Science as a Process Science Who uses it? What is it? Why should I care?
Do you have any problems to solve? Any big or any small ones?
Any of these sound familiar? Where are My Shoes? What should I have for lunch? What class do I have next? Did I do my homework for that class? What is the cure for cancer? Which deodorant works the longest?
Science: who uses it? What is it? Why should I care? 1. Why should people learn about physics and chemistry? 2. Why is a basic knowledge about science essential to being a productive citizen? 3. What do you think is the most significant science or technology advancement in the last 10 years? Explain 4. How is science different from English, History, Math or other academic subjects? 5. What do you believe is the best tool for doing science? Explain
Lost on the Moon USING YOUR BEST TOOL
But what is science?
Make a List 10 Things I KNOW 10 Things I WONDER
How do you KNOW these thing? Are you CERTAIN these things are accurate? Has anyone discovered that something they knew turned out to be wrong?
Is time travel possible?
SCIENCE! Everyone uses it everyday. Yes Even You!!!!!!!!!!
A systematic method to sort out and discover facts that can be analyzed to draw conclusions and infer truths about the natural world.
No really, what is science?
Science IS: LIMITED TO THE NATURAL WORLD OBSERVABLE TESTABLE MEASURABLE REPEATABLE MODIFIABLE VERIFIABLE BUILT UPON TESTABLE PREDICTIONS BASED ON EXPERIMENTATION OPEN TO CHANGE BIASED DISPROVABLE OBJECTIVE STRONG THEORIES INFERRED FROM SOLID EVIDENCE MADE STRONGER BY DIFFERENT LINES OF EVIDENCE A SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING
Science has transformed our modern world deeply and spectacularly. Science has shaken up every walk of life so much that it is impossible to escape its grasp, for better or worse. Gervais Mbarga and Jean-Marc Fleury. Science Journalism course, WFSJ Top Ten
What do you think? and know?
Science begins with: "I want to know" explaining what we mean by to "know" can be extremely complex since it can have many meanings. How Do We Know? To "know" an object, fact, or phenomenon, means that you can describe it visually and virtually, explain how it interacts with other objects around it, and tell how it influences its environment and is influenced in return.
Let s Get Curious Within the context of science, to "know" means to exercise curiosity, to observe and collect sufficient information and intelligence to identify, distinguish and describe the different features of reality in a most truthful way. And exercising curiosity produces knowledge..
And knowledge leads to understanding. Which makes it possible to apply reason, observe and analyze. Which allows us to BELIEVE what we ve come to KNOW Why do we believe it?
How do we know something is True? Can Science establish truth?
How do we know? Why do we Believe it? What s the Evidence?
How do we know? Usually we know something because we have experienced it personally OR a trusted source has given us information.
Fact vs Speculation Fact - BASED ON DATA a general agreement among competent observers studying the same thing A fact can be disproved if experimental data shows otherwise. Speculation - a statement that cannot be tested to be correct and/or incorrect.
Beings from somewhere else in the universe have visited earth and influenced ancient civilizations. Ancient Aliens Faces of the Gods
Fact An observation that has been repeatedly confirmed, and for all practical purposes, is accepted as true. (National Academy of Science, 1998) Truth in science is never final and what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow. (NAS, 1998)
Why do we believe it? Beliefs give an intrinsic significance to things. Example: In some cultures, the rainbow is a warning of bad things to come, it is God's sword; while in others, it might indicate where a treasure is hiding, and is therefore a good omen.
What s the evidence? As we use science to confirm our observations and predictions about the natural world, we must continually ask ourselves what s the evidence.
Practice It Ordeal by Check
How/Why is this activity a good model for the process of science?
So what is Science? THE GOAL OF SCIENCE IS NOT TO ESTABLISH TRUTH
Theories are the ultimate goal of science. They explain observations and are tested after generating hypotheses.
Remember in science Theories are only true until they are proven no longer to be true.
Once you have gathered observations you believe to be true, you test them by generating a hypothesis.
Predictions from observations
First identify your Purpose This is the question that you are trying to answer or problem that you are trying to solve. (In other words why you are doing the experiment) Then generate a Hypothesis You will be conducting a controlled experiment so narrow it down and be very specific. (In other words predict what you believe will be supported by the experimental results.)
Hypothesis A predictive statement based on observations and research that can be tested.
Two types of OBSERVATIONS qualitative descriptive quantitative measure/count
Experimenting Tests a hypothesis by collecting information under controlled conditions. It's Alive There are two groups in an experiment Control group all conditions kept normal. Basis of comparison Experimental group (test group) all conditions kept the same as the control except for the single condition being tested.
Variables (the experimental group) Independent variable manipulated variable- the thing changed (tested/varied) in the experiment. Dependent Variable the variable being measured. The dependent variable depends on the independent variable.
Homer notices that his shower is covered in a strange green slime. His friend Barney tells him that coconut juice will get rid of the green slime. Homer decides to check this this out by spraying half of the shower with coconut juice. He sprays the other half of the shower with water. After 3 days of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance of the green slime on either side of the shower. 6. What was the initial observation? Identify the- 7. Control Group 8. Independent Variable 9. Dependent Variable 10. What should Homer's conclusion be?
Smithers thinks that a special juice will increase the productivity of workers. He creates two groups of 50 workers each and assigns each group the same task (in this case, they're supposed to staple a set of papers). Group A is given the special juice to drink while they work. Group B is not given the special juice. After an hour, Smithers counts how many stacks of papers each group has made. Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B made 2,113 stacks. Identify the: 1. Control Group 2. Independent Variable 3. Dependent Variable 4. What should Smithers' conclusion be? 5. How could this experiment be improved?
Bart believes that mice exposed to radio waves will become extra strong (maybe he's been reading too much Radioactive Man). He decides to perform this experiment by placing 10 mice near a radio for 5 hours. He compared these 10 mice to another 10 mice that had not been exposed. His test consisted of a heavy block of wood that blocked the mouse food. he found that 8 out of 10 of the radio-waved mice were able to push the block away. 7 out of 10 of the other mice were able to do the same. Identify the- Control Group Independent Variable Dependent Variable What should Bart's conclusion be? How could Bart's experiment be improved?
Krusty was told that a certain itching powder was the newest best thing on the market, it even claims to cause 50% longer lasting itches. Interested in this product, he buys the itching powder and compares it to his usual product. One test subject (A) is sprinkled with the original itching powder, and another test subject (B) was sprinkled with the Experimental itching powder. Subject A reported having itches for 30 minutes. Subject B reported to have itches for 45 minutes. Identify the- Control Group Independent Variable Dependent Variable Explain whether the data supports the advertisements claims about its product.
Lisa is working on a science project. Her task is to answer the question: "Does Rogooti (which is a commercial hair product) affect the speed of hair growth". Her family is willing to volunteer for the experiment. Describe how Lisa would perform this experiment. Identify the control group, and the independent and dependent variables in your description.
In summary: Independent variables (I vary) answer the question "What do I change? Dependent variables answer the question "What am I going to observe or measure? Controlled variables answer the question "What do I keep the same? The Experimental Control answers the question How do my results compare?
Drawing Conclusions developing theories An explanation for the data collected. The theory is based on the results of testing and should explain how you reached that conclusion. Includes whether or not data and observations agree with your hypothesis.
Conclusion It is OK if it turns out that your data doesn t support your hypothesis if you learned. It is OK if it turns out that your hypothesis was not correct if you learned.
How to engage in the PROCESS of science. Shed some Light on it