Science and the Natural World Week 1 Lesson

Science and the Natural World Week 1 Lesson 1 Biology Mrs. Munsey

Introduction Why?

Introduction • Latin for "knowledge" • Study of natural world • Start with question • Use evidence and logic • Goal: understand natural world • Science • Assumptions • Nature understood through systematic study • Ideas open to revision • Sound ideas withstand test of time • Cannot answer all questions

Nature Can Be Understood • Single system controlled by natural laws

Scientific Ideas Can Change • Process, not set body of knowledge • Existing ideas often revised • phlogiston

Scientific Knowledge Can Withstand the Test of Time • Atomic theory • Big Bang • Hubble’s Law of Cosmic Expansion • Laws of Thermodyamics • Archimedes’ Buoyancy Principle • Evolution

Science Cannot Answer All Questions • Deals with what can be observed • Unmeasurable or unobservable outside realm of science

The Scientific Method • Basic methods • No set order

Communicating Results • Allows others to test idea • Describe methods • Point out any possible problems

Variables • Dependent • Independent • Control • Sample size – larger = more accurate data

Other Types of Investigations • Proxy • Natural • models