1. Hold on to your socks, folks! This stuff is
exciting!
THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS!

2. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING NEEDED
FOR THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS???
(This girl is having fun! )
 Receiving knowledge of
the outside world through
the senses. May also
include recording the new
knowledge.
OBSERVATION!!!!!

3. THEN: INFERENCE & HYPOTHESIS!
Inference!!
 The process of drawing
a conclusion based on
your observations and
logic.
Hypothesis!!
 Your proposed
explanation for the
observed phenomena.

4. THEN, SET YOUR PARAMETERS
Parameter:
 How far you will be testing your hypothesis.
 How in depth will you be testing?

5. Setting the
PARAMETERS
 EXAMPLE: If I wanted to test the lifecycle of frogs
based on location (environment) I would need to
decide what my parameters are.
 Bay Area? California? North America? Americas
(Canada, America, Central America, South
America) or the entire world.

6. INDEPENDENT VS. DEPENDENT VARIABLES
Manipulated
Variable/Independent
Variable
 The variable that is
being changed.
 Only ONE variable
changed at a
time!!!!!!!!!!
Responding
Variable/Dependent
Variable
 The variable that
changes as a RESULT of
the independent
variable.

7. INDEPENDENT VS. DEPENDENT VARIABLES
WHICH IS WHICH?
 Measuring the growth of a plant when “watered” with
different liquids.
 Counting the number of people who stop when they see
a dollar on the ground.
 Timing how long someone can run after drinking an
energy drink.

8. CONTROL THE EXPERIMENT!!
Controlled Experiment
 This can be accomplished when you only have ONE
variable manipulated at a time!!
 Or else, how do you know which changed variable
caused the results???

9. CONTROL THE EXPERIMENT!!
 If I am testing what will cause people to notice T-
Pain (my fish) more, I will need to create a controlled
experiment.
 I decide to test if a sign hanging above his bowl will
cause people to notice him more, but I also buy a
brighter new plant to put in his bowl.
 I record that 30 more students mention T-pain
throughout the day.
 Which change caused the extra 30 students to
notice him?

10. CONTROL THE EXPERIMENT!!
How could the following experiments be controlled?
 Measuring the growth of a plant when “watered”
with different liquids.
 Counting the number of people who stop when
they see a dollar on the ground.
 Timing how long someone can run after drinking
an energy drink.

11. DATA-DATA-DATA-DATA-DATA!
Qualitative Data:
 Descriptors such as:
 Color, gender, texture…
 What else??
Quantitative Data:
 Measureable Quantities:
 Size, temp, mass…
 What else???

12. DATA-DATA-DATA-DATA-DATA!
 Look around the room and on your notes, write
down three qualitative observations and three
quantitative observations.
 When you’re done, look at me.
 When I tell you to, compare answers with your
elbow partner.

13. THEORY VS. LAW
Theory:
 Widely tested and
generally accepted.
 We’re talking WORLD
WIDE, people
Law:
 Predictable results from
a set of conditions.
 No one will argue that if
you drop something, it falls
down (on earth)

14. THEORY VS. LAW
 Which comes first? Theory or Law?
 What comes before a theory?
 How many theories do you think actually exist?

15. THEORY VS. LAW
“I have a theory!!!!”
“No. No you don’t.”