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| Dallas Zoological Society Partnership : Middle School Lessons The Scientific Method |
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Topic Overview
Quick Facts
Historically, the scientific method is traced to
Alhazen, a medieval Muslim scientist from Basra,
Iraq who emphasized
gathering information through experiment in his Book of Optics.
An example of a seven step scientific method is:
1) state the problem, 2) research the problem, 3) state the hypothesis, 4) test
the hypothesis, 5) analyze the results, 6) state the conclusion, and 7) repeat
the work.
Engineers often use a different set of steps
than scientists. One example is as follows: 1) define the need, 2) establish
design criteria, 3) do background research of what has already been done, 4)
prepare preliminary designs and material lists, 5) build and test a prototype,
6) retest and redesign, 7) present results.
Nobel physics laureate P.W. Bridgman once said,
“It seems to me that there is a good deal of ballyhoo about scientific method.
I venture to think that the people who talk most about it are the people who do
least about it…Scientific method is something talked about my people standing
on the outside and wondering how the scientist manages to do it…In short,
science is what scientists do, and there are as many scientific methods as
there are individual scientists.”
Pictures of dinosaurs in the media are constructed
from a combination of scientific theory and filling in the gaps with artistic
imagination.
Aristotle supposedly provided long arguments as
to why men and women had different numbers of teeth, without bothering to
verify his assumption.
A scientific law describes how something works.
A scientific theory describes why something works.
Popular Science magazine selected the “10 worst
jobs in science.” Number two involved some incredibly skilled observers – those
who inspect the 1.5 billion tons of manure produced by livestock each year in
order to learn about how to eliminate the bacteria E. coli from our food
supply.
It is estimated that 50-100 million animals are
used worldwide for experiment (including a large number of fruit flies and
mice). Most of these animals are either killed during the experiment or
subsequently euthanized.
Approximately 30 years ago, Viking 1 sent back
images from Mars that looked remarkably like there was a giant face of a man on
the Martian surface. Theories of alien civilizations filled the popular press.
NASA was also seduced by this pseudoscience, as the “Face on Mars” became a
priority for Mars Global Surveyor 1997.
A scheduled flight over the region proved that the image
it was just a landform and not an alien artifact.
Begin the Lesson
Students learn about the steps of the scientific method.
Students explore each component and then apply the process in various learning
situations.
Whole Class Introduction to the
Lesson
You will need at least one
computer with Internet connectivity and a projection device, a classroom with
more than one computer, or access to a computer lab.� This introduction will take approximately 10
minutes to complete.
Use optical illusions to introduce the differences between
human perception and reality and how scientific analysis can help us determine
what is true. Optical illusions highlight the challenges of measurement and
observation. The sites:
http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/percep.html, http://www.eyetricks.com, and http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/illusion/illusions.htm provide visual examples to present to the class. Sample Questions:
What do you see in the picture?
How would you determine if your observations are
true?
Why do you think your eyes see something
different that reality?
What do your experiences with optical illusions
tell you about relying solely on your senses for observation?
Can two different observers arrive at different
conclusions?
How can scientific methods ensure that your
observations match reality?
As part of the introduction, you
may want to review some of the glossary terms in advance of students going
online. At this point you can launch the WebLesson as whole-class activity
using a projection device, or you can assign students to work individually or
in teams in a computer lab.
WebLesson Sites
Introduction Have you ever wondered how ants find food, or why you find worms on the sidewalk after a rain shower, or what makes plants grow a certain way? Anytime you ask a question about something you wish to learn more about, you begin the first step of the scientific method. Just like scientists, we follow a set of steps to help us find the answers to our questions.
By observing, experimenting, and analyzing data, we form conclusions about the questions we ask. By becoming better observers, we learn more about everything around us. When we record information, we can look for patterns, which are very important. We can experiment to find out how certain objects react to different situations and prompts. Finally, we draw conclusions about all of our careful work. Scenario Your local zoo is offering a reward to anyone who can bring new information about any insect or animal to the zoo. You are very interested in animals. This will help you find new information to bring and thus win the reward. You will need to learn about and use the scientific method for this activity.
Lesson Pages
Wild Animal Park Exhibit: African Elephant
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/ex_elephants.html Rich Media
Science as Inquiry for Children
http://www.libraryvideo.com/streaming.asp?mscssid=5V7QNNQ5M0C48KXGNSLX73PNBUB74CA9&sku=K7024 Rich Media
The Scientific Method
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/DataandScience/scimethod.html
The Scientific Method
http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=45&l=&c3= Conclusion & Project
Conclusion Look around. There is so much to see and so much to learn. By observing and experimenting, we can find out new things about the organisms and objects in our environment. Every type of scientist uses the scientific method. However, scientists are not the only people to use the scientific method. Cooks, managers, police officers, shopping mall salespeople, and even you all apply the steps of the scientific method to discover more information.
We begin by asking a question. Next, we observe and create a hypothesis. Then we experiment while observing and recording data. Finally, we create a conclusion based on what we have seen. Project Describe a question you have about either an animal or insect. Write a list of the steps of the scientific method. Beside each step, write the information for each section as you attempt to learn something new about your insect or animal.
Glossary
Web cam - video camera that is attached to a computer and to the Internet
scientific method - a step-by-step method to discover new information about things
inquiry - a question
observation - looking at something and keeping records or notes
data - facts, information
graph - picture or chart that displays information about something
juvenile - not fully grown or developed; young
down - fine, soft, fluffy feathers forming the first plumage of a young bird
hypothesis - a tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation
faulty - imperfect or defective
sweet spot - the place on a bat, club, racket, or paddle, where it is most effective to hit a ball
pitch - degree of deviation from a horizontal plane
average - mean
vibration - rapid motion of particles of an object
resonance - a strong or deep tone
pitch - musical tone
beat - a wave or sound that pounds or thumps in a regular pattern
double dutch - a game of jump rope in which players jump over two ropes swung in a crisscross formation by two turners
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