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Scientific Skills What is science? Science is the process of understanding the universe. Science affects us everyday. Examples: weather, food, technology, etc. What skills are needed for science? 1. Observation: when you use your five senses to find out about your surroundings. Scientists observe the word around them and ask questions based on what they observe. What skills are needed for science? Two Types: A) Qualitative observations– observations that describe Example: What you see, hear, smell, taste, feel B) Quantitative observations– observations that measure or count Example: Age, length, and weight More on Observation When making an observation, report only what you can see, hear, feel, taste, or smell. Leave out your opinions. Example: The marker is a cylinder. The marker tip is purple and smells like grape. Not an example: The marker is a pretty color and smells good. More on Observation Make three observations about the following pictures: What skills are needed for science? 2. Inference: your best guess or explanation of why or how something happened without actual scientific evidence or proof. Another way of thinking of it is when you "read between the lines." Example: The plants are dying because they are not getting enough water. Observation vs. Inference You use your observations to make an inference. Observations: I see that the clouds are gray. I feel the wind blowing. Inference: I infer that there is going to be a storm. Observation vs. Inference What do you observe? What do you infer? Observation vs. Inference What do you observe? What do you infer? Categorize each statement Qualitative Observation The people are in a pie eating contest Quantitative Observation The boy is wearing a red headband. Inference There are five contestants. Opinion Pie is good. Categorize each statement Qualitative Observation One of the car’s headlights is damaged. Quantitative Observation The car was in a minor accident. Inference Sports cars are fun to drive. Opinion The car is blue. Observation & Inference Activity • • • • • • Put the milk in a bowl. Add two drops of food coloring in the milk. Put a Q-tip on the food coloring drops, but do NOT stir. Record your observations. Then add dish soap to the Q-tip and put it back on the food coloring drops. Again, do NOT stir. Record your observations. Make an inference about why the reaction was different. What skills are needed for science? 3. Skepticism: when a person is doubtful about something. In science, you should never assume something is true. You should always look for evidence or proof. This will keep you from accepting ideas that may be false. Skepticism also means being aware of bias. This is when someone shows favoritism towards someone or something. You should be able to judge whether experiments are fair. If they are not then their results are not valid (free from error). Understanding Bias Example: You are doing a study to see who is the fastest runner in the class. In a close finish, you may be more likely to say your best friend crossed the finish line before another classmate because of your friendship with him/her. Think about sporting events... What skills are needed for science? 4. Problem solving is another important skill. When you solve a problem, you should use logic and reasoning to come up with a plan that will produce valid (free from error) result. What skills are needed for science? 5. Creativity: coming up with a unique way to solve about a problem. Different methods can produce the same results. Example: Egg drop experiment What skills are needed for science? 6. Collaboration: is when people work together to solve a problem or accomplish something and is a must in science. As they say, "two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two, etc." In this class, we will: 1) Share ideas 2) Communicate results 3) Learn together It's a group effort! Scientific Advances Technology is any product that is created from advancements in science. These products are tools used to meet our needs. What are some examples of technological advances? Real World Examples What scientific skill are you using for each: Observation, Inference, Skepticism, Problem Solving, Creativity, or Collaboration? 1. You are watching an infomercial about the BlendO-Matic. It claims to be the best blender that has ever been created, but you have your doubts. 2. You notice that your cell phone screen looks funny and the buttons don't seem to be working. You guess that it needs to be taken into the Verizon store to be fixed. Real World Examples What scientific skill are you using for each: Observation, Inference, Skepticism, Problem Solving, Creativity, or Collaboration? 3. Your locker is jammed because a gear inside isn't working right. You use some hair gel to loosen it up, and now it works perfectly. 4. Your teacher says its okay to work with a partner on your science assignment. You begin by trying it yourself. However, you get stuck on a question and ask a friend for help. Together, you finish the paper and get an A.