Lesson Title: The Scientific Method
(See textbook pages 364-366)
Do objects of different weight fall to the Earth at
the same speed or different speeds?
How do we find out?
The ancient Greek thinker (authority) Aristotle said that
the heavier object would drop faster to the earth. But
Galileo disagreed with this idea during the Scientific
Revolution.
Legend says that Galileo did an experiment to test his
idea, by dropping two balls of different weights off
the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy.
Who was correct?
The Scientific Revolution had a dramatic effect on
the way people learned about the world.
The Revolution established that science—a method of
seeking the truth through observation and
experimentation—was the most effective way to learn
about the natural world.
Two individuals, Francis Bacon and René
Descartes, played a leading role in promoting
science as the best method to learn about the
world.
Francis Bacon was an English philosopher. He
believed that science was effective when it used
observation, facts, experiments, and theories.
(1561 – 1626)
Bacon argued that science should be studied
“systematically” (consistently, with rules and
a set order).
René Descartes was a French philosopher. He
believed that nothing should be accepted as true
if it wasn’t proven to be true.
(1596 - 1650)
Descartes said knowledge begins with doubt, not faith
(like the Church taught). He argued that people must
use reason to establish proof.
The ideas of Bacon and Descartes led to the
scientific method—a method for gathering and
testing ideas about the world.
In class reading activity
Partner read “The Scientific Method” on pages 365-366.
Answer the questions in your notebook:
1. List the key steps in the scientific method.
2. What ideas of Bacon and Descartes led to the scientific
method?
3. List two reasons why sharing and publishing results of
experiments and research was so important?
Right Side Notebook Activity: Using the Scientific Method
Recall our study of the Bubonic Plague that devastated
Europe. The plague was caused by bacteria carried by fleas
that bit people. Rats carried the fleas around. At the time,
people did not clean their homes or clothes very well. The
fleas jumped from rats onto clothes and into bedding.
Imagine you meet the Italian writer, Giovanni Boccaccio
who lived through the plague as it ravaged the city of
Florence in 1348. Read his first hand descriptions of the
plague (The Signs of Impending Death). You know how the
disease is caused and spread, but Giovanni can’t see bacteria
and doesn’t believe you. Use the scientific method to
convince him about your ideas. Write down the 6 steps you
will take. (Hints: Think about the dirty houses and clothes,
rats and fleas, what can be done to help stop the spread of
the disease, and making comparisons about these things.)