Science Process Skills

Laurella, 2012

• Observation• Communication• Classification• Measurement• Inference• Prediction

Observation & Inference

Observations Any information collected with the senses.

Quantitative – measureable or countable 3 meters long 4 marbles 50 kilograms 35 degrees Celsius

Qualitative – describable, not measureable red flowers smells like fresh baked cookies Tastes bitter

The skill of describing scientific events

Inference

Practice: Observations:• I hear people screaming• I smell cotton candy, popcorn, and hamburgers• I see a lot of people

• Conclusions or deductions based on observations.• The process of drawing a conclusion from given evidence.

Inference = ?

Look at these two sets of animal tracks.

Give3 OBSERVATIONS

Make an INFERENCE

Now what do you think?

Make 3 OBSERVATIONS

Make an INFERENCE

Now what do you think?

Make 3 OBSERVATIONS

Make an INFERENCE

Communication

How do scientists communicate information?

• verbally through interviews and conversations• through writing in journals and papers• pictures• graphs• charts• maps• diagrams• visual demonstrations

ClassificationGrouping similar items together based on certain characteristics or rules.

Examples:• arranging fractions or metric units from smallest

to largest (serial sort)

• arranging the elements into a periodic table

Teacher Paper towels Scotch tape Suncatcher

Paper

Pencil holder

Cabinets Soap Pens Fish

Radio Stapler TV Magnets Books

Turtles Picture frames Printer Scissors Potted plants

Sink Stuffed animals

Desk Computer Rubber Ducks

Chairs Table DVD player Windex

Students

Take out your classification Activity Page

Follow the instructions to classify the objects below.

Prediction• making a logical inference about a future event based on current evidence or past experience.

• scientists test predictions by executing controlled experiments and making observations.

Make three observations.

Make two inferences.

Make three predictions.

Measuring

• Scientists use the SI, International System of measurement.

• SI uses the metric system for measurements.

• SI is used because it is universal and easy to use.

Base unit

Units of MeasurementLength millimeter (mm)

centimeter (cm)meter (m)kilometer (km)

Mass milligram (mg)gram (g)kilogram (kg)

Volume milliliter (ml)liter (L)

There are MORE

units.

These are the

most common

How would you measure?

A rope to play tug of war

The width of a finger

The distance to the Moon.

The mass of a motorcycle

How much jello would feed the whole school

The height of the grass outside.

The distance to the next town.

How much water a large fish tank could hold.

The water in an ice cube.

Integrated Science Process SkillsControlling variables - being able to identify variables that can affect an experimental outcome, keeping most constant while manipulating only the independent variable. Example: Realizing through past experiences that amount of light and water need to be controlled when testing to see how the addition of organic matter affects the growth of beans.

Defining operationally - stating how to measure a variable in an experiment. Example: Stating that bean growth will be measured in centimeters per week.

Formulating hypotheses - stating the expected outcome of an experiment. Example: The greater the amount of organic matter added to the soil, the greater the bean growth.

Interpreting data - organizing data and drawing conclusions from it. Example: Recording data from the experiment on bean growth in a data table and forming a conclusion which relates trends in the data to variables.

Experimenting - being able to conduct an experiment, including asking an appropriate question, stating a hypothesis, identifying and controlling variables, operationally defining those variables, designing a "fair" experiment, conducting the experiment, and interpreting the results of the experiment. Example: The entire process of conducting the experiment on the affect of organic matter on the growth of bean plants.

Formulating models - creating a mental or physical model of a process or event. Examples: The model of how the processes of evaporation and condensation interrelate in the water cycle.