STEP 1: ASK QUESTIONS

Scientific Inquiry Process

Created By: Mrs. Gismonde

ASKING QUESTIONS

Asking questions about the world around us is a natural part of life.

What questions might you have asked yourself before?

Possible Answers: How deep is the ocean? What causes the wind? Why is the grass green? Why is it humid after it rains?

ASKING QUESTIONS

In order to use the scientific inquiry process, a question must be testable.

Some questions people ask can not be answered using the scientific inquiry process. For example:

Is there life on other planets? Which is flavor of ice-cream is better, chocolate or vanilla? Which sport is more popular, soccer or football?

Although some questions may not be testable, they could lead to new testable questions.

For example: Does a sugar cube dissolve fast in cold water?

Why is this question “not testable”? Because it can not be answered by performing a single

experiment. If you dissolve the sugar cube in cold water only, you have

nothing to compare your results to (warm water, etc). Instead we need to rephrase it into a testable

question: Does changing the temperature of water affect the time it

takes a sugar cube to dissolve in water?

Testable questions are typically written in the following formats: Does changing __________ affect __________. If I change _________ will it affect __________. What is the affect of __________ on _________.

In the next lesson on hypothesis you will learn how to write a testable question in more detail

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE.Identify if the following questions are

testable or non testable

1. Which flower is prettier, a rose or a daisy?A. TestableB. Non Testable

2. How does smell affect your sense of taste?A. TestableB. Non Testable

3. What type of movements or activities affect the human heart rate?A. TestableB. Non Testable

4. Do cats make better pets then dogs?A. TestableB. Non Testable

CORRECT

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CORRECT

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Need Help?Click the picture below.

SKILLS

Asking questions is not the only tool scientists use.

They also observe the natural world around them.

OBSERVING

Observation: is the act of using one or more of your senses (hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and touching) to gather information and taking notes on what occurs.

REAL LIFE APPLICATION

Directions: When you are ready click anywhere on the screen. Study the picture that appears. It might help to take notes on what you see

(observing).

WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE?

You might have noticed that the picture contained the following: A large Ferris Wheel Red, yellow and blue flags on the arm of the Ferris

Wheel Blue Sky White clouds in the sky

QUESTION? Have you every been to a carnival before?

What sounds might you hear? What smells are in the air? What tastes would you associate with a carnival?

You might have answered: It sounds like people laughing and screaming while

music plays in the background. It smells like popcorn, hot dogs and roasting almonds. Tastes associated with a carnival might include:

Candy apples Cotton candy Elephant ears

In science we often draw upon our prior knowledge and experiences to help us solve questions.

You were able to answer the questions regarding the sound, smell and taste of a carnival because you’ve been to one before.

Lets try it again. Directions:

When you are ready click anywhere on the screen . Study the picture that appears. It might helpful to take notes on what you observe.

WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE?

Possible answers could include: A large gathering of people. Colorful powder on the people and in the air.

Have you every been to the Festival of Colors before? What sounds might you hear? What smells are in the air? What tastes would you associate with the festival?

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Never having attended the Festival of Colors you would have no background knowledge.

Lets see if we can build your background knowledge

READ: The Festival of Colors is celebrated in India. It signals the coming of spring. Large groups of people flood the streets

and start singing folk songs while beating sticks on drum like items.

Traditionally people throw colorful powder made from flowers and herbs on each other. It is believed that the powder will bring the people

good health, allowing them to fight off viruses such as a cold or flu.

Thandai is the traditional drink of the festival. It a spiced milk made from of almonds, pistachios and

rose petals.

LETS TRY AGAIN

What sounds would you hear at the Festival of Colors? You would hear beating of drums, people

cheering and folk songs being sung by the crowd.

What scents would fill the air during the festival? You could smell the fragrances of flowers and

herbs from the colorful dyes being thrown. What tastes would you associate with the

festival? You would indulge in the traditional Thandai

drink.

SKILLS

Prior knowledge can help scientist make well informed hypothesis or decisions.

However prior knowledge is just one of the skills that scientists rely on.

Scientists also make inferences to help them answer questions and create hypothesis.

INFERRING

An inference is a logical explanation of an observation that is drawn from prior knowledge or experiences.

EXAMPLE

A student observed that the bank of a nearby river had been eroded more this year then in the previous years.

The student asked himself “why?”

He remembered there had been an increase of rainfall this year.

THINK ABOUT IT

What might he infer?

You could have said: He inferred that the increase in rainfall

caused the increase in erosion.

He decided to investigate his question future. He then developed a hypothesis and an experiment to test it.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE:

A farmer is curious if organic compost will help his crop of corn grow better then his chemical fertilizer.

He designed an experiment in which he grew one row of corn using organic compost, and another row of corn in soil which was sprayed with the chemical fertilizer.

RESULTS

After charting the plants growth for three months his data showed there was no difference between the height of corn grown using chemical fertilizer and the height of corn grown using organic compost.

What can the farmer infer?

RESULTS

The farmer might infer that the chemical fertilizer and the organic compost have similar effects on the growth of the corn.

ASSESSMENT Directions

1. The next slide will contain a picture.2. Record several observations about the picture. 3. Ask three or more questions that you would like

answered.4. Make an inference based upon your prior

knowledge.5. Take one of your questions and make it

testable. 1. Try use one of the following sentences frames:

Does changing __________ affect __________. What is the affect of __________ on _________.

Worksheet Template:

Observations: 1.2.3.

Questions: 1.2.3.

Inference:

Testable Question:

TRY IT AT HOME

Begin to observe your surrounds. Write down five or more questions you have

about the world around you. Take your questions and turn them into

“testable” questions.

For example: Question: Why does my mother add salt to a

pot of water before it boils? Testable Question: Does adding salt to a pot of

water affect how quickly the water comes to a boil?

BIBLIOGRAPHY1. India's festival of colors. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-202_162-10002642.html?tag=mncol;lst;1

2. Investigation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/Getting-Started/Investigation.html