Name ____________ Hour __ Group ____Test Date_______
Life #1 Notebook - Scientific Method
Learning Targets
 I can explain the steps of the scientific method in the correct order.
 I can identify the Independent/Manipulated and Dependent/Responding variable in an
experiment.
 I can explain what steps in the scientific method you follow when your hypothesis has
been supported or refuted.
 I can explain the importance of conducting a fair test in an investigation.
 I can explain the differences and similarities between hypotheses, scientific laws, and
scientific theories.
Life #1 – Vocabulary
1. Scientific Method - Procedures used to solve problems and answer questions.
2. Hypothesis - Prediction that can be tested.
3. Control – Parts of the experiment kept the same in order to compare results.
4. Independent Variable / Manipulated Variable- The one change that you make in the
experiment.
5. Dependent Variable / Responding Variable- The data or evidence that you are
collecting, what you are recording.
6. Scientific Theory – Ideas that have been widely tested and the results always
support the hypothesis, used to explain why things happen in nature. As we learn more,
these can change.
7. Scientific Law – States big ideas about what will happen in nature without explaining
why they happen. Used to predict behavior.
8. Fair Test - Performing an investigation a minimum of 3 times to make sure that the
outcome is reliable.
9. Refute – Data did NOT support the hypothesis.
You’re The Scientist #1 – Getting to Know a Biologist!
You will research a biologist and create a poster to show what you have
learned. Use the websites below or a reliable site of your choice.
http://famousbiologists.org/
http://totallyhistory.com/biography/famous-biologists/
Requirements for Poster:

of Biologist (this should be the title), when they were
(and if/when they

), and their
What is this biologist
.
for? (5 sentences minimum in YOUR OWN WORDS.)
of this scientist or their work.

 2 (or more) additional
4
3-0
Note Taking Area (Use your spiral for the rough draft.)
Name:
Born/Died:
Famous for:
Illustration ideas:
Fun Facts:
State the problem / question
Does salt affect the hatching of brine shrimp eggs?
Brine shrimp are relatives of lobsters, crabs, crayfish,
and the shrimp eaten by humans. They are often
raised as a live food source in aquariums. In nature, they live in the oceans, which is a moderate
salt water environment (about 3.5% salinity), where fish feed on them. They can hatch from
eggs that have been stored in a dry condition for many years. In this investigation, you will find
what factors affect their hatching and growth.
Gather Information
You will be given 3 containers with 3 different solutions (water, a weak salt water solution, and
a strong water salt solution), and brine shrimp eggs. You will test the three different solutions
to see which one provides the best environment for hatching brine shrimp.
Form a Hypothesis
I think __________________________________
(water/ weaker salt water/stronger salt water)
.
will be the best condition to hatch the most brine shrimp because
____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________.
Materials
3 large containers of water, weaker salt water and stronger salt water, Brine shrimp eggs, spoon, graduated
cylinder, containers, hand lens, permanent marker
Perform an Experiment
1. Label the three small containers “water”, “weaker salt water”, and “stronger salt water”.
Also put the initials of each group member on your containers.
2. Get a small amount of brine shrimp eggs from your teacher.
3. Place 1/3 of the brine shrimp eggs you got from your teacher into each container (try to
be as accurate as possible).
4. Put 30 mL of water on top of the brine shrimp eggs in the “water” labeled container. Put
30 mL of weaker salt water on top of the brine shrimp eggs in the “weaker salt water”
labeled container. Put 30 mL of stronger salt water on top of the brine shrimp eggs in the
“stronger salt water” labeled container.
5. Place all three containers with eggs in the location your teacher assigned. You will observe
the hatching of brine shrimp over the next couple of days.
Analyze Data
Container
Description of amount of hatched brine shrimp
(none, some, lots)
Water
Weaker Salt Water
Stronger Salt Water
Bar Graph of Eggs Hatched
Lots
Some
None
Water
Weak
Salt
Water
Strong
Salt
Water
Draw a Conclusion
Using your evidence, make a claim:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Was your hypothesis supported or refuted? _____________________________
What do you think you should do next? __________________________________________
Steps of the
Scientific Method:
State the Scientific
Problem or Question
This ______________ must be stated in a way which allows it to be ______.
BAD Example: Are brine shrimp good pets?
Why? The answer would be an __________ and not __________.
BAD Example: Is hot water better?
Why? Better than _________?
GOOD Example: Will more brine shrimp hatch in water, weaker salt water or
stronger salt water?
Why? It _____________ three liquids on how well it will
__________ brine shrimp eggs.
Gather Information
Requires the scientist to use their previous _____________ and
____________.. to design an appropriate ____________
or _____________.
Example What kind of information might you want to know before testing
the effects of water, weaker salt water,
and stronger salt water on brine shrimp eggs?
I would want to know __________________________________.
Form a Hypothesis
Use the information gathered to make an _____________
____________ of an outcome to your experiment or investigation.
A hypothesis is a sentence stating the ________ you expect to see in
the experiment.
Example: I think _______ water will hatch the most brine shrimp eggs
because ________________________________________________
When making a comparison only one factor may be _______ between the groups. For
example: Type of _______ would be the ONLY change made in your investigation.
Everything else must be kept the ________ in order to compare your results.
You would use the same
 amount of __________________________,
 amount of _________,
 temperature of __________.
 _________________________________________
The parts of the experiment that are kept the same in an investigation are called the
_________. Controls help to ensure you are getting more _______ data. The
more controls you have the more ____________ your results!
What you compare is the ONE ______ you make in your investigation. It is known as your
__________ _________ A.K.A __________ __________ or
just simply the _________.
Helpful Hint…Just remember
--not to confuse you or anything 
__ Variable (The one thing I’M changing)
Perform an Experiment
Follow the steps you designed to test your __________, make
__________, and collect ___________ in a data table.
Remember to control all factors in the experiment except for your
___________/ ____________ ___________.
While performing your experiment you need to collect __________ in
an organized table. This data is known as the ________ _______
A.K.A. the __________ ___________.
Helpful Hint… Just remember __
Data (The data collected)
Example:
Water
Amount of Hatched Eggs
(lots, some, none)
Weak Salt Water
Strong Salt Water
Analyze Data (________________)
Organize your data into a ________ or ________. Graphs
make it easier to ___________ your results by looking for
__________ or ___________.
When you make a graph from your data table and have to figure out what
goes on the X-axis and what goes on the Y-axis
just remember this… “DRY
MIX”!
The Dependent or Responding variable is
graphed on the ___ axis.
The Manipulated or Independent variable is
graphed on the ____ axis.
The __________ variable DEPENDS ON
or RESPONDS TO what happens to the
independent one (the one you change or
___________).
Circle the Dependent/Responding Variable on the graph below and draw a box around the Manipulated/Independent Variable.
Draw Conclusions
Make a statement based on the data you collected to _________ or
_________ (____ ________) your hypothesis.
__________ your original problem/question and include whether or
not the ________________ supported or refuted it.
Conclusions should begin with one of the following prompts:
1) ________________ to the ________________...
2) _________________ on the __________________...
Write a conclusion based on the Brine Shrimp experiment (be sure to include evidence).
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
The Final Steps — If the Hypothesis was SUPPORTED based on your evidence you would
___________ your experiment at least _____ times in order to have a
________ ________. This increases the ____________ of your results.
If the Hypothesis was NOT SUPPORTED based on your evidence you would use the new data
gathered in your experiment to ________ your hypothesis and conduct a ______
investigation.
Check Your Understanding #1 – Scientific Method
Determine if each item below is a control or variable.
Control
Independent
Variable
Number of Brine Shrimp eggs
Amount of water
Type of Water
Amount of time
Temperature of Water
Match each item below with the correct step in the scientific method.
____ You research your topic on the internet
a. state the problem
____ Feed 3 plants Gatorade and 3 plants water for 6 weeks.
b. gather information
____ Based on the evidence, plants fed with Gatorade grew on average 2 inches taller.
c. form a hypothesis
____ I think water will help a plant grow taller.
d. perform an experiment
____Will Gatorade help a plant grow taller than water?
e. analyze data
____ Use the data on plant height to create a graph.
f. draw a conclusion
Place a check in the column that matches the correct term.
Independent / Manipulated Variable
That data you collect
What you will change
Usually plotted on the “x” axis
Usually plotted on the “y” axis
Type of water (for brine shrimp lab)
Amount of eggs hatched
Dependent/Responding Variable
Fill in the steps to the scientific method.
Gather Information
Form a Hypothesis
Hypothesis Refuted
Word Bank
Analyze Data
Revise your Hypothesis
Draw a Conclusion
Hypothesis Supported
State the Problem
Perform an Experiment
Repeat Many Times
Hypotheses,
Scientific Theories, &
Scientific Laws
These three terms are often confused with each other.
A HYPOTHESIS is an ___________ prediction that can be __________.
This prediction is based on research collected about a topic question. A hypothesis can be
____________ (proven correct) or _____________ (proven incorrect)
based on the ________________ collected in an investigation or experiment.
Example – I think water will hatch more brine shrimp eggs than weak salt water because…
I think all living things are made of cells because…
Once a hypothesis has been _________ and agreed upon by the __________
community it MAY become either a Scientific __________ or a Scientific
______. Keep in mind, some hypothesis never make it to the testing stage!
A Scientific Theory and Scientific Law have the following characteristics in common:
SIMILARITIES of Scientific Theories and Scientific Laws :
 BOTH are _________.
 BOTH begin with a __________ and ______________
hypothesis .
 BOTH involve _____________ topics .
 BOTH are accepted by _______ scientists/researchers over time.
Theories and Laws also have characteristics that make them __________ from each
other.
DIFFERENCES between Scientific Theories and Scientific Laws
Proven and agreed upon Hypothesis can become a…
Theory
 May have ________ parts
to the theory
 Used to ________ ideas
and observations
 Can be “________” as new
information is found
Law
 ________ statements
 States ______ big idea or
action
 Can be a ____________
 Used to ________ behavior
 States what will ________
in nature, but does NOT
Examples The ______ ______
__________ why it will
happen.
Theory
 _______ Theory
Examples-
 The Theory of _________
 Law of _____________
 The Theory of
 ________ Laws of Motion
________________
 Einstein’s Theory of
________________
_
 F=ma
E=mc2
 Law of conservation of _____
Check Your Understanding #2 – Hypothesis, Theory and Laws
Place a check in the column that matches the correct term or terms.
Hypothesis
Theory
Law
A Simple Statement of Truth
Can be a formula
Is often proven to be incorrect
Explains numerous facts and observations
Explains why something happens in nature
Has Been Proven By Many Different Scientists
Has Been Proven Many Times
Hypothesis Is Always Supported
Is True
Scientists can “Tweak” Parts
States what will happen, but not why it happens
Used to predict behavior
An educated prediction
Define hypothesis:
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Define theory:
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Define law:
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
You are now down with the Life #1 Notebook.
Flip to the front cover and check off your Learning Targets.