Thinking like a scientist. What is Science? Science is a way of learning and exploring the natural...
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Transcript of Thinking like a scientist. What is Science? Science is a way of learning and exploring the natural...
Six Main Principles of Science1. Science is a way of knowing about the natural world.
2. Science is used by EVERYONE, not just scientists.
3. There are many different ways to solve the same problem.
4. Theories change in light of new evidence.
5. Be willing to test any claim. Experiment! Don’t blindly accept what other’s tell you.
Sewer Lice
6. We assume that scientific principles work the same now as they have throughout time.
Thinking Like a Scientist
• Scientists use skills such as observing, inferring, predicting and making models to learn more about the world.
Observing:
• using one or more of your senses or instruments to gather information.
Observations
QualitativeQuantitative
w/ numbers w/o numbers
Instruments 5 Senses
Quantitative Observation:
• Observations that deal with numbersMath or numbers to describe observations
We use instruments to gain both Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence
Microscope
GPSTelescope
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Radar
Qualitative Observation
What do you observe Koko Doing & what do you think Koko is observing?
• Observations using the 5 senses to describe the observation – NO NUMBERS
[Sewer Lice]
Skepticism
• Scientists also have a healthy dose of skepticism.– It means they don’t always believe what they
see or hear until further investigation.
– Must find strong evidence to convince them of an idea or claim that would make up a theory.
[Discuss Sewer Lice]
Evidence: #16
What do you see?
[CSI]
• Facts or Data found from direct observation
• You are NOT interpreting the evidence.– It’s what you see
Inferring: #4
• Making sense of the facts/ evidence you observe.– interpreting what you see.
• Deals with interpreting the past and present– What could you infer about the
crime scene?
[CSI]
Inferring:
• i.e. you see your friend smile after getting back an exam, you may automatically assume or infer that she got a good grade. However, your inference or assumption may not be correct; your friends smile might not have anything to do with the test at all.– What can you infer about the couple depicted
below? What evidence leads you to believe your inferences?
Predicting: #4
• Making a forecast of what will happen in the future based on your interpretation of what you saw (facts/data).
– i.e. when you see a dog growling with his hairs standing on end you can infer that he might feel threatened and hostile, but you predict that if you advanced closer, he will attack you.
Difference between Inferring and Predicting:
• Inferences are attempts to explain what is happening or has happened – (interpreting the past and present).
• Predictions are forecasts of what will happen – (predicting the future).
– i.e. if you see an egg on the floor by a table, you might infer that the egg had rolled off the table. However, you see an egg rolling toward the edge of a table, you can predict that it’s about to create a mess.