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Scientific Processes - Week of 9/14 |
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Objective:
- Students will learn how to apply knowledge of scientific processes as it relates to actual scientific investigations.
Essential Questions:
- Why is it necessary to use scientific processes in scientific investigations?
Related Benchmark:
- SC.912.N.2.4 Explain that scientific knowledge is both durable and robust and open to change. Scientific knowledge can change because it is often examined and re-examined by new investigations and scientific argumentation. Because of these frequent examinations, scientific knowledge becomes stronger, leading to its durability
SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS
A. Super Bubbles: Patrick and SpongeBob love to blow bubbles! Patrick found some Super Bubble Soap at Sail-Mart. The ads claim that Super Bubble Soap will produce bubbles that are twice as big as bubbles made with regular bubble soap. Patrick and SpongeBob made up two samples of bubble solution. One sample was made with 5 oz. of Super Bubble Soap and 5 oz. of water, while the other was made with the same amount of water and 5 oz. of regular bubble soap. Patrick and SpongeBob used their favorite bubble wands to blow 10 different bubbles and did their best to measure the diameter of each one. The results are shown in the chart.
- What is the independent variable?
- What is the dependent variable?
- What is the control group?
- What conclusions can Patrick and Sponge Bob draw from the data?
B. SpongeBob Clean Pants: SpongeBob noticed that his favorite pants were not as clean as they used to be. His friend Sandy who works for Clean-O detergent suggested he try Clean-O brand. SpongeBob made sure to wash one pair of pants in plain water and another pair in water with the Clean-O detergent. After washing both pairs of pants a total of three times, the pants washed in the Clean-O detergent did not appear to be any cleaner than the pants washed in plain water.
- What was the problem SpongeBob wanted to investigate?
- What is the independent variable? 3. What is the dependent variable?
- What bias exists in this scenario?
C. Krusty Krabs Breath Mints: Mr. Krabs created a secret ingredient for a breath mint that he thinks will “cure” the bad breath people get from eating crabby patties at the Krusty Krab. How should he test his idea? Help Mr. Krabs design an experiment which has a control group, independent variable, and dependent variable.
ANSWER KEY
A. Super Bubbles
1. What is the independent variable? Type of bubble solution
2. What is the dependent variable? Size (diameter) of the bubble
3. What is the control group? Regular soap
4. What should their conclusion be? The Super Bubble solution did not seem to produce bubbles that were twice as large as those made with the regular soap. Although the average size for the Super Bubble solution was larger than the average size for the regular soap, it was not “twice as large” as the ads claimed. In fact, only two of the ten trials had results that would fit the ads claims.
B. Sponge Bob Clean Pants
1. What was the problem? SpongeBob’s pants were not clean.
2. What is the independent variable? Laundry soap
3. What is the dependent variable? Amount of dirt left on the pants (or how clean the pants were)
4. What bias exists in this scenario? Sandy works for Clean-O
C. Krusty Krab Breath Mints
1. Experiments will vary. Make sure they include the following info:
a. Which people are in the control group? The people who received the mint without the secret ingredient
(Group B) would be the control group.
b. What is the independent variable? Secret ingredient in the breath mint
c. What is the dependent variable? Amount of breath odor (or bad breath) |
