N.1.1 The Scientific Method
This benchmark will not be assessed alone, rather, items will include content from one of the other benchmarks and you will be asked to evaluate scenarios using evidence of scientific thinking or problem solving.
Test items may require interpretation of data from graphs, charts and/or tables. You may also be asked to evaluate the merits of scientific explanations produced by others or to assess the reliability of sources of information according to scientific standard.
SC.912.N.1.1 Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, for example: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science, and do the following:
1. Pose questions about the natural world
2. Conduct systematic observations (Write procedures that are clear and replicable. Identify observables and examine relationships between test (independent) variable and outcome (dependent) variable.
3. Examine books and other sources of information to see what is already known
4. Review what is known in light of empirical evidence
5. Plan investigations
6. Use tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data (this includes the use of measurement in metric and other systems, and also the generation and interpretation of graphical representations of data, including data tables and graphs)Collect data or evidence in an organized way. Properly use instruments, equipment, and materials
7. Pose answers, explanations, or descriptions of events
8. Generate explanations that explicate or describe natural phenomena (inferences)
9. Use appropriate evidence and reasoning to justify these explanations to others
10. Communicate results of scientific investigations
11. Evaluate the merits of the explanations produced by others.
SC.912.N.1.4 Identify sources of information, and assess their reliability according to the strict standards of scientific investigation.
Sample Test Question:
An osmosis investigation was conducted using chicken eggs to represent cells with semipermeable membranes. The mass of each egg was measured to determine how much water diffused into or out of the eggs. The eggs were first soaked in vinegar to dissolve the shell. Each egg was then placed in one of three different solutions for 24 hours. The table below shows the results of the investigation.
