How Scientists Work Series
What is Scientific Inquiry?
Produced by
Centre Communications
Teacher’s Guide by
Gerald O. Gunderson,
B.S., Secondary Education,
Comprehensive Science
M.A., Biological Science
and
Gail Matthews
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© 2003 Centre Communications
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Summary of the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Links to Curriculum Standards . . . . . . . . . .2
Student Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Pre-Test and Post-Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Instructional Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Student/Audience Preparation . . . . . . . . . .4
Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Description of Blackline Masters . . . . . . . .5
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Script of Narration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
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How Scientists Work Series
What is Scientific Inquiry?
Grades 5-8
Viewing Time: 20:40 minutes with a one-minute
five-question Video Quiz
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
How Scientists Work is a series of three programs
designed for middle school students. This series, using
junior science investigators, animation, and excellent
photography, explores the procedures that underlie all of
science. Including both everyday and scientific examples, each program clearly delineates the procedures of:
1) pattern recognition, 2) scientific inquiry, and 3) the scientific method. Each procedure is placed in an historical
context featuring key scientists and discoveries.
These instructional programs teach the basic procedures
scientists use to discover and explain the world around
us. This Teacher's Guide and accompanying Blackline
Master activity sheets provide extended practice and
additional learning opportunities.
SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM
The powerful need to know and understand the world
around us is one of the unique features of the human
mind. It has been behind all the great scientific discoveries throughout the ages. The process by which scientists
have arrived at their discoveries is called, scientific
inquiry. This program outlines some of the historical roots
of scientific inquiry and provides us with tools of investigation and observation. Knowing what question to ask,
then how to find the answer, as well as what resources to
use are the key concepts covered in this program.
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The material in this program will:
1. Enhance your students' powers of observation of the
world around them.
2. Enable them to follow their own investigation.
3. Provide them with examples of a variety of tools used
during investigations.
4. Teach that investigations always lead to new questions.
LINKS TO CURRICULUM STANDARDS
What Is Scientific Inquiry? correlates to the following
standards:
McREL Science Standard and Benchmarks
Standard 11 - Nature of Science, Understands the nature
of scientific knowledge, Level II (grades 3-5) Level II
(grades 6-8)
Standard 12 - Nature of Science, Understands the nature
of scientific inquiry, Level II (grades 3-5), Level III (grades
6-8)
Standard 13- Nature of Science, Understands the scientific enterprise, Level II (grades 3-5), Level III (grades 6-8)
National Science Education Standards
Science as Inquiry for grades 5-8, Content Standard A:
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry
History and Nature of Science for grades 5-8, Content
Standard G: Science as a human endeavor
• Nature of Science
• History of Science
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STUDENT OBJECTIVES
After viewing the program and completing the follow-up
activities, students should be able to:
• Identify questions that can be answered through scientific inquiry.
• Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
• Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze,
and interpret data.
• Develop explanations based on observations.
• Review data from a simple experiment, summarize it,
and form a logical argument about the cause-and-effect
relationships in the experiment.
• Use mathematics to acquire and present their data.
PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST
Blackline Master #1, Pre-Test, is an assessment tool
intended to gauge student comprehension of the objectives prior to viewing the program. Explain that they are
not expected to get all answers correct, but they are
expected to try their best. You can remind them that these
are key concepts that they should focus on while watching the program.
Blackline Master #2, Post-Test, can be compared to the
results of the Pre-Test to determine the changes in student comprehension after participation in the activities
and viewing the program.
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INSTRUCTIONAL NOTES
Before presenting these lessons to your students, we
suggest that you preview the program, review the guide,
and the accompanying Blackline Master activities in order
to familiarize yourself with their content.
As you review the materials presented in this guide, you
may find it necessary to make some changes, additions
or deletions to meet the specific needs of your class. We
encourage you to do so; for only by tailoring this program
to your class will they obtain the maximum instructional
benefits afforded by the materials.
STUDENT/AUDIENCE PREPARATION
Include suggestions that will assist in the student's preparation prior to viewing the program such as: visit learning
center, familiarize class with key vocabulary terms used in
the program, introduce maps and any tools that will be
included in the lessons, suggest that the Pre-Test be presented to the class.
• View the program. The running time is 20:40 minutes.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Following the program you may find it helpful to discuss
these key concepts as a class. You may choose to use
these questions to begin a discussion prior to viewing the
program. Avoid answering questions directly; ask them
higher-level questions allowing them to discover the
answer as a group.
You may choose from the following questions for small
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groups to research and report back to the class, or for
large group discussions. Feel free to add or delete questions to suit the needs of your class.
1) Prior to showing the program, ask students what they
think scientific inquiry means.
2) There are lots of television programs which highlight
the search for information on crime solving, missing persons, and forensic science. See if the class has seen
some of these and ask them if they have gleaned any
information from them that might be applicable to this
program.
3) Begin a discussion in class about science fiction and
mystery books. What are some of their favorites? Can
anything we learn from these non-scientific books be useful in a study of scientific inquiry?
4) Talk about the difference between scientific inquiry and
non-scientific inquiry.
5) Scientific inquiry can be used to find out information
about almost any subject. Ask students to write down
their most passionate interest and ask three questions
about it that could be answered through scientific inquiry.
6) If you have some students who like to act, have them
pick out a scene from a mystery movie or book and act
out the part that relates to how they used scientific inquiry
to solve a crime.
DESCRIPTION OF BLACKLINE MASTERS
Blackline Master #1, Pre-Test, is an assessment tool
intended to gauge student comprehension of the objectives prior to viewing the program.
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Blackline Master #2, Post-Test, is an assessment tool to
be administered after viewing the program and completing additional activities. The results of this assessment
can be compared to the results of the Pre-Test to determine the change in student comprehension before and
after participation in this lesson.
Blackline Master #3, Video Quiz, is intended to reinforce
the key concepts of the program immediately following
the presentation of the program. The Video Quiz can be
used as a tool to outline salient points before viewing the
program.
Blackline Masters #4 and 4a, Life Clinging to the
Surface of a Rock. The purpose of this activity is to practice the process of observation and recording data.
Materials needed: pencil and a copy of the graph included with this Blackline Master, magnifying glass (optional),
a rock of choice, tape measure.
Blackline Masters #5 and 5a, Copper Atoms On the
Move. You will try to move copper atoms from a penny to
the surface of an iron nail. The purpose of this activity is
to practice the process of observation and recording data.
Question: Is it possible to actually observe a chemical
change that demonstrates the movement of atoms from
one place to another place?
Materials needed: One iron nail about five centimeters
long, and at least three millimeter wide; vinegar of about
five percent strength (white vinegar works well); at least
10 pennies with a date of 1909 to 1982, which are almost
pure copper; a wood splint or another type wooden stirring rod; sandpaper or emery cloth; table salt (sodium
chloride); and a small beaker (150 milliliters will work);
however, any small container would work, even a paper
cup.
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Blackline Masters #6 and 6a, "Tanned" Paper and
Sunscreen Lotion. This experiment takes five days and
allows students to carry out a science investigation which
has one question lead to another.
Ask your class if they have observed paper in old books
and newspapers that are not as white as brand-new
paper. Over time the sheets have become brown.
Question: What might cause this slow color change in
paper? This experiment then leads to question two: Does
sun block lotion really block the sun?
Materials needed: A flat board about the size of this
paper, newspaper, paper, aluminum foil, adhesive tape,
and sun block lotion. It will be fun if you have several
lotions with different sun protection factors (SPF) while
performing this investigation.
Blackline Masters #7 and 7a, A Discerning Ear: What
Do You Hear? This fun experiment could involve the
whole classroom or be done in small groups. Students
collect data from what they can hear being dropped while
blindfolded.
The purpose of this activity is to experience the process
of scientific investigations.
Question: Is it possible to tell what an object is by the
sound it creates when it is dropped onto a surface?
Materials needed: Four denominations of coins (at least
three of each), five human-made objects that you can
safely drop, for example: a rubber ball, metal spoon, set
of keys, shoe, pen, or a plastic object; and five natural
objects you can drop, for example: a rock, tree branch,
twig, and a leave; and a blindfold.
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ANSWER KEY
Blackline Master #1, Pre-Test
1) c
6) d
2) a
7) c
3) d
8) b
4) a
9) a
5) d
10) b
Blackline Master #2, Post-Test
1) c
6) a
2) d
7) b
3) b
8) d
4) b
9) a
5) d
10) c
Blackline Master #3, Video Quiz
1) True
2) False
3) True
4) True
5) True
INTERNET SITES
Science NetLinks
For Teachers: Includes a lesson plan navigator by grade
and subject.
www.sciencenetlinks.com
Science NetLinks is part of the Marco Polo Education
Foundation. Marco Polo partners the AAAS, the National
Endowment for the Humanities, the Council of the Great
City Schools, the National Council on Economic
Education, the National Geographic Society, the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Marco Polo
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partnership provides free, Internet-based content across
academic disciplines. Science NetLinks' role is to provide
a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators, including lesson plans and reviewed Internet resources. SNL is
a dynamic site with new content being added on a regular basis, so check back often.
For Scientific Inquiry go to “Lessons to practice the scientific inquiry skills of observation and careful expression.”
Contains numerous lessons and resources for grades K12.
Center For Improved Engineering and Science
Education
www.k12science.org/currichome.html
for student projects and teacher download.
CIESE sponsors and designs interdisciplinary projects
that teachers throughout the world can use to enhance
their curriculum through compelling use of the Internet.
They focus on projects that utilize realtime data available
from the Internet, and collaborative projects that utilize
the Internet's potential to reach peers and experts around
the world. There is a catalog of projects that catalog projects that are currently being or have been sponsored by
CIESE . Each project has a brief description and links to
the National Science Standards and NCTM math standards it supports.
For Students: United Learning chooses governmental
and larger organizational websites in order to prevent frequent changes. However, we always recommend that you
preview all Internet sites before recommending them to
your students to be certain they are appropriate for your
intended use.
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SCRIPT OF NARRATION
NARRATOR: Science has become a dominant force in
modern society. Discoveries made by scientists have
reshaped how we look at the world and have led to technological breakthroughs that have put men and women in
space, cured deadly diseases, and made life easier for
millions of people. Underlying many scientific discoveries
are common procedures, procedures people use to make
sense of their surroundings in daily life. In this program
we will present a procedure called scientific inquiry.
The Question
The question …curiosity . . . The powerful need to know
and understand is one of the unique features of the
human mind. This need to know has been behind all of
the great scientific discoveries throughout the ages. Over
2000 years ago, early Greeks such as Democritus wondered what actually made up the world around him. Isaac
Newton asked if there was a connection between an
apple falling to the ground and the motion of the planets.
Madam Curie wanted to know if she could find and isolate
a new radioactive element. Darwin wanted to know why
there were so many different kinds of similar finches living
on a small group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. And
Watson and Crick wanted to know how DNA made new
copies of itself during the process of cell division. All of
these great scientists pondered their questions for a long
time before they found an answer. The process by which
they arrived at their great discoveries is called scientific
inquiry.
Asking a question is the starting point for all scientific
inquiry. We have tons, of experience with asking questions. As small children, we may have wondered, How
can I arrange these blocks to make a pattern? Why do I
see worms on the sidewalk after it rains?" As we get older
we may have questioned other things.
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Here is a question early Greeks asked: What causes a
solar eclipse? It is believed that the Greek named
Aristarchus was one of the first scientists in recorded history to use scientific inquiry, and he tried to answer this
question about what causes solar eclipses.
Here are some other questions.
How is it that geese always hang together in groups of
their own kind but never are found mixed in with groups
of spoonbills? Speaking of birds, we know that the there
are millions of birds born each year. Yet, how many times
have you actually seen a dead bird? What happens to
the many birds when they die? Why did dinosaurs
become extinct? Are manatees mammals? Why do mosquito bites itch?
Is new oil still being produced below the surface of the
Earth?
Do tornadoes ever strike big cities or are they really
attracted to trailer parks?
Do all animals have red blood?
If you ever tasted ocean water, you know it has a salty flavor. Why is that?
Do all lizards change color?
There are many interesting scientific questions, questions
we would like to know the answer to. Finding a good
question is always the starting point of scientific inquiry.
We have seen that asking the right question has lead to
many of the great scientific discoveries from Newton's
laws of motion to Darwin's theory of evolution. For many
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great scientists, the next step was to mount an investigation based on their questions. We, too, need to design
investigations to answer our questions.
The Investigation
ZACK: Scientific inquiries start with a question, say: Is the
planet really warming up? It seems some winters in the
United States feel more mild. If I really want to find the
answer, I have to do an investigation. In this building, the
National Center for Atmospheric Research, there are scientists who are doing just that. They are asking, " Is the
climate really changing to a warmer one?" It's important
to know, because global warming can effect farming,
tourism, wildlife behavior, and the number of natural disasters such as hurricanes.
NARRATOR: Scientific inquiry, in one respect, is like
Sherlock Holmes trying to solve a crime... to solve a whodunit mystery. We enjoy watching the talented detective
moving his way through the investigation... looking for
clues... asking hard questions...finding evidence... all
leading up to the big arrest, an answer to the question:
"Who done it?" Well a major part of scientific inquiry is
also an investigation except this time no crime is committed, instead the culprit is an unanswered question, a
question which points to the unknown.
For example, we notice that in the middle of a snowy winter buds are already on a Silver maple tree in the front
yard of many cities in the northern United States. This is
an interesting pattern. So the question is asked: When
did the buds form? The investigation is simple. We would
need to check the trees weekly as the year unfolds.
Sometime in March, the flower buds of the silver maple
open up. Maybe you didn't know that trees bloomed so
early in the year, earlier than the typical spring flowers.
Then in May the leaves emerge. You keep watching and
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in June, seeds form. Finally, in August, the new buds
appear on the branches. The new buds and the old
leaves are now on the tree at the same time. As the
leaves begin falling off, we clearly see next year's buds.
In October the leaves fall off. And in November we're
back at the point where we started - trees with buds but
no leaves, and it's winter again.
So we started with the observation that trees have their
buds in winter. We then asked the question when do trees
actually make their buds? We investigated by observing
a tree throughout the year and our investigation not only
answered the question, "When do trees make their
buds?" but our investigation revealed something new the yearly life cycle of a tree. As we try to answer one
question sometimes we learn other fascinating things.
When a crime is committed, the question is always,
"Who dunnit?" In scientific inquiry, the investigation can
be based on any question that starts us looking for a solution, an answer, any question that gets us started.
The investigation part of scientific inquiry can be very simple like watching a tree change over the period of a year,
or more complex like when weather scientists use highspeed computers and advanced scientific instruments to
help investigate climate changes.
ZACK: Scientific inquiries can be different in another way.
An investigation can lead to an answer as we found with
our tree budding question, or they can lead to other questions: for example, does a harsher climate mean more
intense storms? This is one of the things about scientific
inquiry. Just like Sherlock Holmes, you don't know where
the investigation will lead you; it's truly an exploration into
the unknown.
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Inquiry one: What are insects and how do they live?
To begin our scientific inquiry, let's start with the simple
observation: Mackenzie noticed when it is warm, she can
find many active insects. In the summer, spring and fall,
there are lots of insects moving around. But in a place
where there is a cold winter, that's another story, usually
insects are not found moving about. Why? After thinking
about this for a while, a new question pops up for
Mackenzie. How do insects live? Or, what is the history
of an insect's life? What is an insect doing during its life?
In this case, the pattern of insects missing in winter led to
a larger and more general question about insects. How do
insects live?
MACKENZIE: I went to the library and picked up a field
guide on insects, and I even started my own insect collections.
Insects aren't so bad. Okay, I know what you are thinking. What I have here is a butterfly, a grasshopper, a
moth, and a ladybug. And in this little book I have some
creatures that look like insects. Like this spider and this
centipede and this sow bug . sometimes called rollie pollies. They're not all insects. How do I know? The book
says count the legs. Three on each side and you have an
insect.
NARRATOR: In fact, all insects have six legs, even these
fifty-million-year-old fossil crickets and cockroaches have
six legs.
MACKENZIE: Look at the spider... it has eight legs. The
centipede has lots of legs, so does the sow bug. So
they're not insects because they don't have six legs.
NARRATOR: Making a collection helps us get a clearer
picture of what insects are like. We can learn more about
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the characteristics insects have in common. Besides
having three pairs of legs, we can see that insects have a
pair of eyes, and they are all divided into three sections.
Now here's a problem.
This caterpillar is an insect. Most people know a caterpillar is an insect and it seems to have more than six legs.
In any scientific investigation, the leads that you follow
can raise new questions. Such as, how do caterpillars fit
into the pattern of insects in general? Just when we
thought we had a good definition of what is an insect, we
stumbled onto the fact caterpillars are insects but their
body shape raised new questions. Later Mackenzie
found out what looked like legs on a caterpillar were extra
appendages. Remember, the question we're investigating is how do insects live? That's where we started and
now we're trying to define what an insect is.
There is something really cool under this board. What are
all those white things? Looking more closely, it kind of
reminds us of those caterpillars, in fact, they are baby
ants.
What we have observed is a very interesting pattern - that
some insects have a baby stage that is different than their
adult form. But before we check this out...
MACKENZIE: In the jar are two butterflies. I caught these
butterflies. In the insect book, it says insects are coldblooded. Which means that their body temperature is the
same as the air around it. So as the sun warms the cool
morning air you see more insects moving about. Their
bodies need to be warmed up before they can be active.
I wonder what would happen if I put the butterflies in the
refrigerator. Well, let's see.
Here we go.
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They look dead.
Alright, I'm going to put these butterflies on these flowers
here.
It's been five minutes. And they're not even dead at all.
I would say we have the beginning of an answer to our
question. The colder the temperature the slower the
insects become.
NARRATOR: In fact, if you listen to crickets at night, the
chirping slows down as the temperature drops. Now we
have an idea why we don't find insects on a snowy winter
day. However, this raises a new set of questions. Do
insects die in the winter, or do they sleep or hibernate like
the butterfly in the jar. Is this butterfly here just waking up
from a long sleep? Or maybe insects fly south like some
birds. Even without answering these questions, we know
a little more about how insects live. They are dramatically affected by temperature. Certainly more than you or I.
So let's go back to those white, wiggly things we saw in
the ant colony. We are beginning to get an idea that some
insects have growth stages during their life. To check this
out, we found a special place.
MACKENZIE: In most communities, there are resources
to help with the scientific investigations. It might be at a
college, university, some businesses, which specialize, in
scientific investigations, museums, or Zoos... like this
very unique zoo I'm standing in front of... it's a Butterfly
Pavilion. I bet they can help with an investigation into
these different stages of an insect's life.
NARRATOR: In the Butterfly Pavilion, there are many
fascinating and beautiful butterflies. But see these small
objects... they are eggs. Eggs laid by butterflies. The
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eggs hatch into caterpillars, like the one we saw before in
the yard. The caterpillars, once they get to a certain size,
turn into a chrysalis. From the chrysalis, a beautiful butterfly emerges. The whole transition from egg, caterpillar,
chrysalis, to butterfly is called metamorphosis. This kind
of pattern in time is called a life cycle. In this case, the
cycle is broken down into four unique stages. The second, has a name - called the larva stage. So our investigation into how insects live has come a long way. We
found that in the adult stage, insects have three pairs of
legs hence showing bilateral symmetry. We showed that
at least one kind of insect is cold-blooded and if they all
were, it would go a long way to explaining why cold
weather and insects don't mix. We found that butterflies
have a four-stage life cycle. We don't know if this is true
for all insects, but it would certainly be worth checking out.
We haven't looked into what insects eat. There are many
more questions, about insects. In science, the investigation often opens up new doors into ways of seeing things
way beyond the answer to the question from which we
started.
Historic scientific inquiry one: Why do children look
like their parents?
NARRATOR: Why do children look like their parents? In
fact, baby alligators are miniature versions of their parents. Why? Asking questions, being curious is perhaps
the most important part of being a scientist. This question
of why children grow up to look like their parents must've
been asked many times by thousands of people for centuries. One of the things about scientific inquiry is that it
seems to never end.
In the case of why we look like our parents, one of the scientists who helped answer the question was Gregor
Mendel. He was an Austrian monk who conducted many
experiments with garden peas, crossing different types, to
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see what characteristics their offspring would have. For
instance, he crossed wrinkled peas with smooth peas. He
determined that there is information in the parent plants
that was passed on to their offspring. This information
was what we now call genetic material. Other scientists
worked with microscopes and dividing cells and proposed
that the genetic information is in chromosomes in the
nucleus of a cell. Scientists have observed that two cells,
one from a male and one from a female organism can join
together to produce a new single cell. This is a process
called fertilization. So we can partially answer our question of why baby alligators look like their parents by saying it is because they get hereditary or genetic information
from both parents during mating.
Historic scientific inquiry two: Were dinosaurs warmblooded?
NARRATOR: Here's another question that it took scientists a while to answer, How did dinosaurs live? The first
idea paleontologists had was that since dinosaurs were
so big they had to be slow and not very intelligent. They
also thought that because dinosaurs looked a lot like
lizards they must have been cold-blooded. Eventually
paleontologists like Bob Bakker started their own investigation into dinosaurs and saw a resemblance to birds:
animals that we know are warm blooded and very active.
Paleontologists kept looking for new fossils and then they
made a startling discovery. They found specimens of
dinosaurs sitting on a nest of eggs. Now scientists had
evidence that at least some dinosaurs had to be warmblooded… imparting heat to their eggs. This discovery
raised new questions: Did dinosaurs rear their babies like
many birds? Are birds living dinosaurs? We can see that
if dinosaurs were more birdlike than lizard like, warm
blooded not cold-blooded, they were probably not slow
and they were probably intelligent. This inquiry continues
today as paleontologists look for new fossils and new
ways of studying old fossils.
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MACKENZIE: Science is always changing old ways of
looking at the world replacing them with new ways-- all as
a result of asking questions. Not being satisfied, wanting
to know. It is a trip into the unknown.
A famous chemist named Madam Curie did not know if
she could find a new radioactive element, but she did and
it opened up a whole new field of science, the study of
radioactive materials.
NARRATOR: A scientific inquiry can take many forms
and use many resources from your imagination, to your
powers of observation, to libraries, to colleges, to the
Internet, and to people who specialize in topics related to
your inquiry. What's most important about scientific
inquiry is using your curiosity and being persistent in trying to find an answer.
VIDEO QUIZ
Answer true or false to the following questions.
1) Asking a question is the starting point for all scientific
inquiry.
2) Observation is not necessary in the investigation
process.
3) In any scientific investigation, the leads that you follow
can raise new questions.
4) Community resources can help you with your investigation and observation.
5) What's most important about scientific inquiry is using
your curiosity and being persistent in trying to find an
answer.
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1
Name ____________________
HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Pre-Test
Directions: Select the correct answer from the following:
1. A common resource that would be helpful
during a scientific inquiry is a
a. telephone pole.
b. shovel.
c. library.
d. fire truck.
6. The world of the unknown can be discovered by
using
a. scientific inquiry.
b. asking questions.
c. a variety of resources.
d. all of the above.
2. What would cause an insect to become
more active?
a. The air becoming warmer.
b. An increase of air pollution.
c. A cold front passing through.
d. An additional dose of pesticide.
7. Who most likely would use scientific inquiry?
a. A person who delivers the mail?
b. A musician like Johann S. Bach.
c. A detective like Sherlock Holmes.
d. A speaker like Abraham Lincoln.
3. Democritus and Aristarchus were famous
scientists from
a. Ireland.
b. Japan.
c. Brazil.
d. Greece.
4. Who can do scientific investigations?
a. Anyone with a scientific question.
b. Scientists only.
c. Men only.
d. Women only.
5. Which question would be best suited for
scientific inquiry?
a. What color is that barn?
b. Is it a good time to go outside?
c. Will you show me the exit?
d. Do all animals have red blood?
8. Madam Curie wanted to know if she could
a. discover why there were so many different
kinds of similar finches living on a island in the
Pacific Ocean.
b. find an isolate a new radioactive element.
c. investigate why an apple always falls to the
ground.
d. become a famous scientist.
9. Who made a great scientific discovery by asking
the right question?
a. Isaac Newton
b. Winston Churchill
c. George Washington
d. Joseph Stalin
10. The starting point for scientific inquiry is
a. doing an experiment.
b. asking a question.
c. stating a fact.
d. collecting materials.
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Name ____________________
HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Post-Test
Directions: Select the correct answer from the following:
1. When using scientific inquiry, there seems to
be no end to the number of
a. sleepless nights.
b. dollars that can be made.
c. questions that can be asked.
d. people who could never use the information
found.
2. What might cause flying insects to slow down?
a. A drop in humidity.
b. Wind slowing down.
c. A decrease in air pollution.
d. The air temperature going down.
3, Which of the following questions would be
the best to use in scientific inquiry?
a. Who is going to get a piece of candy?
b. Where do birds go in the winter?
c. How much does a house cost?
d. Why would you buy that book?
4. Who made a great discovery by asking the
right question?
a. Babe Ruth
b. Albert Einstein
c. Engelbert Humperdinck
d. Queen Elizabeth II
5. If a person is going to find an answer to a
scientific inquiry he or she should
a. use a variety of resources.
b. be patient.
c. do an investigation.
d. all of the above.
6. Scientific inquiry questions seem to
a. never end.
b. be a small part of explaining events in nature.
c. be hopelessly difficult to understand.
d. limit a persons ability to solve problems.
7. To do scientific inquiry, you should
a. look for a particular answer to a question.
b. always have an open mind.
c. look in one place for the answer.
d. decide first what the answer is, then prove it.
8. A resource used during scientific inquiry
could be a
a. college.
b. museum.
c. the Internet.
d. all of the above.
9. Which question would not work very well in a
scientific inquiry?
a. Do you have a favorite books?
b. Why are there so many closely related birds
on one island?
c. Are mass and energy really related?
d. Is there a connection between an apple
falling and the motion of planets?
10. Scientific inquiry leads us into a
a. dead end most of the time.
b. dangerous world.
c. world of the unknown.
d. system requiring little effort.
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HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Video Quiz
Directions: Answer true or false to the following.
1) Asking a question is the starting point for all scientific inquiry.
2) Observation is not necessary in the investigation process.
3) In any scientific investigation, the leads that you follow can raise new questions.
4) Community resources can help you with your investigation and observation.
5) What's most important about scientific inquiry is using your curiosity and being persistent in trying to
find an answer.
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HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Life Clinging to the Surface of a Rock
Materials needed: A rock of choice, tape measure, magnifying glass, pencil and graph below to record
data.
Have you noticed plants, and other forms of life live in a variety of environments. Penguins live where
it is very cold. Snakes and cacti can live on very hot dry sand.
Is it possible that there are forms of life that could live on "dry," hard rocks?
Here are a few things you might look for during your investigation: fungi (mushrooms), thin algae films,
mosses, and lichens. Remember lichens are not plants, but are made up of algae and fungi living
together. They often cling tightly to whatever they live on, and come in many colors, even black and
many shades of gray. At times they can be very thin patches. Some patches can be very small in
diameter. You might be very surprised as to how complex they will appear. Some lichens are very
sensitive to air pollution, and cannot live in areas where there are poisonous factory gases.
It is up to you to take a very close look at the surface of the largest rocks you can find. It will help if you
can use a magnifying glass during your observation. The best rocks are ones that have been in one
place for a long time. Some crusty lichens can be hundreds of years old. They may grow very slowly,
perhaps only a millimeter or two a year. If you cannot find a large rock try to find a an old stonewall or
old tombstones. Pay attention to the color of the rocks, and their surface texture. Record what you
observed. Be sure to look at all sides of each stone.
Object
Rock 1
Rock 2
Rock 3
Rock 4
Rock 5
Size
Color
Texture
Number of
lichens
Number of
mosses
(continued)
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Record Your Observations
1) What did you find living on these hard surfaces?
2) How do you suppose it is possible that some things could live on a hard, and often dry rock?
3) Does the kind of rock make a difference as to what is living on it?
4) How does the rock's surface texture affect what is living on it?
5) How might lichens and mosses affect the surface of a rock over a long period of time?
6) Describe at least one thing you observed while doing this activity that surprised you.
7) How much of a rock could be covered with lichens and mosses?
8) Is it true that life can be found clinging to the surfaces of rocks?
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What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Copper Atoms On the Move
There are many different chemical changes going on all around us. These changes may bring about a
new color, gas, odor, taste, temperature, or texture. An example of a chemical change occurs when the
carbon in charcoal burns. The most obvious clue a chemical change is taking place occurs as the carbon burns and the temperature rises. Scientists believe this is because atoms, the building blocks of all
matter, are moving, and are able to attach to or separate from different atoms. The atoms of carbon
attach to the rapidly moving oxygen atoms in the air. Heat is given off, and the gas, carbon dioxide is
formed.
Materials needed: One iron nail about five centimeters long, and at least three millimeter wide; vinegar
of about five percent strength (white vinegar works well); at least 10 pennies with a date of 1909 to
1982, which are almost pure copper; a wood splint or another type wooden stirring rod; sandpaper or
emery cloth; table salt (sodium chloride); and a small beaker, 150 milliliters will work, however, any
small container would work, even a paper cup.
Question: Is it possible to actually observe a chemical change that demonstrates the movement of
atoms from one place to another place? While performing this experiment you will try to move copper
atoms from a penny to the surface of an iron nail.
The steps to follow are:
1. Remove rust (iron oxide), and oils from the surface of a nail by rubbing its surface with sandpaper or
emery cloth. Rub as much of the surface as possible. Most of the iron should have a silver-like
appearance when done rubbing.
2. Pour about 50 milliliters of vinegar into a small beaker.
3. You will need at least one gram of sodium chloride (NaCl). Empty this into the vinegar, and gently
stir until it is completely dissolved.
4. Count out ten pennies. What is the color on the surface of these old pennies? _________________
5. Carefully place the pennies in the salt and vinegar solution. After one minute has passed, move
them around with the wood stir stick. Do this every minute for five minutes.
6. After the five minutes have passed, pour the liquid off the pennies into another beaker. Place the
shiny clean nail into this liquid.
7. Record your observations in the chart found on 5a.
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HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Rate the quality of the copper coating some place along the scale by placing an "x" along the line.
0 Very thin coating
5 Thin
10 Thick
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----------+
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
1 minute
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
2 minutes
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
3 minutes
+-------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
4 minutes
.
+-------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
5 minutes
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
6 minutes
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
7 minutes
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
8 minutes
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
9 minutes
.
+-------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
10 minutes
Answer the following after completing the investigation. Use the back of this sheet of paper if you
need more room.
1) What did you see in this activity that indicates atoms have moved?
2) Where did the copper on the nail's surface come from?
3) Name another place where you have observed atoms moving.
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HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
"Tanned" Paper and Sunscreen Lotion
Have you noticed how paper in old books and newspapers are not as white as brand new paper? Over
time the sheets have become brown.
Question: What might cause this slow color change in paper?
Materials needed: A flat board about the size of this paper; newspaper and other assorted paper, from
magazines, napkins, notebook paper, or tissue; aluminum foil, adhesive tape, and sunscreen lotion. It will
be fun if you have several lotions with different sunscreen protection factors (SPF) while performing this
investigation.
To begin the search for the answer to this question, cut out a piece of newspaper that has very little print
on it and at least one other sheet of paper. The strips of newspaper and other paper should be at least
one and a quarter inches or three centimeters wide. Tape the pieces onto a board. Next, tape a flat,
smooth, strip of aluminum foil tightly over an area that is mostly white; an area free of a lot of letters. An
area like this is usually found on pages where there is a lot of advertising. Be sure the tape holding the foil
down is taped only to the surface of the board, not to any part of the paper. The foil should be about ¾
inch, or two centimeters, wide.
Place the board in the sunniest place you can find. If it is placed outdoors be sure to bring it in at the end
of the day. Keep it out of the rain and snow. Leave it in a sunny place for at least five days. If there is not
much sun for a couple days, you might leave it exposed to the sunlight for a few extra days. After the five
days of sun shining on the paper, take the board back to your work area, and remove the foil from the
board. Compare the area that was covered with the foil to the part exposed to the sun.
Directions: Answer the following after conducting the investigation. You may use the back of this
sheet for your answer.
1) Describe the color of the sun-exposed surface to the area that had been covered.
2) Did one kind of paper strip get darker than the other strip(s)? ______ Which one?
3) Do you think newspaper darkens faster than more expensive paper?
4) Explain your findings by including what you observed in your investigation.
As long as we have learned something about the effect of sunlight on paper, another question comes to
mind:
(continued)
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HOW SCIENTISTS WORK SERIES
What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Question: Does sunscreen lotion that is meant to protect your skin really block some of the skin from
damaging sunlight?
A science inquiry will again begin when you cut out fresh strips of two different pieces of paper, one being
the newspaper. Tape them to a board. Place a clear material over the strips of paper, and tape it down.
Possible clear materials that could be used are: flat, thin, color-free plastic, cellophane, or a glass microscope slide.
Place one large drop of sunscreen lotion on the clear material where it is the whitest. If the drop seems to
be rather thick, spread it out a little bit into a larger circular disk. This can be done with a very narrow
piece of paper. The disk should be at least a half inch or one centimeter across, but not much larger. Let
this lotion dry before moving the board to a sunny location. Leave it in the sun for five days, then take the
board to your work area. Remove the clear material from the board.
Directions: Answer the following after completing the above investigation. You may use the back of this
sheet of paper if you need more space.
5) What do you observe under the area where the lotion was?
6) About how much of the sunlight does the lotion seem to block?
7) From what you have observed, what can you say about the effectiveness of the sun tan lotion that you
chose when it comes to blocking sunlight? Does the sunscreen protection factor (SPF) number make a difference? Compare the findings of this investigation with others that used a sunscreen lotion with a different
SPF number and describe your findings.
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What Is Scientific Inquiry?
A Discerning Ear: What Do You Hear?
Question: Is it possible to tell what an object is by the sound it creates when it is dropped onto a surface?
Materials needed: Four denominations of coins (at least three of each), five human-made objects that you
can safely drop, and five natural objects you can drop.
There will be four different activities. You will need to put your head down, and close your eyes for each
trial.
A. What denomination of coin is being dropped? For the first activity, ask someone to drop a coin on a
surface while your eyes are closed. The coin will need to be put away before you open your eyes. You will
need to keep your eyes closed until you are told to open them. You should then write down what you
believe the type of coin was that just fell.
Drop
Drop
Drop
Drop
1.
2.
3.
4.
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
1) Ask to see what each coin was after you wrote down your answer or after all the coins were dropped.
How many did you get right? ____________
2) Do you think you could get better at telling what an object is by the sound it produces? _____________
B. Is it possible to tell how many objects have fallen when you hear them hit a surface? For the
second activity ask someone to drop more than one coin at the same time. When you are ready be sure to
put your head down, and close your eyes. Once the coins have been dropped, write down the type of
coins you thought you heard.
Drop 1. _________________, # _____
Drop 2. _________________, # _____
Drop 3. _________________, #_____
1) How many of the coin names did you get right? _____ Explain what clues helped you to make your
decision?
(continued)
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What Is Scientific Inquiry?
C) Can you name the type of material by the sound it makes hitting a surface? To make this last
activity a little more interesting, 10 different objects will be dropped. About half of them will be items people have made, and the other objects will be items from the natural world, such as an apple. Ask to view
the objects first, then have someone drop each item from about five inches or 10 centimeters from the top
of a surface while your head is down and eyes covered. After each drop write down a letter "p" for something a person made or a letter "n" if it is from nature. Then write down what it is made of or even better
yet, write down what it is.
N or P
type of material or object
Drop 1.
_____
_______________________
Drop 2.
_____
_______________________
Drop 3.
_____
_______________________
Drop 4.
_____
_______________________
Drop 5.
_____
_______________________
Drop 6.
_____
_______________________
Drop 7.
_____
_______________________
Drop 8.
_____
_______________________
Drop 9.
_____
_______________________
Drop 10.
_____
_______________________
1) How well did you do on this activity?
2) Does it seem like you would get better at being able to tell what an object was
made of as you get more experience?
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