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What Is Science? (3-5 Version)
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- Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation.
- The more evidence we have about a theory the more confident we are about it.
- You must be willing to change your mind based on new evidence.
- Many things around us appear to be science but are not.
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Discussion Questions
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Before VideoIn your own words, what do you think science is? ANSWER
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Answers could include: looking at nature, building things, knowing about the world and how it works, discovering things under microscopes, going outside and collecting plants and animals, and others.
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Answers could include: doing tests and experiments, observing things in nature, trying out stuff to see how it works, and measuring things.
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Answers may include: electricity in the lights, computers, any live animals and plants in the room, the weather outside the window, etc.
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Einstein may be the first person that students name, and some may know that he was a physicist. Other famous people may be Galileo (astronomy), Steven Hawking (physics, astronomy), Jane Goodall (wildlife biology), Marie Curie (physicist and chemist), Rachel Carson (ecologist, biologist) and so many others.
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This list would be very long if all were named, but it can be noted that science is divided into broad categories. Those are: physical science (consisting of many fields in physics and chemistry); different areas of earth science and astronomy; life science (consisting of biology, ecology, microbiology, zoology, botany and many others); social science (such as geography, anthropology); and applied science (healthcare, engineering, computer science, genetics), and so on. There are also many interdisciplinary fields such as: biomedical engineering, computational linguistics, and environmental science, to name a few.
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Common science experiences include doing an investigation, mixing chemicals in the kitchen such as baking soda and vinegar, taking apart electronics, figuring out how something works, caring for animals and plants.
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After VideoWhat is science?ANSWER
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Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation. Scientists use evidence, along with active thinking, to explain what is happening in the natural world.
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Science starts when a person is curious about the world around them and asks questions about how it works. They think of ways to learn about the world by doing investigations, keep track of their data as evidence, and tell other people what they have found. There are eight “science and engineering practices” which is what we do when we are “doing science.”
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In the video, Izzy mentions electricity, modern agriculture and advances in medicine such as antibiotics. There are countless more! Diseases that were once harmful or deadly (polio, small pox, chicken pox) are now nearly extinct thanks to science!
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It means to study the natural world around us using observation and experimentation. Scientists use the scientific practices which are: Asking questions, Developing and using models, Planning and carrying out investigations, Analyzing and interpreting data, Using mathematics and computational thinking, Constructing explanations, Engaging in argument from evidence, and Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Not all of these are used in every study and they don’t always happen in the same order.
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Something is science if there is evidence that supports the claims that people make, and if the evidence is collected using recognized scientific methods such as the eight “science and engineering practices.” If claims do not have evidence to support them, it is not science.
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Yes. Scientific answers change when new evidence is discovered that disproves what we thought was fact. For example, people believed that the earth was flat, but as scientific equipment improved, more accurate observations were made, and it became evident that the earth is spherical, or shaped like a ball.
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If an observation cannot be repeated then more evidence must be collected by trying to repeat past observations in different ways or by trying new methods to collect the data. For a scientific idea to be valid, other scientists should be able to repeat your work and reach the same conclusion.
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Vocabulary
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Science
DEFINE
Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation.
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Controlled Experiment
DEFINE
A scientific test where the people conducting it only change one variable at a time in order to isolate the results.
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Claim
DEFINE
An answer to a scientific question.
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Astrology
DEFINE
Not to be confused with astronomy (which is science), astrology is not science. It is the study of the movements and positions of stars which some people believe has an influence on human affairs. There is no evidence for this to be the case.
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Astronomy
DEFINE
The study of space.
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Biology
DEFINE
The study of living things.
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Scientific practices
DEFINE
Scientists use the scientific practices to do science. There are 8 of them: Asking questions, Developing and using models, Planning and carrying out investigations, Analyzing and interpreting data, Using mathematics and computational thinking, Constructing explanations, Engaging in argument from evidence, and Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. It is important to remember that not all of these are used in every study and they don’t always happen in the same order.
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Chemistry
DEFINE
The study of matter, its properties and how it can react and change.
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Engineering
DEFINE
The application of science and mathematics in which engineers (people that do engineering) design, build, and create solutions to problems. They often make things like engines, machines, bridges, circuits, computer programs and structures.
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Paleontologist
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A scientist that studies fossils.
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Evidence
DEFINE
Facts or information indicating whether a scientific claim is supported.
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Science
DEFINE
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Reading Material
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Download as PDF Download PDF View as Separate PageSCIENCE DEFINITIONScience is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation. In science, evidence is #1. People who study science are called scientists and they use the scientific practices to gather and interpret information.
To better understand how science works…
SCIENCE DEFINITION. Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation. In science, evidence is #1. People who study science are called scientists and they use the scientific practices to gather and interpret information. To better understand how science works…LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!
Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation.
In movies and television shows, sometimes scientists are portrayed as randomly combining chemicals to make crazy concoctions. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Real scientists are very organized and methodical, and serious about their work.
They ask meaningful questions that can be tested and analyzed. They use very specific tools and methods to test and study the natural world. Scientists make careful observations and record their findings so that other scientists can repeat their investigations. They share their findings with other scientists and read about studies performed by others.
Scientists learn about the natural world through investigations, which produces evidence that helps scientists answer questions. Investigations may involve experiments or observations about the natural world. Scientists use scientific practices to do science. These include:
Scientists do not always do all of these and they don't have to follow this exact order. It is more of a general approach they take to collect, analyze, and share data.
Science is the process of learning about the natural world through observation and experimentation. In movies and television shows, sometimes scientists are portrayed as randomly combining chemicals to make crazy concoctions. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Real scientists are very organized and methodical, and serious about their work. They ask meaningful questions that can be tested and analyzed. They use very specific tools and methods to test and study the natural world. Scientists make careful observations and record their findings so that other scientists can repeat their investigations. They share their findings with other scientists and read about studies performed by others. Scientists learn about the natural world through investigations, which produces evidence that helps scientists answer questions. Investigations may involve experiments or observations about the natural world. Scientists use scientific practices to do science. These include: Asking questions and defining problems Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Scientists do not always do all of these and they don't have to follow this exact order. It is more of a general approach they take to collect, analyze, and share data.The more evidence we have about a theory the more confident we are about it.
When scientists carry out investigations, they are gathering data to answer questions about the natural world.
If scientists collect lots of data that supports the hypothesis, then the hypothesis may become a theory. Theories continue to be tested, and sometimes they become well-established because there is a lot of evidence to back it up. Sometimes, however, it may be thrown out because there is evidence showing it might not be true.
Scientists must always be willing to examine new evidence and change their views.
The more evidence we have about a theory the more confident we are about it. When scientists carry out investigations, they are gathering data to answer questions about the natural world. If scientists collect lots of data that supports the hypothesis, then the hypothesis may become a theory. Theories continue to be tested, and sometimes they become well-established because there is a lot of evidence to back it up. Sometimes, however, it may be thrown out because there is evidence showing it might not be true. Scientists must always be willing to examine new evidence and change their views.You must be willing to change your mind based on new evidence.
Scientists frequently find new evidence by conducting experiments. Well-held theories are sometimes tossed out because scientists make new discoveries.
We no longer believe some of the theories that used to be considered true. For centuries, people believed that the Earth was flat. At that time it was a reasonable thought, until scientists found evidence that changed their minds.
Scientists must look at new evidence with an open mind, and consider that other possible explanations may exist.
You must be willing to change your mind based on new evidence. Scientists frequently find new evidence by conducting experiments. Well-held theories are sometimes tossed out because scientists make new discoveries. We no longer believe some of the theories that used to be considered true. For centuries, people believed that the Earth was flat. At that time it was a reasonable thought, until scientists found evidence that changed their minds. Scientists must look at new evidence with an open mind, and consider that other possible explanations may exist.Many things around us appear to be science but are not.
Palm reading, magic tricks, and predicting the future with a magic 8 ball are not science. Anytime someone is making claims without evidence, they are not presenting science.
For example, sometimes people get confused about astronomy and astrology. Astronomy is the scientific study of space. Astrology studies the movement and positions of the stars, which some people believe has an influence on human behaviors. Astrology is NOT science because there is no evidence to support their claims.
Many things around us appear to be science but are not. Palm reading, magic tricks, and predicting the future with a magic 8 ball are not science. Anytime someone is making claims without evidence, they are not presenting science. For example, sometimes people get confused about astronomy and astrology. Astronomy is the scientific study of space. Astrology studies the movement and positions of the stars, which some people believe has an influence on human behaviors. Astrology is NOT science because there is no evidence to support their claims. -
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