The Scientific Steps: Exploring the Path to Discovery

• Science
• 6-8 Grade

The Scientific Steps: Exploring the Path to Discovery

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to understand and apply the scientific steps to conduct experiments and investigations.

What do you already know about the scientific method?

Slide 1: Introduction

Science is all about asking questions and finding answers. Scientists use a step-by-step approach called the scientific method to guide their investigations.

Slide 2: Step 1 - Ask a Question

The first step in the scientific method is to ask a question about something you want to investigate.

Slide 3: Question

Why is it important to ask a question at the beginning of a scientific investigation?

Slide 4: Step 2 - Do Background Research

After asking a question, scientists gather information and learn about the topic through background research.

Slide 5: Question

What can be gained from conducting background research before conducting an experiment?

Slide 6: Step 3 - Form a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a possible explanation or prediction based on the information gathered during background research.

Slide 7: Question

Why is it important to form a hypothesis before conducting experiments?

Slide 8: Step 4 - Test Your Hypothesis

In this step, scientists design and conduct experiments to test their hypotheses and collect data.

Slide 9: Question

What are the benefits of conducting controlled experiments when testing a hypothesis?

Slide 10: Step 5 - Analyze Your Data

After collecting data, scientists analyze it to look for patterns, trends, and evidence that either supports or refutes their hypothesis.

Slide 11: Question

Why is it important to analyze data in a scientific investigation?

Slide 12: Step 6 - Draw Conclusions

Based on the data analysis, scientists draw conclusions to determine whether their hypothesis was supported or refuted.

Slide 13: Question

Why is it necessary to draw conclusions after analyzing data?

Slide 14: Step 7 - Communicate Results

Scientists communicate their findings through scientific reports, presentations, or discussions to share knowledge with the scientific community.

Slide 15: Question

Why is it important for scientists to communicate their results?

Slide 16: Putting It All Together

Now that we've explored the scientific steps, let's apply them to a real-life scenario to solidify our understanding.

Slide 17: Activity Question

Imagine you want to investigate the effect of different fertilizers on plant growth. What would be your initial question?

Slide 18: Activity Question

What background research would you conduct to gather information about fertilizers and plant growth?

Slide 19: Activity Question

Based on your background research, propose a hypothesis for the fertilizer and plant growth experiment.

Slide 20: Recap and Conclusion

Congratulations! You've learned about the scientific steps and how they guide scientific investigations. Remember to always follow this systematic approach in your future experiments!

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.