Method to the Madness M’Adele Carson, Ed.D. Bennett Russell Elementary Santa Rosa County There’s a UWF Science Ed-Venture Saturday, September 13, 2008
Dec 10, 2015
Method to the Madness
M’Adele Carson, Ed.D.Bennett Russell Elementary
Santa Rosa County
There’s
a
UWF Science Ed-Venture
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Background
FCAT. It’s always about FCAT.
Bill Nye
First year and cut scores.
Second year and what we learned from the cut scores.
Embedding the Scientific Method in every lesson/chapter/unit.
Boston NSTA-Nova Eisenhower 5th grade teacher
Going beyond the book , doing what you know is right, and having kids love science.
The Scientific Method
1. State the Problem2. Gather Information3. Form a Hypothesis4. Procedure5. Record and Analyze Data6. Draw a Conclusion
1. State the ProblemThe problem should be stated in the form of a question.
• How does__________affect_________?
• What is the effect of______on________?
• Which _____________ is _____________?
• If ____________then______________?How does/do Which/is
What is If, then
2. Gather Information Researching a topic
An educated hypothesis cannot be made without some basic knowledge about the topic.
First round of research should give backgroundinformation, vocabulary,word meaning, & explanations
of how something works, etc.
3. Form a HypothesisAn Educated Guess
A hypothesis is an educated guess about the results of your project. An educated guess can be made only after research has been done.
• I predict that ____________will occur when I_____________.• My hypothesis is ______________ will ________ when
_______________.• If _______________ then ________________.
VariablesAll the factors that have an effect on your experiment.
Independent variables are those that you change or test.Dependent variables are those that respond to the changed
independent variable.Control/constant variables are those
that you keep the same or constant.
Independent-changeControl-keep the same
Dependent-response
4. Procedures
Procedures are step-by-step instructions on completing an experiment.
Another person should be able to read your procedures and duplicate your experiment exactly.
It is important to have a lot of detail in your procedures.
Procedure, Part II-Materials
A material list is a detailed list of everything that you need to complete an experiment.
List everything (even the things you think might be unimportant)
How many of each? Brands/kinds used?
Items needed for measurement
5. Record and Analyze DataAs you perform your experiment you will need to record your results.
Your results are gathered by observation.You observe by: measuring, counting, and describing. Use a journal or a table/chart to record your observations.
• What are you observing to gather your results? • What happened in your experiment?
6. Draw a ConclusionWhat have you learned?
A conclusion can be an explanation of why something happened during the experiment.
Your conclusion should include:• Hypothesis• Actual results• Explanation of why results turned out the way they did• Facts that can help you explain your results• Practical application• Future possible questions to investigate
Galileo’s ExperimentGalileo’s Experiment
In the late sixteenth century, it was generally believed that heavier objects would fall faster than lighter objects.
Galileo’s hypothesis --two objects will fall at the same rate regardless of their mass.
Legend has it that in 1590, Galileo planned out an experiment. He climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dropped several large objects to test his theory.
Leaning Tower of Pisa ExperimentLeaning Tower of Pisa Experiment
What happens when you drop objects from the tower?
Blowing Bubbles
What is holding a bubble together?
What are the basic ingredients in a bubble solution?
Can adding other ingredients make the solution better for blowing bubbles?
Better Bubbles?
Designing an experiment
Steps of the scientific method
Variables
Chart for recording data
Experiment/trials
Conclusion
Gliders• Background—100th Anniversary
• Paper airplanes
• Designing a better glider
• Defining Better—length of flight or time of flight
• Must use all three parts
BrainPop
Tim and MobyScientific Inquiry
Does adding salt help water to boil faster?
Go to www.brainpop.com and sign up for afree trial subscription. Cost is $195 a year
for one teacher/one classroom.