Scientific+Method

At the Beatrice Middle School students will learn 5 steps to the Scientific Method. At the High School they will learn MORE steps, and should college be in the student's future it is likely they will learn different steps. Do not despair! Although the number of steps changes it is really all part of the same process. By changing the number of steps it doesn't mean you did not learn it right in the middle school. It changes as you grow so that you can better apply your knowledge with skills gained as you grow. Yes, you will be expected to learn more than you know now as a 7th grader.

**Vocabulary** > **Theory** - An assumption based on limited information or knowledge.
 * **Problem** - A question to be considered, solved or answered
 * **Observation** - An observation is the act of noting and recording something with instruments.
 * **Hypothesis** - A hypothesis is a tentative explanation that accounts for a set of facts and can be tested by further investigation.
 * **Experiment** - An experiment is a test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, or examine the validity of a hypothesis.
 * **Conclusion** - A conclusion is the result or outcome of an act or process.
 * **Variable** - Something that changes.
 * **POHEC** - The mnemonic device used to help you remember the steps of the scientific method.

Problem/Question: Any question can lead to a scientific inquiry. A few things to consider about your question: Is it a yes/no question, Is it an opinion you are trying to prove?, Is it a question of morality?, Is there evidence that can be measured/tested? ,

Observations*: What is happening? Remember that humans have limited perception and what we see cannot always be trusted.

Hypothesis: If-then statement. If x is changed then y will change. Although it should be mentioned that often it works best to change one variable and get NO change in the outcome.

Experimental Procedure: One experimental variable and all other variables are controlled.

Conclusion: So now what? You can either say your hypothesis was proven true or false based on the data. Something should be done with those results.

//Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence and always subject to correction and improvement upon discovery of better evidence. What's left is magic. And it doesn't work. -- James Randi//


 * __Links to look at and enjoy:__**

http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node2.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_steps_in_the_scientific_method