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.