Exploring the Scientific Method

Introduction

Welcome scientists!

Today we are going to learn to think like scientists and delve more into the importance of the scientific method. It is your job to learn as much as you can about how investigate problems in science. Complete each task in the web quest by watching videos, reading the material and answering the questions that follow. 

Good luck and have some fun with it!

 

Task

Activity 1

Watch this short Khan Academy video about the scientific method:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-biology-foundations/hs-biology-and-the-scientific-method/v/the-scientific-method

 

Activity 2

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ap-intro-to-biology/ap-science-of-biology/a/the-science-of-biology

Read the article above about an example of the scientific method and answer the following questions:

1. What is the first step in a scientific investigation?

2. What is the definition of a hypothesis?

3. How do you test a hypothesis?

4. True or False. If the results of your experiment support your hypothesis, then your hypothesis is 100% correct. 

5. What is the last step of the scientific method?

6. If your experiment contradicts the hypothesis, what is the next step?

 

Activity 3

Go to the following website to play a game over the scientific method

https://www.quia.com/jg/2313270.html

Evaluation

Congrats! You finished the task. Hopefully you feel like you know a little more about the scientific method. 

For your final assignment you will be using the scientific method to form a hypothesis about something you find interesting. Come up with a question and design an experiment to test whether or not your hypothesis is correct.

What are you measuring? What is the independent variable? dependent variable? control variables?

What materials do you need to perform your experiment?

What are the steps needed to complete the experiment?

Please create a write up or a slideshow to explain your experiment to the class.

 

Credits

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-biology-foundations/hs-biology-and-the-scientific-method/v/the-scientific-method

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ap-intro-to-biology/ap-science-of-biology/a/the-science-of-biology

https://www.quia.com/jg/2313270.html

Teacher Page

The following web quest was designed for my class to look further into how the scientific method is used in the real world. The standards used in this lesson were: 

HS-LS-1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as a basis for evidence and in the design: decide on types, how much and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data

HS-LS-1-1: Construct an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students' own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future