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Scientific Explanations

10/18/2013

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Scientific Method = Gathering Evidence

Last week, we learned that the Scientific Method is an organized method used by scientists to find and gather evidence (data) to support a claim (argument) about what the scientist observes.  There are many versions of the scientific method, but all versions of the scientific method involve trying to answer a specific question, and experimenting to find the answer.

The version of the scientific method that we will use in my class was given to me by my dear friend, Dr. OPHERC:
  • Observation: The observation is simply any information gathered using the senses or an instrument.  A scientific investigation begins with an interesting observation in the world that generates questions that can be tested.
  • Problem/Question: The problem/question is the specific question the scientist will attempt to answer through experimentation.
  • Hypothesis: The hypothesis is the claim of the scientist, or an educated guess about the answer to the problem/question.  A hypothesis is based on sufficient observations, prior knowledge, and background research.  
  • Experiment: The experiment is when the scientist actually tests his/her hypothesis for supporting evidence using detailed procedures, appropriate materials, and scientific measuring tools.  During the experiment, the scientist records all of his/her qualitative and quantitative observations.
  • Results: The results are all of evidence (the qualitative and quantitative observations) gathered throughout the experiment.  The results are often displayed in tables, charts, and graphs for further studying. 
  • Conclusion: The conclusion is the reasoning of the scientist that explains the meaning or significance of the results.  In the conclusion, the scientist links the evidence from the experiment back to the original claim (hypothesis).     
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Remember! Using the scientific method does not always provide the necessary evidence to support the claim of the scientist.  Very oftentimes, the scientific method leads to new evidence that results in the scientist totally changing his/her original claim.  
Scientific Explanation = Goal of a Scientist

During the first week of school, we learned that science is a way to develop explanations for what we observe, using the evidence we gather through our own experiments, and through the experiments of other scientists.  A scientific explanation, so to speak, is the scientific way of explaining what we observe in the world (and outside of the world, too!).  A scientific explanation is essentially a claim (about what a scientist observes/observed phenomena) that is supported with evidence and reasoning.  
The goal of a scientist is to develop scientific explanations to share with the scientific community, and the purpose scientific method is to gather the "
evidence" component of the scientific explanation.  

But what is a claim?  What is evidence?  And what is reasoning?!  These components of a scientific explanation (C.E.R.) have been outlined below.

C.E.R. = Parts of a Scientific Explanation
  • Claim: a conclusion that attempts to answer/address a testable scientific question. 
  • Evidence: appropriate and sufficient data from an experiment, other scientists' experiments, reading material, and/or other observations that support the claim.  
  • Reasoning: a justification that links the claim and evidence that incorporates appropriate and sufficient scientific principles; requires background research.  

Connecting the Scientific Method with C.E.R.
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Last week, we performed an experiment to gather evidence in order to develop a scientific explanation. The question we addressed was, "What is the most common color in a 2.17 oz Original Fruit bag of Skittles?"

Below is an outline of how we gathered our evidence via the Dr. OPHERC.  We will use class 711's data for our example.

1.  The scientific method began with an observation.

Observation: There are five different colors in a bag of skittles - red, yellow, orange, green, purple.  Every time I eat a bag of skittles, the frequency (how many) of each color seems to be different.  

2.  This observation inspired, or led to, a question for investigation.

Problem/Question: What is the most common color in a 2.17 oz "Original Fruit" bag of Skittles?  

3.  We made a tentative claim (hypothesis) to test, based on our observations, background research, and prior knowledge.

Hypothesis: If purple is the most popular color of Skittles, then it will be the most common color in a 2.17 oz bag because the makers of Skittles will likely accommodate the preference of the consumers.  Furthermore, according to Skittles.com, green should make up 19.7% of a 2.17 oz bag, yellow should make up 19.5% of a 2.17 oz bag, orange should make up 20.2% of a 2.17 oz bag, red should make up 20% of a 2.17 oz bag, and purple should make up 20.6% of a 2.17 oz bag. 
4.  We then tested our hypothesis through an experiment to gather evidence.

Experimental Procedure:
1.  Open the bag of Skittles onto your sheet of paper towel.
2.  Group your Skittles according to color. 
3.  Count how many of each color are present in your group’s bag and record this info in table 1.   

4.  Analyze your data by creating a bar graph on Table 2.
5.  Make sure to label the graph showing colors and numbers of Skittles. 
6.  Form a conclusion.  State whether your hypothesis was correct or incorrect and why.
 
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5.  Next, we graphed all of our data (evidence).

Results:
Average number of red (class 711): 11.5 pieces
Average number of yellow (class 711): 13.3 pieces
Average number of orange (class 711): 10.2 pieces
Average number of green (class  711): 13.5 pieces
Average number of purple (class 711): 10.2 pieces

6.  We then made a conclusion by determining whether or not the evidence gathered supported our original claim.  The conclusion is essentially our reasoning.  The conclusion addresses our original claim (was it correct?  incorrect?), provides our evidence, and links our evidence back to our original claim.

Conclusion: My hypothesis was not supported through this experiment because I predicted that purple would be the most common color, and my results show that green is the most common color in this experiment.  The average total number of candies in class 711 was 58.6 pieces.  There was an average of 10.2 red candies, 13.3 yellow candies, 10.2 orange candies, 13.5 green candies, and 10.2 purple candies in a 2.17 oz bag.  Class 711's results were different from class 711, 714, 715, and 716. My next step is to average the data from all four classes.  Since every class has a different average frequency of colors, the results do not provide enough evidence to support or oppose my claim that purple is the most common color of skittles in a 2.17 oz bag.  Furthermore, since Skittles.com states that green should make up 19.7% of a 2.17 oz bag, yellow should make up 19.5% of a 2.17 oz bag, orange should make up 20.2% of a 2.17 oz bag, red should make up 20% of a 2.17 oz bag, and purple should make up 20.6% of a 2.17 oz bag, it is important that we increase our sample size in order to have a fair test.
Homework:

Answer the following questions in your science notebook.  Write the questions AND answer in complete sentences.

1.  Why do scientists use the scientific method?
2.  What is a scientific explanation according to this article?  Cite your evidence.
3.  How is the "reasoning" in a scientific explanation related to the claim and evidence?  Explain.
4.  According to this blog post, a claim is a conclusion that attempts to answer/address a testable scientific question.  What is another way to define claim?
5.  According to this blog post, evidence is appropriate and sufficient data from an experiment, other scientists' experiments, reading material, and/or other observations that support the claim.  What is another way to define evidence?
6.  Were we able to gather enough evidence through our Skittles experiment to support a claim that a particular color is the most common in a 2.17 oz bag of "Original Fruit" Skittles? Explain.
7.  Using the scientific method does not always provide the necessary evidence to support the claim (hypothesis) of the scientist.  What do you think a scientist should do in the case that the evidence does not support the claim (hypothesis)?  Explain what you think should be the next steps for the scientist.

Due: Monday, October 21, 2013.
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Great Scientists

9/17/2013

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Rachel Carson 
1907 - 1964

Rachel Carson was an American conservationist and marine biologist who is best known for advancing the modern global environmental movement.  Her controversial book, Silent Spring, brought attention to the dangerous effects she believed were caused by the use of synthetic pesticides.  The book ultimately inspired a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides, and the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Articles
  • http://www.famousscientists.org/rachel-carson/
  • http://www.rachelcarson.org/
  • http://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/carsonbio.html
  • http://ecotopia.org/ecology-hall-of-fame/rachel-carson/biography/

Videos
  • The Journal: Rachel Carson's Legacy 
  • Biography.com: Rachel Carson

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Charles Darwin 
1809 - 1882

Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution based on natural selection.  Natural selection is the process in which the stronger organisms survive to reproduce and pass on their traits (genes), while the weaker do not.  Darwin spent five years at sea on the HMS Beagle (boat), where he observed an incredible diversity of animal and plant species.  When the Beagle reached the Galápagos Islands, he noticed that each species was uniquely adapted to its immediate environment.  This observation led him to ask the questions that became the basis of his scientific explanation: living things have evolved in an orderly manner over many generations, and continue to evolve today.  After 23 years of study, he published his theory of evolution in The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. 

Articles
  • http://www.famousscientists.org/charles-darwin/
  • http://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html
  • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/151902/Charles-Darwin
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml

Videos
  • Greatest Discoveries: Darwin's Story
  • Greatest Discoveries in Evolution: Natural Selection
  • Biography.com: Charles Darwin

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Robert Hooke 
1635 - 1703

Robert Hooke was an English physicist and inventor.  Hooke proved that both combustion (burning) and respiration (breathing) require air, and that sound does not travel in a vacuum.  He was one of the first men to build a Gregorian reflecting telescope and to suggest that Jupiter rotates on its access.  Hooke also studied numerous objects under microscopes and was the first to use the word cell to describe the patterns he observed.


Articles
  • http://www.famousscientists.org/robert-hooke/
  • http://www.biography.com/people/robert-hooke-9343172
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/hooke_robert_beavon_01.shtml
  • http://www.roberthooke.com/

Videos
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuVofeYsJN
  • Building a Life: Robert Hooke

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Carl Linnaeus 
1707 - 1778

Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish naturalist who developed the modern classification system for naming plants and animals.  This classification system is called binomial nomenclature, which consts of two words, the first being the genus and the second the species.  For example, Homo sapiens, the scientific name of the human, is an example of binomial nomenclature.  His method of classification allowed for clear and easy descriptions of plants, animals and minerals. 


Articles
  • http://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/linnaeus.html
  • http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html
  • http://www.macroevolution.net/linnaeus.html#.Uje2f8akrMs
  • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/342526/Carolus-Linnaeus

Videos
  • Greatest Discoveries: Classification of Species 
  • http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/science-of-natural-history/biographies/linnaeus/

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Louis Pasteur
1822 - 1895

Louis Pasteur was a French chemist who founded modern microbiology.   Pasteur established that germs cause diseases and infections.  Before Pasteur, people believed that diseases were generated spontaneously.  However, Pasteur's experiments proved that microorganisms are the true cause of many diseases. 
His early work with fermentation led him to invent to process of pasteurization.  He developed vaccines for anthrax, chicken cholera, and rabies.


Articles
  • http://www.famousscientists.org/louis-pasteur/
  • http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/scientists/louispasteur.html
  • http://www.biography.com/people/louis-pasteur-9434402
  • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/445964/Louis-Pasteur


Videos
  • About.com: Profile of Louis Pasteur 
  • Biography.com: Louis Pasteur

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James Watson & Francis Crick
(1928 -  ) & (1916 - 2004)

James Watson (American) & Francis Crick (British) are biologists who identified the structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid, otherwise known as DNA.  By analyzing the patterns cast by x-rays striking DNA molecules, they discovered that DNA has the structure of a double helix, two spirals linked together by bases in ladder-like rungs.  Their discovery formed the basis of molecular genetics.  By understanding the structure of DNA, we better understand ourselves and our families through the study of hereditary disease, and the evolution of human life. 

Articles
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/watson_and_crick.shtml
  • http://www.biographyshelf.com/francis_crick_james_watson_biography.html
  • http://www.life123.com/parenting/education/biographies/james-watson-and-francis-crick.shtml

Videos
  • People and Discoveries: Watson and Crick Describe the Structure of DNA
  • http://www.biography.com/people/james-d-watson-9525139
  • http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/watson-and-crick-discover-chemical-structure-of-dna

Team Assignment:
Become experts on your team's great scientist!  Read the biographies/articles and watch the videos. Make sure to take notes.  Then answer the below questions in your science notebook.
  1. From where is your scientist?
  2. What did your scientist discover/find/advance?
  3. How did your scientist make that discovery?
  4. How has your scientists' discovery changed our world?
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What is Science?  

9/10/2013

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Today, we learned about how simple observations can lead us to questions, which can in turn, lead us to search actively for explanations (answers).  Science is a way to develop explanations for what we observe, using the evidence we gather through our own experiments, and through the experiments of other scientists.  In other words, science is a way to learn about everything we see, things we can't see (too small or too big), taste, touch, smell, and hear on (and outside of) our planet.  However, do keep in mind that scientific explanations can change in light of new evidence.  For example, when we think about how sharks move, we tend to assume that they swim (duh?).  But just a few days ago, scientists in Indonesia discovered a new species of walking shark that lives on the ocean floor, using its fins to "shuffle around, wiggling from side to side as it moves".  This walking shark, named hemiscyllium halmahera, has completely changed how we think about sharks. 100 years from now, a typical 7th grader will no longer imagine a blue, sharp toothed, swimming shark when hearing the word, "shark". Therefore, as scientists, it is important that we continue to observe, question, and seek explanations, even when we feel that we know everything there is to know about something... such as sharks!
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Homework: Find out where Ms. Shon saw the Leafcutter ant on the class website (shonscience.com).
Due: 9/11/13
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Leafcutter Ants

9/9/2013

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This ant is a Leafcutter, which is a super cool species of ants that are fungus farmers.  They don't actually eat the leaves/petals themselves, but a fungus that grows on them.  Leafcutters cut leaves from the trees, carry them long and far, and then cultivate them in a safe place underground.  How freakin' smart, you might say?  Well, as it turns out, so have many scientists!  In fact, ants are the subject and inspiration of many scientific investigations, because ants are incredibly social and complex... just like humans!  Ants not only divide work according to size and skill, but they have unique ways of communicating to solve problems to ensure everyone is happy and fed.  Pretty cool, ay?

Leafcutter ants generally travel in long lines deep in the forest.  They leave a scent along the trail so they can find their way back to their underground nests.  They use their sharp jaws to cut leaves from plants, and then carry the large leaves on their backs.  This particular ant was likely taking the leaf back to its nest, where it was then passed on to an even smaller ant that chewed it into a pulp.  The pulp is then stored with ant feces (eww), and a fungus that decomposes the pulp grows.  This fungus is what the ants ultimately eat!  Nam nam nam! 

I tell you this story, in part, because I am obsessed with Leafcutter ants, but mostly because I think this story is a good reflection of how science "works".  Interesting observations, like the magically moving hot pink petal, lead to questions, and these questions lead us to ideas of how things work.  Science is all about testing these ideas (through experimentation in the lab/forest/ocean/outer space), and gathering appropriate and sufficient evidence to prove and explain these ideas.  These explanations solve problems, while deeply enriching our lives with an ever-expanding (and evolving) library of knowledge.  I look forward to exploring our curiosities (and formulating new ones) this school year through science, and developing explanations that could one day improve our environment and quality of life on the local, and possibly even global, level.

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