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 What
Is the Scientific Method?
Learning
Objectives | National Science Education Standards
Background Information | Pre-Visit
Activities
Inquiry Activities at the Garden
| Suggested Galleries
Post-Visit Activities | Resources
Learning
Objectives
Science
is an organized way of learning about the world.
- The
scientific method includes making observations, asking questions,
making educated guesses, experimenting, collecting data, drawing conclusions,
and sharing results.
- People use the scientific method to solve problems every day.
- A
microscope is a tool used by scientists to observe very small
things.
National
Science Education Standards
- Understand
science and technology.
- Understand
science as a human endeavor.
- Understand
the process of scientific inquiry.
Background
Information
- Scientists
use the following scientific method when conducting research:
1.
Make observations about the world.
2. Ask questions about things
observed.
3. Develop a hypothesis,
or make an educated guess.
4. Conduct an experiment
to answer the question.
5. Draw conclusions based
on the results.
6. Share the findings with
others.
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A magnifying glass is a kind of lens that makes things appear
larger.
-
A
microscope contains many magnifying lenses, and is used to observe
small
things.
-
People
use the scientific method every time they solve a problem .
Pre-Visit
Activities
- Place
a familiar object such as a banana in a box. Have students place
their hands inside the box without looking to guess what’s inside.
Discuss how they came to their conclusion.
- Place
a ball or a cylinder in a box and tape it shut. Ask students to
examine the box without using their sense of sight. Based on their observations
of sound and touch, students then draw the mystery item and explain
how they came to their conclusions.
- Fill
a clear smooth glass with water. Place a ruler inside the glass.
Compare the print inside and outside the water. Place the ruler behind
the glass. Why does the print appear larger?
- Observe
and sketch a variety of plant parts using both a hand lens and
a microscope. Describe how the same items appear different when
viewed through each.
Inquiry
Activities at the Garden
- Find
a plant-related object that you cannot identify (a fossil, fungi,
microbes, seed, artifact). Sketch it under a microscope or through a hand
lens. Describe it in detail; then hypothesize what it might be. Se a rch signs
and books for clues. Ask an Explainer to help solve the mystery.
- Share
the sketch and observations with a partner. Have him or her think
of ways to solve the mystery using simple experiments (would it float?
sink? decompose? grow?) and questions.
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What
exactly is an experiment, anyway?
An
experiment is when you change one thing to see if that change
has some kind of effect.
 If
you wanted your lemonade to be very sweet and not too tart, how might you experiment with the recipe to achieve the desired outcome?
Can
you design another simple experiment?
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Suggested
Galleries
- Texaco
Kids Lab
- Bendheim
Kids Herbarium
- The
Vincent Astor Foundation Sun, Dirt and Water Gallery
Post-Visit
Activities
- Place
several stalks of celery in sugar water and several in plain water. Hypothesize how the celery will taste tomorrow. How can the theory be tested? What conclusions can be drawn?
- Why
was some celery left in plain water? Why is it important to have
an experimental control to compare with the experimental item?
- View
plant parts using a microscope or hand lens. Draw what you see. Exchange drawings with classmates to see if they can identify
the unknown from the close-up sketch.
Resources
Hetzel,
June, Susan Miller, and Brenda Wyman. 1995. Plants: Hands-on
Experiments, Interdisciplinary Activities. Cypress, Calif.:
Creative Teaching Press.
Russell,
Helen. 1998. Ten-Minute Field Trips. Arlington, Va.: National
Science Teachers Association.
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