmental issues
• Technological advances
• Public health issues
0
1
What is
Science?
Science can be thought of as both a body of
knowledge (the things we have already
discovered), and the process of acquiring new
knowledge (through observation and
experimentation—testing and hypothesising).
What is Science?
• The study of Science is not confined to the
laboratory.
• Doing research and conducting experiments
out of a laboratory allow scientists to collect
data which cannot be obtained in the
laboratory.
• Science is the study of the natural and physical world.
• Area of study of the natural world:
• Organisms
• Area of study of the physical world:
• Energy
• Matter
• Structure of matter and its interactions A scientist goes on a field trip to study
coral reefs
“ Science without religion is lame,
religion without science is blind….”
—Albert Einstein
Sciences
Chemistr
Biology Physics
y Study of Life
Natural science known as empirical sciences. This means that any theories must be based on
observable phenomena, reproducibility of results and peer review.
The most interesting thing about science is that it’s never finished. Every discovery leads
to more questions, new mysteries, to something else that needs explaining
5 Scientific 2
The explanation is
accepted Method Suggest an
explanation
4 3
Check evidence Test the explanation
Ask a question
What does a tree use to build its (investigation)
trunk and leaves? What are trees made off?
Explanation/hypothesis
Tentative explanation to the
question.
Trees are made from nutrients which they
take from the soils
Theory
There must be a Test the explanation
different Take careful measurements.
explanation Does a tree take anything from soil
as it grows?
To develop explanations,
scientist:
- Ask questions
- Suggest explanations
- Carry out test
- Collect and consider
evidence
Aristotle
• A famous scientist from ancient Greece.
• He believed that the sun revolved around
the earth.
Ptolemy
• An astronomer from ancient Egypt.
• He believed that the earth was the centre
of the universe.
Open
Scientist must be flexible in thought.
mindedness
Inferring
Communicating
Planning
Example of scientific method
1. Observation
You are walking in the garden. You notice that some plants
grow in the shade of larger plants. You pose a question:
“
2. Hypothesis
This is your proposal to what your observation means.
Suppose here, your hypothesis is:
“
3. Experimentation
Next, you plan and test your hypothesis. You plan and carry
out the following test:
a.
b.
4. Inferences
Suppose you infer the following based on your result:
“”
This confirm the hypothesis.
5. Theory
Independent
Variable Red Blue Green
Independent Variable
Is Sam’s experiment fair?
YES? NO?
NO! It isn’t fair since the locations of the feeders were very
different!
Is Maria’s experiment fair?
YES? NO?
YES? NO?
Dependent
Variable
?
Constants
?
Terry’s Experimental
Independent
Variable
Design
Kind of seed:
$
Expensive Cheap