Transcript Mentor Training #3

MENTOR TRAINING
#3
December 2nd, 2010
© 2010 MV Science Alliance
THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE
• Three methods:
– Deductive Reasoning – aka the Scientific Method
• Based on concrete data
• Generally accepted by the greater scientific community
• What your buddy will use to do the sci. fair project
– Inductive Reasoning
• Not based on concrete data/generalizations
• Not well accepted by scientific community
– Accidents
• Not accepted by scientific community
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
1. Observe the world around you
2. Ask a question about something that intrigues you
– Form a testable question
3. Give a possible answer to that question
– This will be your hypothesis
4. Test your hypothesis with an experiment/gather
data.
5. Analyze the data
6. Present the data to the world!
TESTABLE QUESTION
• What would you like to find out about your topic?
What can you discover by performing your
experiment? What are you trying to accomplish?
• Can you design a fair test to answer your question? A
"fair test" requires that you change only one factor
(variable) and keep all other conditions the same.
• How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where.
• The experiment should measure changes to the
important factors (variables)
– One easy change would be the presence versus the
absence of a variable
TESTABLE QUESTIONS (CONT.)
• Your science fair project question should involve
factors or traits that you can numerically measure or
identify
– Traits that are easy to measure typically involve a
quantity such as : count, percentage, length, width,
weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time, etc.
– Traits that are easy to identify include color and
smell
• Remember: These are 5th graders! “Complex” does
not necessarily mean “better”!
AVOID THESE TYPES OF
QUESTIONS!
• Any topic that boils down to a simple preference or taste
comparison. For example, "Which tastes better: Coke or
Pepsi?"
– Such experiments don't involve the kinds of numerical
measurements – qualitative/subjective data
• Astrology or ESP
– No scientific validity.
• Any topic that requires measurements that will be extremely
difficult to make or repeat, given your equipment.
– Example: measuring nano-particles or building a
complex structure
• Any topic that requires dangerous, hard to find, expensive,
or illegal materials.
HYPOTHESES
• A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things
work.
• Most of the time a hypothesis is written like this: "If
_____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will
happen.”
– Sometimes a hypothesis will also include a
“because” statement at the end
• Null Hypothesis: "If _____[I do this] _____, then
_____[nothing]_____ will happen.”
DECLARE YOUR VARIABLES
• Independent variable - the variable that is changed
by the scientist.
• Dependent variable - the variable the scientist
observes.
– Changes in the dependent variable depend on
changes in the independent variable.
• Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist
wants to remain constant throughout the experiment.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE
• The Testable Question is: Does heating a cup of
water allow it to dissolve more sugar?
• Independent Variable: Temperature of the water
(Measured in degrees Centigrade).
• Dependent Variable: Amount of sugar that
dissolves completely (Measured in grams). “this is
the data you get”
• Controlled Variables: Stirring, Type of sugar
(variables that are same)
APPROVAL FOR YOUR BUDDY’S
PROJECT
• All experiments must be approved by Mrs. Bandrowski
before beginning the experiment. If there are any
requests for equipment, help with the procedures for
these experiments, or any other questions, contact us
at: [email protected]
– “SA Project Procedure & Materials” if seeking
approval for project
– “SA Project Materials Request” if seeking to borrow
materials.
NEED MORE HELP?
– www.sciencebuddies.org
– www.pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scifair/index.ht
ml
– www.tryscience.org/experiments/experiments_
home.html
– Your mentor binder
PROCEDURE
• Before experimenting, one needs a procedure…it doesn’t
need to be exact yet, but just a step-by-step list on what
your buddy will do.
– Includes safety procedures (goggles, gloves, etc.)
– Think about all the steps that your buddy will need to go
through to complete your experiment, and record exactly
what will need to be done in each step.
– Tell how you will change your independent variable and
how you will measure that change.
– Tell how you will measure the resulting change in the
dependent variable.
RESEARCH NOTEBOOK
• Your buddy should have a research notebook
(composition notebook) that should read like a diary
from the beginning to the end of the project.
– Includes dates, times, and thoughts and processes.
– It should contain all experimental forms including
those for hazardous material, bacteria, etc.
– The notebook should contain all materials,
procedures, and data.
– Your buddy should bring his/her notebook to all
Mentor-Buddy Meetings.
FOR THE NEXT MEETING
• December 6th, 2010 – please arrive at 3:30 in the
Commons; It’s the Holiday Cookie Exchange!
• Mentors: Bring your binder, a dozen cookies, and a
smile on your face!
• At the end of the next meeting, you and your buddy
should be decided on a topic, declared all variables,
and written hypothesis and null hypothesis.
REMINDER!
• The Email format:
Mentor Last Name, Mentor First Name; Buddy Last Name,
Buddy First Name; Subject
Vader, Darth; Skywalker, Luke; How to Use the Force
Remember to email 2x a week!
Send emails to buddy email, parent email, and
[email protected]
THANK YOU!
And Happy Holidays!