The Scientific Method The Scientific Method Scientists use

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method Scientists use this to answer their scientific questions and to conduct investigations.

The Scientific Method The scientific method is a series of steps that help you conduct an investigation & answer your scientific question.

The Scientific Method Step # 1: Scientific Question This is what the scientist wants to know and learn about. Example: Which type of soil will my sunflower grow the best in? Topsoil or sand?

The Scientific Method Step # 2: Hypothesis This is the scientist’s prediction of what they think will happen during the investigation. This is an educated guess. Example: I think that the plant will grow the best in topsoil.

The Scientific Method Step # 3: Procedures These are the steps the scientist will follow to conduct the investigation. Example: Step # 1. I will pour sand into one flower pot. Step # 2. I will pour topsoil into a second pot. Step # 3. I will drop seeds into both pots.

The Scientific Method Step # 4: Test This is the fun part! This is where you actually conduct your experiment. Example: 1. I poured 2 cups of sand into a flower pot. 2. I then dropped about 10 seeds into that flower pot.

The Scientific Method Step # 5: Results This is what happened during your investigation. We call this our data and our evidence. Example: Day 5: Plant A has a small sprout. Plant B doesn’t have a sprout. Day 11: Plant A is 1 inch tall. Plant B has a sprout.

The Scientific Method Step # 6: Conclusion This is where you state/write/share your results that you collected from your investigation. Example: My hypothesis was correct. My plant in the topsoil grew much taller than my plant in the sand. The plant in topsoil grew to be 10 inches in the 4 weeks I observed it. The plant in the sand grew 2 inches. So, topsoil seems to be the best soil type for sunflower seeds.

The Scientific Method Important Things to Remember • A hypothesis is an educated guess. • When writing your conclusion, you should state if your hypothesis was correct or incorrect. Example: My hypothesis was correct. Pop. Secret popcorn had the least amount of unpopped kernels in comparison to other popcorn brands that were tested. Therefore, Pop. Secret popcorn is considered to be higher quality popcorn.