scientific method homework

The Biology Corner

Biology Teaching Resources

Engaging Activities on the Scientific Method

Lab Safety and Equipment Use

Scientific Method Puzzle – a simple crossword puzzle to practice vocabulary of the scientific method

Lab Safety Contract – students sign this contract after learning about lab safety

Measure a Bean – basic lab on measurements and collecting data

Tools and Measurements – how to use various tools in the lab, such as a graduated cylinder, ruler, and beaker

Using a Micropipette – activity explores how to use a micropipette to measure small volumes

Lab Safety Cartoon 🔥- a fun activity showing a cartoon of unsafe activities in the lab

The Elephant Poem – a poem about how observations depend on the perspective of the observer

Equipment Station Lab – a station lab activity where students move through stations and perform tasks with scientific equipment

Significant Figures – practice with significant figures and calculations

Reinforcement: Scientific Processes – vocabulary practice, match words to their descriptions ( Key, TpT )

Stories and Scenarios

Variables with Simpsons 🔥- read stories involving characters from the Simpsons and determine the independent and dependent variables

Independent Variables – read a short sentence of science experiment and determine the variables

Beriberi and Penicillin – a short story on the discovery of penicillin and that Beriberi was caused by a vitamin deficiency

Discoveries in Science 🔥- focus on Pasteur’s experiment and other discoveries in science

The Martian and the Car – activity on life characteristics where students examine the traits of a car and determine if it is alive

Language of Science – focus on root terms to understand difficult scientific vocabulary

Logical Fallacies – activity on how reasoning works by focusing on specific logical fallacies

Units of Measurement – units matter! How many hands are on a horse?

Scientific Method Scenarios – activity where students are given a question and must design an experiment and identify variables

Asking Causal Questions – explore cause and effect with this flow chart experiment on water evaporation

Hands-On Activities

Scientific Method Experiments – a collection of short inquiry labs the focus on consumer science.  Students design and test their hypotheses

Fortune Telling Fish 🔥- Use the scientific method to determine what causes the fish the change when placed in the palm of the hand

Investigation:  What Are the Processes of Science – students design an experiment about lung capacity; requires spirometers , AP Biology

Sponge Capsules – quick lab using capsules and water (toys) to collect data on how fast the “animals” grow

Investigation – Heat Storage and Loss – Use a jar and different types of insulation to explore how heat is lost and which materials are better insulators ( Key, TpT )

Sponge Animals: Growing Insects – this lab grows sponge animals, graphs and calculates the growth rate (slope of line)

Plop Plop Fiz Fiz – measure the rate of dissolving in alka-seltzer tablets in both hot and cold water (a basic experiment for introducing the scientific method)

What Factors Affect How Quickly a Sweetart Dissolves – place candies in warm or cold water, add vinegar, etc.

Is Microwaved Water Harmful to Plants – use germinating seeds that have been soaked in distilled water and microwaved water

Water in Living Things – investigate how much water is stored in grass clippings

Gummi Bear Experiment – inquiry lab investigating the dissolving properties of gummi bears

Mystery Eggs – students use the scientific method to guess how many nails are hidden inside plastic eggs

Mystery Powder – containers with baking soda, corn starch, flour, sugar and salt. Students conduct tests to determine the contents.

Saving Sam 🔥- using paperclips rescue Sam, the gummy worm by putting a life preserver on him

Observation – opener lab, using the senses to investigate hardware items, then describe item

Pendulum Project – Inquiry based, experimental design and data analysis (physical science)

Penny Lab – conduct an experiment on surface tension,  water drops are added to a penny and compared with soapy water

Properties of Water – Investigation exploring cohesion, adhesion, heat capacity, presented as lab station activities

Carbon Dioxide Production – determine how activity changes the amount of CO2 expelled in breath

Making Slime – instructions for creating a polymer with glue and borax

Measuring Lung Capacity – graphing and data gathering using balloons to measure vital capacity

What is the Effect of Exercise on Heart Rate – aligned to NGSS, feedback mechanisms and homeostasis. Students design and conduct an experiment.

Investigation:  What Factors Effect the Heart Rate of Daphnia –  expose a tiny crustacean to ethanol and gather data on its heart rate

Investigation: What Factors Affect Seed Germination – simple experiment where students use beans and different variables (water, light, temperature)

Lab – Identify Controls and Variables – station lab where students perform tasks, like measuring the absorbency of paper towels.

Can Crickets Tell the Temperature?  – change the temperature and count the number of chirps (virtual lab)

Analyzing and Graphing Data

Analyzing Data – make and interpret graphs, summarize data trends

Graphing Data – Flow Rates  – graph the flow rate of liquids in a pipe, simple plot and draw two lines

Graphing Practice – given data sets, such as video games scores and shirt colors, students create line and bar graphs, activity paired with growing sponge animals while students wait on results

Interpreting Graphs and English Usage – simple graph showing tadpoles, this is more of a vocabulary lesson on words used to interpret graphs, such as fluctuate, decline, stabilize…

Data Collection is Fun(gi) – use notes gathered in a field journal to create a data table to organize information about fungi and graph the relationship between fruiting body size and number.

Interpreting Graphs – shows a pie chart with grades, a scatter plot, and a few line graphs with questions to answer about each.

Microscope Use

How to Use a Microscope – basic guidelines, tips and troubleshooting for the classroom light microscope | Presentation

Label a Microscope – image of a basic classroom microscope for students to label parts Microscope Coloring  – learn the parts of the microscope by coloring

Microscope “E” Lab – use a microscope to examine the letter “e” and learn how to focus

Virtual Microscope Lab – uses an online virtual microscope, students can actually focus and adjust light using the simulator

Microscope Lab (advanced)  – for AP Biology

Lab Reports

Lab Report Template & Rubric

Scientific Method Flowchart – this flow chart can be used for any experimental design.  Students organize their experiment, identify the controls and variables, collect data and draw conclusions.

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Scientific Method Worksheets

All savvy scientists conduct experiments using the scientific method. This method allows for different observations to take place in order to prove one's theory in regards to the nature of science. It is important that students understand that they must investigate their theory by testing out their hypothesis. Untested theories have no substance in the real world.

We offer a wide variety of worksheets dedicated to helping students learn all about the scientific method. Once they understand how this truth seeking method works, then you can incorporate experiments into your lesson. We have tons of exciting science experiments for you and your class to test out. They are interesting, fun, and surely a crowd pleaser.

The Scientific Method is a series of techniques used to examine phenomena. This methodology date back to third century BC The primary goal for the use of Scientific Method is in truth seeking. We provide students with a series of worksheets below to introduce them to the basic process.

• Adjectives to Describe a Problem - Write an adjective on each line to describe a problem.
• Adjectives to Describe an Hypothesis
• Adjectives to Describe a Well Written Conclusion
• Influential Scientists Worksheets
• Scientific Method Outline
• Science Rubric Makers
• Steps of the Scientific Method - Can make for a nice class poster or the front of a binder for students.
• Lesson Plans
• Teacher Resources

Printable Science Labs That Use and Apply the Scientific Method

• Battle of the Spheres
• Cool Down, It's Just Water!
• It's Just a Phase They're Going Through!
• Jelly Bean Graph
• Jelly Bean Record Page
• Jelly Bean Sort
• Introduction to Populations
• It's Coming To Me!
• Now that's Phun!
• Now that's using your head!
• One, Two, Three Isaac Newton and Me!
• Time to lend NASA a hand
• The Biochemical Guessing Game!
• The Dissolution Solution!!
• What's going on here?
• Who needs Bell Atlantic?
• WOW, That's Hot and Cold!

What Is the Scientific Method?

The scientific method is a simple way of researching. Everyone can use this method to prove something they think is true. Scientists use this method when they are studying different things in the world. Learning about the scientific method is essential so you can find the answers you want to a question. You need a lot of information to use the scientific form! This information is called data.

Scientific Method Steps

There are 7 steps of the scientific method. We will take a really deep dive into this later on, but for a brief overview: The first thing that researchers do is that they gather a lot of information about a topic. For example, a scientist studying one plant will collect a lot of information about it. Then they will look for a reason to explain why the plant does a particular thing. The reason is called a hypothesis. The hypothesis is not enough. To convince people that their answer is the right one, they have to experiment. The experiment will try to prove the hypothesis. The results of the experiment will be collected and presented. These results will show if it was correct or not. Everyone can use it at home to prove a hypothesis.

Look Around You and Observe

The first step is to look around your house. Can you see anything interesting happening? For example, notice how it turns dark outside at night.

Think of a Question

Suppose you noticed that it turns dark outside at night. You now have a question that you formed from this observation: why does it turn dark at night?

Predict an Answer

Based on your observations, you can predict an answer. For example, it turns dark at night because there is no sun to light up the sky. This is your hypothesis. You will now have to prove that it’s true. Otherwise, how will people believe you?

Experiment to Find Out

Now you have a hypothesis so you can experiment. An experiment has to be perfect, so it is accurate. Make sure that there is at least one constant in your experiment. For example, you can check whether or not the sun is up. Make sure you check at two fixed times in the daytime and at night. This way, you can observe the effect of the sun on the darkness of the sky.

Write Down the Results

You will have to record whatever results you find. Note down anything else you see as well. These results will show you if your hypothesis is correct.

Did You Predict Correctly?

After gathering results, you can write down all the results to see if they make sense. If you predicted that the sun would make the sky bright, the results would show that it was sunny in the daytime when the sun was out, but it was dark in the nighttime when the sun was gone.

Where Did the Scientific Method Come From?

Many scientists have contributed to the scientific method. Some famous scientists like Isaac Newton also wrote a lot about it. They wanted people to know they could use this method when studying science. We know so many things today because scientists proved them with the scientific method. For example, how would we know about gravity if Isaac Newton didn’t drop an apple and a feather?

Simple Experiments to Try at Home

There are simple ways to carry out experiments in your house. Here are some of them.

Soda and Vinegar

For this experiment, you can pour soda and vinegar into a glass. Put some resins inside the glass. Watch how the resins move fast. Why are they moving like this?

Glitter and Soap

Fill up a tray with water. Squeeze some dish soap into the tray. Now pour glitter into the same try. Does the soap make the glitter float? If it does, then how is it that soap can help remove glitter from surfaces?

Draw a stick figure on a tray. Use an erasable board marker to draw the figure. Now fill the tray with water. Notice how the figure floats. Why does this happen? What does it prove about how easily erasable dry markers can be peeled away.

This is a simple experiment. You may have crushed many soda cans before throwing them in the trash. Have you ever wondered why empty soda cans can easily be crushed? What if you could destroy the can without squeezing it with your hands? Try placing the soda can in the water. Water puts a lot of pressure on the objects inside it. Observe how the soda can behave now.

Chalk from Eggshells

Did you know that you can make your chalk? This is because chalk and eggshells are made from the same material. Add food coloring to crushed shells and try drawing with them. What did you learn from this observation?

Why Is It Important?

It is essential for kids to understand the scientific method. It is where all the discoveries of science come from. It is also the accepted method for scientists and researchers to conduct research and solve issues. It is also useful because it helps us see different patterns in our surroundings and figure out why things happen.

Once you learn about the scientific method, you can easily prove any theory you have. If you think that more than 10 bees like to come near flowers in a day, you can watch and count the number of bees that come near a sunflower in your garden. If they are 10, then you’ll know that your theory is right.

What Are the 7 Steps of the Scientific Method?

Scientists and researchers use the scientific method to establish facts through experimentation and testing objectively. The scientific methods involve making observations, forming a hypothesis, making predictions, conducting experiments, and analyzing.

There are seven steps in the scientific method. Let us look at each of these steps in detail, but first, it is essential to understand what the scientific method is and why it is so crucial in research. Read on to find out!

What Is It and Why Is It So Important?

What makes the scientific methods so important is that it aids in the process of experimentation by providing an objective and standardized approach to it. Hence, this scientific method ultimately improves the quality of the experiments and enhances the accuracy of the results.

The scientific method ensures that the scientists or researchers are not influenced by personal or preconceived notions that can impact the study results, causing bias and inaccuracy. Using a standardized approach helps people stick to the facts and reduces their reliance on opinions.

The scientific method teaches you to assess and carefully go over all the evidence before making a statement, which is vital in science. It also trains the brain to examine and process information logically. It teaches one to be more observant, test all the facts, and make relevant connections and inferences.

The benefits of the scientific method go beyond science and research.

The Seven Steps -  Here are the seven steps of the scientific method that you should know about:

1. Ask a Question

The first step the defining and asking the question you want an answer to. You must ensure that your question is measurable in terms of experimentation. For example, it is quite likely for most results to be measured in numerical terms. Although it is relatively more challenging to measure behavioral results, they are also a part of the scientific method.

The question you ask could start with How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?

For example, if you want to carry out an experiment about the relationship between technology and student grades and performance, your question could be as follows:

Does technology directly or indirectly impact student performance in terms of academics?

This is an example of the research question, and the following steps will work toward finding an accurate answer to this question.

2. Perform Background Research

Conducting research is one of the most critical steps of the scientific method. Once you have formulated the research question, you need to conduct preliminary background research to understand what has been said previously about the topics.

Preliminary research will help you solidify your research topics by narrowing down your study or broadening it. At this point, you may want to narrow down your search. So, instead of assessing the impact of technology on student performance, you may want to base your study on the effects of mobile phones on student performance or student grades.

Depending on the type of research question, you can find relevant information in the following sources:

- Library resources - Internet - Books and magazines - Research journals - The newspaper - Biographies - Political commentary - Textbooks.

Taking the same example mentioned in the first step, you can review past scientific studies on the impact of mobile phones on students or teenagers.

3. Form or Propose a Hypothesis

The third step of the scientific method is forming a hypothesis. This step involves making an educated guess about how things work. In simpler words, to form a hypothesis means answering the research question in an explanatory manner that can be tested.

In the hypothesis statement, state your hypothesis and the prediction that you will be testing in your research. Keep in mind that your predictions must be easy to measure.

Here is an example of a hypothesis statement:

"If students use their phones excessively, then the students' grades are likely to fall."

4. Conduct an Experiment to Test Your Hypothesis

Now that you have formed your hypothesis statement, it is time to test whether your prediction is accurate. To test your hypothesis, you need to focus on facts and steer clear of your personal opinion and judgments to ensure the accuracy of the test results.

Conducting a fair test involves changing one factor at a time while all other factors remain constant.

Experimentation is an essential part of the scientific method as it is a way to test your predictions quantifiably.

For example, you can study the grades of students who own a cell phone and spend a lot of time on it, or you could look at the grades of students who own a cell phone but don't spend long hours on it.

Another approach could be to look at students' grades who don't own a cell phone. You must also factor in all the information you have gathered through other sources and focus on the relevant facts to your research.

5. Make Relevant Observations

In this step, you must assess your scientific process to ensure that all the conditions remain constant across all measures of experimentation. If you change factors in your experiment, you must keep all other factors constant to maintain fairness.

Once you have completed your experiment, it would be a good idea to run it a few more times to ensure the accuracy of the results.

6. Analyze the Results and Draw Conclusion

You've done all the hard work, and it is now time to assess the findings of your experiments and establish whether or not they support the hypothesis you formed. The process of drawing conclusions means determining whether what you believed to be true actually happened.

7. Present Your Findings

The last step is to compile and communicate the results of your study. Here are some of the forms you can use to present your findings:

- A presentation - A report - A journal

The benefits of the scientific method go beyond science and research and are particularly important for students. We hope this guide was helpful in understanding the seven steps of the scientific method and will come in handy during your next study.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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Grab Your Free Scientific Method Worksheet Printable

Supercharge scientific inquiry.

Perfect for teachers who want to nurture critical thinking skills, this free printable helps students understand and apply the scientific method . Whether conducting a mind-blowing biology experiment, exploring the power of chemical reactions, or unraveling the mysteries of physics, this scientific method worksheet guides students through the systematic process of questioning, researching, hypothesizing, experimenting, analyzing, and sharing. Grab this worksheet now and use it throughout the year to help transform your students into budding scientists!

What’s included?

This worksheet includes space for students to fill in every step of the scientific inquiry process. Plus it has prompts to ensure they stay on track. Designed with convenience in mind, this free scientific method worksheet is not just a helpful tool for students, it’s also a time-saver for busy teachers.

Its simple format and clear instructions make it easy to use in the classroom. Whether you’re planning a onetime experiment or a series of investigations, you’ll use this worksheet time and time again throughout the school year. It’s flexible enough to adapt to various grade levels and scientific topics. And it’s sure to become your go-to resource for all your engaging and interactive science lessons.

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Don’t miss out on this opportunity to simplify your science prep work and watch your students thrive in their scientific explorations! Just click the button to fill out the form at the top of this page.

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Scientific Method

Scientific Method introduces students to the basic steps of this useful process. Students will learn how to develop a hypothesis based on their observations about something and conduct a simple experiment to test it.

The “Options for Lesson” section on the classroom procedure page lists some additional suggestions you might want to add to your lesson. One such option is to spend extra time discussing the concept of variables in experiments. Another suggestion is to allow students to come up with their own experiments to present to the class on an “Experiment Day.”

Description

Additional information, what our scientific method lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Scientific Method teaches students how scientists use this process to conduct experiments. Students will learn how to define and explain this method and use it in a simple experiment. They will understand each step and be able to follow them correctly. This lesson is for students in 3rd grade and 4th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. For this lesson, you will need to supply one penny, one dime, one nickel, a ruler, a water dropper, a cup of water, and paper towels for each group of students. You will need to prepare beforehand to know how many of each item you need to get. You are also more than welcome to adjust the activity and have students use different objects, or even different coins.

Options for Lesson

There is a number of suggestions in the “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page that you might want to consider adding to the lesson. One such suggestion is to have each group of students experiment with a single coin and compare with other groups. Alternatively, you could have them look at more than the three coins you provided. Another options is to discuss variables and the two types that apply to experiments. You could also use the practice page as a homework assignment or the homework as a practice. One final suggestion is to plan an “Experiment Day.” Have students come up with an experiment and hypothesis and then present their work to the class.

Teacher Notes

On the teacher notes page, you will find a paragraph of additional information. It will provide a little extra guidance and thoughts on the material. This lesson, for instance, will outline the scientific method as having four steps with a few sub-steps. You can use the space on the page to write any notes you have before you present the lesson to your class. Or, if you have some ideas on other activities to use or ways you might adjust the lesson, this is a good place to write them down.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

Introduction and background knowledge.

The Scientific Method lesson plan contains two pages of content. To teach students about this process, the pages outline each step using an overarching example about spiders and spider webs. The first page describes the process and explains how to use this process to find answers to questions. It starts off asking students if they have ever needed to solve a problem at home. Perhaps a video game stopped working or started acting strangely. Depending on the problem, maybe they were able to fix it, or they realized that they had to get a new game.

The lesson describes that this process of identifying a problem, guessing how to solve it, and seeing the results is the scientific method in action. This process is not just for scientists in a laboratory, and it’s not just to solve problems within the field of science. The scientific method is a process that students can apply to just about any problem that deals with any topic. Students will discover that the purpose of this process is simply to prove or disprove a theory about why something happens or how to solve a problem. The lesson plan divides the process into four steps: observation, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion.

Students might enjoy learning how one scientist’s observation of melting chocolate led to the invention of the microwave. You might want to have students research this scientist to learn more about how he used the scientific method to test his theory.

First Two Steps of the Scientific Method

Students will learn about observing and creating a hypothesis (making a guess) based on what they observed. They may not already know this, but observing is not just an action for the eyes. In fact, students may learn that, depending on what they want to observe, they will need an entirely different sense. They may need to listen, taste, smell, or touch something in order to observe it the way they need to. Sometimes, they may even need to use more than one of the five senses. Scientists observe things so that they can study, learn about, or identify an event or object. Regarding the spider web example, the scientist observes the pattern, size, and texture of the web. This observation requires both sight and touch.

Students will next discover what a hypothesis is, which is an educated guess or theory that might explain an event that someone observed. Usually, it is a statement that answers a specific question. It requires three things: it must explain the observation, be testable by others, and produce the same results when repeated. In the example, the scientist asks the question, do big spiders build stronger webs? The hypothesis: if a spider is larger, then it will create a stronger web.

Last Two Steps of the Scientific Method

Next, students will learn about setting up an experiment to test their theory. The experiment will either prove or disprove the hypothesis. In other words, they will be able to see whether their guess was true or false. With the scientific method, the experiment should only test a single variable. That variable must be something that can change. In addition, the experiment must be repeatable. If another scientists cannot repeat the exact same test, then the experiment needs to change. The example shares that the scientist tests the strength of various spiders’ webs. He measures the spiders’ sizes and use the same method to test the web strength for each one. Then he compares the spiders’ sizes to their webs’ strength.

Finally, students will analyze the data they collect to see if they were right or wrong. This is the conclusion step of the scientific method. During this step, scientists gather all the data from the experiment and analyze it to discover the answer to their question. If the hypothesis is correct, then they can use their statement to answer the question. If not, they must come up with a new guess or theory and perform another test. For the example, the scientist gathers his data. If he finds that larger spiders do, in fact, build stronger webs, then that is his conclusion. Otherwise, his new hypothesis might be that the size of a spider does not affect the strength of its web.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The scientific method lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. (The “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page suggests the possibility of switching the latter two if you want.) Each worksheet helps gauge students’ grasp of the material. The activity will especially help them practice the scientific method in a hands-on way. The guidelines on the classroom procedure page outlines when to distribute each handout.

COIN TEST ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

The activity requires students to compare a penny, nickel, and dime in relation to how many drops of water each can hold. Students will first write some things they observe about each coin. Then they will write a hypothesis as to how many drops each coin can hold, but they won’t just write a number. Following the steps of the scientific method, students will then test their theories and record the data. At the end, they will conclude whether or not they were correct and explain what they found.

MATCH THE STEP PRACTICE WORKSHEET

For the practice worksheet, students will review 20 descriptions. There are four words in the word bank: observation (O), hypothesis (H), experiment (E), and conclusion (C). Students will mark the statements with the letter they represent.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

There are two parts to the homework worksheet. First, students will answer six questions that are multiple choice. For the second section, they will read 12 sentences. They must determine which step of the scientific method the sentence corresponds to.

Worksheet Answer Keys

The last couple pages of the lesson plan provide answer keys all three worksheets. On the activity worksheet, it is possible that there will be some slight variation with the figures for the coin measurements. However, they should be fairly close if not exactly the same. The answer key provides a sample hypothesis to test for the sake of the rest of the activity, which will vary from group to group. The practice worksheet lists the correct answers in red. The same is true for the homework answer key. It highlights the correct multiple choice answer for that section and marks in red the correct terms for the second section.

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scientific method

It was a great way to introduce the scientific method to my students

I was very pleased with the lesson plan on the scientific method. There were some changes made in the middle of the school year, and I ended up teaching science to 4 and 5 grade. The other teacher had only taught with videos, and I wanted to start my teaching off with a fun, hands-on experiment. It was a huge success and now my kids are excited to come to Science class!

Very useful

I used this lesson as an introduction to the scientific method with 3rd and 4th graders and it went very well. The worksheets were clear and easy for the children to follow.

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Scientific Method: a set of steps and techniques scientists use to investigate and understand the physical and living world...  more

How to Introduce Students to the Scientific Method

Students, and sometimes even teachers, often think scientists only use the scientific method to answer science-related questions. In fact, you can apply the scientific method to almost any problem. The key is to use the elements (steps) to reduce bias and help come to a solution to the problem.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The scientific method is the standard in the laboratory, but don’t be fooled by the name. It is also used beyond the laboratory to solve everyday mysteries and problems.

The scientific method consists of a number of different steps , but the order in which we apply the steps can vary. Rather than focus on the order of the steps, students should see the scientific method as a tool that consists of elements they can use to solve problems and answer questions.

In fact, solving problems can lead students through the scientific method before they even realize it. We used this idea to design our Science Detectives Training Room game to help introduce the scientific method.

You can find more information on the game and how to implement it further down on this page. But first, let's look a bit into how exactly we're thinking about doing science more generally and how the scientific method fits into that.

One size does not fit all when it comes to doing science or solving everyday mysteries. Click the image for care.

While you can reorder the steps of the scientific method, it is important to apply all the steps to reduce the impact of personal bias. This is really the key function of the scientific method. The scientific method lays out a process that helps scientists come to a conclusion, but that conclusion is made more valid by virtue of the process scientists used to reach their conclusion. One of the real strengths of the scientific method is that its steps help users reduce the chance for error and personal bias, making the results of their experiments more trustworthy.

Steps Common to Versions of the Scientific Method

A quick Web search yields several different versions of the scientific method. Some have more steps, others have fewer steps. This can confuse students and teachers. Which one is correct? The short answer is most of them are correct.

The steps of the scientific method, no matter what sequence they are in (e.g., prediction before test, test before predictions) helps organize the thought processes and logic of resolving a problem or answering a question. But no matter which version of the scientific method someone uses, there will be some common steps:

• The search for alternative explanations
• Constant pressure to disprove even currently accepted hypotheses
• Capacity to modify or even drop a "favorite" hypothesis when too many exceptions become apparent (truth is relative to the available data)

Communicating What Is Learned

The scientific method also serves as an important template for communicating results and the logic behind them. This step is perhaps the most important step in the scientific method, yet it is often a step that is left out of models of the scientific method. If scientists don't share their results or talk about the processes they used to get those results, those results can't become part of our understanding of the world around us. It is, therefore, critical that "communicating results" is part of students' vision of the scientific method.

Science and the Scientific Method

Being involved in science and using the scientific method are not necessarily the same thing. It is possible to be involved in science without applying all the processes of the scientific method. The citizen science movement, which is a very powerful part of the science community, is a great example of this. Citizen scientists are ordinary folks who are involved with pieces of the scientific method, such as data collection.

For example, in the Monarch Monitoring Project, citizen scientists help count migrating monarch butterflies. Each year thousands of people from around the country spend time collecting critical butterfly census data. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is another large citizen science project that relies on the help of people from around the country to collect bird data.

Collecting data is one part of the scientific method, and citizen scientists clearly “do science," but they have not applied all the parts of the scientific method. Students should understand that the scientific method is a process that results in a conclusion. Simply gathering data does not result in a conclusion; other steps are necessary.

Are You and Your Students Science Detectives?

Science Detectives Training Room is a fun way to teach students from elementary level to college about the scientific method. It is also a great way to build problem solving skills. Based on a popular "room escape" genre of online games, players enter a dark room and must work through a set of problems to escape.

Once the player escapes from the first room, they encounter a summary of the steps they took to escape and how those steps match the steps of the scientific method. At the end of the game the player can print out the results of their training room exercise for review. If used as an assignment, students can submit the printout to their instructor to show how they performed in the activity.

The game then connects to a follow-up game, The Case of the Mystery Images , which allows students to practice their new detective skills. They are shown a series of images that they have to make hypotheses about in order to progress through the game. They can also print out their work in this game.

Review First, Play Later, or Play First and Review Afterwards?

This is a question best answered by each teacher. Depending on the student or class, it might help to review the process involved in using the scientific method to solve problem. Previewing the game allows the student to experience what they have learned as they play the game. Other instructors, however, might choose to have students play the game first and then use the game summary printout as a tool for engaging students in a discussion of the process and parts of the scientific method, such as control, variables, and data. Either method is effective.

Time to Play

The average time to play the game is 5-7 minutes, depending on the grade level of the student.

Multiple Game Solutions

The game has multiple options that are randomly selected as the player enters the room. Players are unlikely to have the same experience if they play the game several times.

This is handy for instructors who want to have students play the game in a classroom laboratory. Each student is likely to have a slightly different experience.

Using the Final Report Option

In order to escape, a player will be presented an opportunity to print the output of their training. The final report is personalized and can be used as homework or as an extra credit opportunity.

Arizona Science Standards

Strand One: Inquiry process

Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses

• PO 1. (5) Formulate a relevant question through observations that can be tested by an investigation.
• PO 1. (6) Differentiate among a question, hypothesis, and prediction.
• PO 1. (7) Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a hypothesis.
• PO 1. (8) Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a hypothesis.
• PO 2. (5) Formulate predictions in the realm of science based on observed cause and effect relationships.
• PO 3. (7) Explain the role of a hypothesis in a scientific inquiry.

Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions

• PO 2. (3) Construct reasonable interpretations of the collected data based on formulated questions.

Common Core Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Read more about: Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries

View citation, bibliographic details:.

• Article: For Teachers
• Author(s): CJ Kazilek and David Pearson
• Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
• Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
• Date published: February 23, 2013
• Date accessed: September 10, 2024
• Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/teaching-scientific-method

CJ Kazilek and David Pearson. (2013, February 23). For Teachers. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved September 10, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/teaching-scientific-method

Chicago Manual of Style

CJ Kazilek and David Pearson. "For Teachers". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 23 February, 2013. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/teaching-scientific-method

MLA 2017 Style

CJ Kazilek and David Pearson. "For Teachers". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 23 Feb 2013. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 10 Sep 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/teaching-scientific-method

Perfect for students and teachers. Science Detectives Training Room introduces the scientific method in a fun game format. Do you think you can escape?

Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries

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Lesson Plan: Scientific Method

"the scientific method in everyday life".

This scientific method interactive activity allows students to practice using the scientific method on things that happen to them every day. So when they actually need to use it for science class, it’ll be no sweat.

Objectives Students will: —Define the steps of the scientific method —Use the scientific method to create an experiment in their daily life.

Materials — Flocabulary Scientific Method Video — Scientific Method worksheet

Time 45 minutes in class, varying times to carry out experiments (allot at least an hour)

Sequence 1. Listen to Flocabulary’s scientific method song. Ask students to pay particular attention to the hook, which lays out the steps of the scientific method.

2. Review the scientific method steps as a class. When the song is complete you can click on lyrics to learn more. The steps of the scientific method are: 1. Ask a question. 2. Make a hypothesis. 3. Test the hypothesis with an experiment. 4. Analyze the results of the experiment. 5. Draw a conclusion. 6. Communicate results.

If this is the first time you're studying the scientific method, you can use the worksheet to fill in the steps of Galileo's experiment in the video.

3. Explain to students that they can use these steps to answer many questions in every day life. If they can ask the question, they can apply the scientific method to answer it. As a class, choose one of the questions from the list below (and definitely feel free to add your own questions–and add any good ones in the comments!). Follow the scientific method to answer the question. Then ask students to design their own experiment to answer another question from the list.

List of everyday questions to test scientifically:

—What is the fastest route from my house to school? —What breakfast gives you the most energy in gym class? —What is the most popular lunch option in the cafeteria? —What type of joke makes my little brother laugh the most? —What most annoys my best friend? —What time of day do I feel most awake? —What is the best baseball team in the league? (You could think about a baseball season as a prolonged set of experiments.) —When is the best time to go to the grocery store to avoid lines?

Here’s an example of how you could set up the first experiment:

Question: What is the fastest route to school? Hypothesis: Taking Main Street to Elm Street to avoid the light on Maple Avenue is the fastest route to school. Experiment: Drive to school at the same time each day at the same speed, taking a variety of routes. Make sure to include the hypothesis route. Record the time for each route. Analysis: Analyze the different route times, selecting the fastest. Conclusion: Determine whether your route hypothesis was correct. Discussion: Share the results of your test to help others get to school on time.

Extension Share experiment results. Talk about ways you might keep naturally experimenting in your daily life.

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Steps of the Scientific Method 2

The scientific method is a system scientists and other people use to ask and answer questions about the natural world. In a nutshell, the scientific method works by making observations, asking a question or identifying a problem, and then designing and analyzing an experiment to test a prediction of what you expect will happen. It’s a powerful analytical tool because once you draw conclusions, you may be able to answer a question and make predictions about future events.

These are the steps of the scientific method:

• Make observations.

Sometimes this step is omitted in the list, but you always make observations before asking a question, whether you recognize it or not. You always have some background information about a topic. However, it’s a good idea to be systematic about your observations and to record them in a lab book or another way. Often, these initial observations can help you identify a question. Later on, this information may help you decide on another area of investigation of a topic.

• Ask a question, identify a problem, or state an objective.

There are various forms of this step. Sometimes you may want to state an objective and a problem and then phrase it in the form of a question. The reason it’s good to state a question is because it’s easiest to design an experiment to answer a question. A question helps you form a hypothesis, which focuses your study.

• Research the topic.

You should conduct background research on your topic to learn as much as you can about it. This can occur both before and after you state an objective and form a hypothesis. In fact, you may find yourself researching the topic throughout the entire process.

• Formulate a hypothesis.

A hypothesis is a formal prediction. There are two forms of a hypothesis that are particularly easy to test. One is to state the hypothesis as an “if, then” statement. An example of an if-then hypothesis is: “If plants are grown under red light, then they will be taller than plants grown under white light.” Another good type of hypothesis is what is called a “ null hypothesis ” or “no difference” hypothesis. An example of a null hypothesis is: “There is no difference in the rate of growth of plants grown under red light compared with plants grown under white light.”

• Design and perform an experiment to test the hypothesis.

Once you have a hypothesis, you need to find a way to test it. This involves an experiment . There are many ways to set up an experiment. A basic experiment contains variables, which are factors you can measure. The two main variables are the independent variable (the one you control or change) and the dependent variable (the one you measure to see if it is affected when you change the independent variable).

• Record and analyze the data you obtain from the experiment.

It’s a good idea to record notes alongside your data, stating anything unusual or unexpected. Once you have the data, draw a chart, table, or graph to present your results. Next, analyze the results to understand what it all means.

• Determine whether you accept or reject the hypothesis.

Do the results support the hypothesis or not? Keep in mind, it’s okay if the hypothesis is not supported, especially if you are testing a null hypothesis. Sometimes excluding an explanation answers your question! There is no “right” or “wrong” here. However, if you obtain an unexpected result, you might want to perform another experiment.

• Draw a conclusion and report the results of the experiment.

What good is knowing something if you keep it to yourself? You should report the outcome of the experiment, even if it’s just in a notebook. What did you learn from the experiment?

How Many Steps Are There?

You may be asked to list the 5 steps of the scientific method or the 6 steps of the method or some other number. There are different ways of grouping together the steps outlined here, so it’s a good idea to learn the way an instructor wants you to list the steps. No matter how many steps there are, the order is always the same.

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2 thoughts on “ steps of the scientific method ”.

You raise a valid point, but peer review has its limitations. Consider the case of Galileo, for example.

That’s a good point too. But that was a rare limitation due to religion, and scientific consensus prevailed in the end. It’s nowhere near a reason to doubt scientific consensus in general. I’m thinking about issues such as climate change where so many people are skeptical despite 97% consensus among climate scientists. I was just surprised to see that this is not included as an important part of the process.

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Scientific Method: Study Guide & Examples

• Scientific Method: Study Guide &…
• What is the scientific method? It is a logical, systematic approach to solve a problem.
• What is always the first step of the scientific method? Identify the problem and make observation.
• What makes a good hypothesis? A good hypothesis is one that you can test.
• What is a control? Comparison with one or more experimental groups.
• What is an independent variable? The variable that is being manipulated by the experimenter.
• What is a dependent variable? The thing that changes in reaction to the independent variable.
• What is a conclusion? The end or finish of an event or process.
• True or False: Experiments can measure more than one variable at a time. True

A scientist wants to test the effects of soda on the growth of plants.   The scientist keeps everything consistant in the experiment except to plant A. he adds 5 ml of Soda each day and to plant B. he adds 5 ml of water.  Each day, the scientist measures the height of each plant.

• In the above experiment, what is the dependent variable?  Type of plant.
• In the above experiment, what is the independent variable? Type of liquid.

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