Scientific Method
The Scientific Method
What is it?
The scientific method is a step-by-step process used to conduct experiments and test theories. It usually is a 5-7 step process and can be used in a variety of ways.
How Do You Do It?
Seven Step Procedure
Observation
Question
Hypothesis
Test/Experiment
Collect Data/Analsysis/Results
Repeat
Conclusion
When utilizing the seven-step procedure, it is important to make sure your theory/experiment is testable. This is how you form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated prediction based on an observation you saw, and a question you formed.
Once you have formed your hypothesis, you can now test, or conduct an experiment. This process involves having a control group, a response group, and variables. This process is used to test whether the hypothesis is valid or not and usually needs to be conducted multiple times.
Don't worry if your hypothesis ever turns out the opposite way you wanted, that's what experiments are for! You did gain new knowledge and a deeper understanding of your question though, which means you learned! And that's the main goal!
Once you have all of your data collected from your experiments, you may analyze them in order to come to a conclusion. Your data and analysis help you determine how your experiment was conducted and help you understand your results.
Once you have your results, use them to form a short conclusion, usually 2-3 sentences. Your conclusion should state what you wanted to know, what you did, and what results you got.
Activities
Pennies Activity
Students will conduct an experiment about which would clean a penny better: water, soap, or vinegar. They will go through the scientific method to conduct their experiment.
Thermal Dynamics
Students will conduct an experiment to determine whether room temperature, hot, or cold water will dissolve sugar faster and why.
Water Color
Students will draw on a coffee filter using Crayola markers and will dip a portion in water for x amount of time. Students will use the scientific method to understand what will happen to the filter and why.
