Grade 7 Science: Components of Scientific Investigation (Part 1) PDF

GRADE 7 SCIENCE TOPIC 1.1 COMPONENTS OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION (PART 1) Mr. Mark Robin G. Dacio  LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of the session, you are expected to: ❏ identify the different steps of scientific investigati...

GRADE 7 SCIENCE TOPIC 1.1 COMPONENTS OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION (PART 1) Mr. Mark Robin G. Dacio  LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of the session, you are expected to: ❏ identify the different steps of scientific investigation; ❏ formulate a testable question for the experiment; ❏ write S.M.A.R.T. objectives for an experiment.; ❏ differentiate types of variables in an experiment; and ❏ categorize variables by accurately identifying their type within the given situations. ELICIT: THESE NEXT-GEN INVENTORS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF FILIPINO INNOVATION 1. Scan the QR code provided. 2. Read the article about a Filipino scientist. (choose only 1 Filipino scientist or inventor) 3. Take notes on his work and why it's important. ELICIT: THESE NEXT-GEN INVENTORS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF FILIPINO INNOVATION GUIDE QUESTIONS 1. Who is the scientist you read about in the article? 2. What did the young scientist invent? 3. Can you explain one step the young inventors took in their scientific investigations from the article? 4. Why is it important for scientists to follow each step carefully in their investigations, like the inventors in the article did? ENGAGE: MYSTERY BOX: USE YOUR OBSERVING & INFERRING SKILLS Using your observing and inferring skills, try to predict what is in the Mystery Box. “I think the item is a/an (size, shape, texture, other property) because (your observation).” EXPLORE: Bite-sized History of Science BITE-SIZED HISTORY OF SCIENCE: SPONTANEOUS GENERATION Long ago, it was believed that living creatures originate spontaneously from non-living matter. BITE-SIZED HISTORY OF SCIENCE: SPONTANEOUS GENERATION People did not challenge this belief because it was obtained from observations that occurred around them. For instance, they have observed that maggots would form spontaneously from decaying meat. BITE-SIZED HISTORY OF SCIENCE: SPONTANEOUS GENERATION And that rats would suddenly appear on their stored sacks of grains. The idea of spontaneous generation remained unchallenged for almost 2,000 years. BITE-SIZED HISTORY OF SCIENCE: SPONTANEOUS GENERATION In 1668, Francesco Redi disproved the theory of spontaneous generation. His experiment demonstrated that maggots arrive from flies, not from decaying matter. WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS STORY? One learns about the world through personal experiences. Sometimes, an inquisitive person would learn from trial and error. The curiosity of people led to the discovery of truths. Science increased our knowledge of the world.  EXPLAIN: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION It is a process used to find answers to questions about the things around us. It involves the application of scientific knowledge and science process skills. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD It is a sequence of steps used to test a hypothesis or to simply validate information. It is a systematic and orderly approach to gathering data and solving problems. It is a logical problem-solving process used by scientists. STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD The scientific method involves ✓ observing ✓ identifying the problem ✓ gathering related information ✓ formulating a hypothesis ✓ designing and performing an experiment ✓ recording and analyzing data ✓ drawing conclusion(s) ✓ communicating the results  THE STEPS MAY VARY The exact steps may vary depending on the scientific question. Steps can be repeated, modified, and reordered. Generally, scientists follow the same basic process.  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1. OBSERVING To observe means to use your senses to learn about something. Scientists ask questions based on the observations that they have made. Keen observation and awareness of the surroundings can help in identifying a problem.  SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS CHECK When you make observations, you use these science process skills: Observe. Use your senses to learn about an object or event. Classify. Place things that share properties together in groups. Measure. Find the size, distance, time, etc., of an object or an event.  APPLY IT: OBSERVING NASA scientists looked at this photo of the surface of Mars. What do you think were their observations? Then, they zoomed in on one part of the surface. What do you think were their new observations?  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 2. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM This is where scientists decide what they want to study. It is important to clearly define the question being answered or the problem being solved by the scientific investigation.  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 2. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM It is best to convert the natural sense of wonders into a focused line of investigation. This is called a TESTABLE QUESTION.  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 2. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM A testable question must be specific. The problem must be stated in the form of a question. Does changing of _________________ Independent Variable affect ________________? Dependent Variable How does changing _______________ Independent Variable affect ________________? Dependent Variable If I change ________________, Independent Variable will it affect _____________? Dependent Variable  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IDENTIFYING THE VARIABLES Identify the factors that can affect an experiment. Scientists often use experimental inquiries to observe cause and effect relationships. To do so, scientists aim to make one change (the cause) in order to determine if a factor is causing what is observed (the effect).  Types of Variable Independent variable - what you change on purpose ○ What did I change? Dependent variable - what you measure ○ What do I observe? Controlled variable - remains the same in an experiment ○ What did I keep the same?  How does the volume of water affect the number of EXAMPLE days it takes for a tomato plant to flower? To find out how the volume of water (independent variable) affects the days to flowering (dependent variable), you would want to keep constant: type of seeds type of soil light source humidity and temperature in the room type of container (e.g., plastic pots vs. clay pots)  ACTIVITY Identifying Variable Identify the independent, dependent, and controlled variables in each given testable question.  How does the duration of light exposure affect the surface area of 1. tomato plant leaves? Independent variable: duration of light (hours) Dependent variable: surface area of plant leaves Controlled variable: quantity of water, type of soil, depth of seeds, source of light, concentration or type of fertilizer (if any); temperature of the room, etc.  How does the concentration of nitrogen fertilizer affect the days to 2. flowering of tomato plants? Independent variable: concentration of nitrogen fertilizer Dependent variable: days to flowering (when first flower opens) Controlled variable: same type of seeds, same quantity of water, same type of soil, same source of light, same duration of light, etc.  How does the volume of water (mL) affect the number of days to 3. germination of tomato plants? Independent variable: Volume of water in ml (per day) Dependent variable: days to germination (when first seed germinates) Controlled variable: single type of seeds, same type of soil, same volume of soil, same type of pots, same source of light, same duration of light, temperature of the room, same time of day for watering, etc.  SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS CHECK When you identify the problem, you use these science process skills: Infer. Form an idea from facts or observations Identify variables. Identify the factors that you want to focus on.  APPLY IT: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM NASA scientists noticed that there are craters on the surface of Mars. They wondered if the distance from where an object drops affects the size of the crater that formed on the surface. What could be their testable question?  APPLY IT: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM What could be their testable question? Does the distance from where an object drops affect the size of the crater it forms?  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 3. GATHERING PRELIMINARY DATA After coming up with a question, scientists do research to find out what is already known about the question and what others have learned from their experiments.  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 3. GATHERING PRELIMINARY DATA Scientists may use books, scientific journals, or internet resources to find out what other scientists know.  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 3. GATHERING PRELIMINARY DATA When they find information, scientists use it only if it is supported by observations. Scientists would use that information as they form a hypothesis about their question. APPLY IT: GATHERING PRELIMINARY DATA  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 4. FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS Scientific investigations often start with an unanswered question. Since, at this point, scientists do not have the answer to their question yet, they propose a possible answer that can be tested.  STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 4. FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS Stating the proposed solutions or expected outcomes for the experiments. A good hypothesis must be based on what you observe testable by performing an investigation or experiment useful in predicting new findings  SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS CHECK When you hypothesize, you use these science process skills: Infer. Form an idea from facts or observations Formulate hypothesis. Make a statement that can be tested to answer a question. Predict. State possible results of an event or experiment. Guesses vs. Prediction vs. Hypothesis A guess is a rough estimate that people give when they don’t know the answer to a question. A prediction is an estimate of an end result (e.g., I predict that the plant will be tall). A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to explain a phenomena by relating cause and effect (e.g., if we give plants more water, then they will grow taller).  How do you develop a scientific hypothesis? In order to develop a hypothesis, one should have: a good testable question, understanding of the dependent, independent, and control variables of interest, some prior knowledge, such as from observations and research, and thoughts about how the inquiry could be done (the method).  How do you develop a scientific hypothesis? A good hypothesis tends to follow the format: If we do/change this, then this will happen because we know this. If these changes are made to a certain independent variable, then will we observe a change in a specific dependent variable because of our prior knowledge and research.  How do you develop a scientific hypothesis? A good hypothesis is: A statement. The hypothesis is not the same as the testable question. The hypothesis is a tentative explanation of what is thought will happen. Testable. What is changed (independent variable) and what is affected by the change (dependent variable) should be measurable and observable. Falsifiable. A good hypothesis can be either supported or shown to be false by the data collected. Clear. It should be obvious what will be tested, how it will be tested (what will be measured to prove or disprove the hypothesis), and what is expected to happen. MISCONCEPTION ALERT The goal of a hypothesis is NOT for a student to be “right.” Having evidence that shows a hypothesis to be false is just as important as having evidence that shows it to be true. A hypothesis is NOT something you prove – it is something you test!  APPLY IT: FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS Testable question: Does the distance from where an object drops affect the size of the crater it forms? What could be a good hypothesis for this?  APPLY IT: FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS What could be a good hypothesis for this? If the object is dropped at a greater distance, then the crater size will be bigger because a greater distance can increase the speed of the object when it drops, which can then create a bigger crater.  TRY IT: SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN YOUR DAILY LIFE Observe something around you and ask a question. List down what you want to know and look for the information that you need. Formulate a hypothesis (a tentative answer to your problem).  LESSON SYNTHESIS Today, you learned that… ❏ It is best to convert the natural sense of wonders into a focused line of investigation called testable question; and ❏ The first four steps of the scientific method are observing, identifying the problem, gathering preliminary data, and formulating the hypothesis.  LESSON SYNTHESIS Today, you learned that… ❏ The scientific method is a process of experimentation that is used to explore and answer questions; LESSON SYNTHESIS  REFERENCE Textbook Ferriols-Pavico, J. Ma., Darvin-Faraon, G., & Ramos, J. D. (2019). Exploring Life Through Science Series: Integrated Science (Third Edition). Phoenix Publishing House. pp. 19 - 24  LEARNING ACTIVITY ❖ Prepare the materials for the SCI@HOME: Observing and Identifying Variables activity. The worksheet is posted in Earth Science Course Site ○ Due Date: W2D1, 2024 ❖ Answer the Learning Activity 1.1. Writing Testable Question, Objectives, Identifying the Variables, and Formulating Hypothesis ○ Due Date: W3D1, 2024 (6:00 PM) ❖ Answer the Learning Activity 1.2. Gathering and Presenting Data and Drawing Conclusion ○ Due Date: W3D1, 2024 (6:00 PM)