Critical thinking and Scientific Method
Sometimes the situation is only a problem
because it is looked at in a certain way.
Looked at in another way, the right course
of action may be so obvious that the
problem no longer exists
(Edward de Bono).
Burmese school teacher Aung Pee, 56, uses a
solar battery powered bicycle as he makes the
38 KMs journey to his school, in Twortay south
of Yangon, Myanmar. In Myanmar, where soaring
fuel prices are way above the pockets of the
Burmese, and most people must ride crowded
public buses and trucks, bicycles remain a
perennial favorite in a country hampered by
energy shortages. The solar battery powered
bicycle is an experiment to avoid the cost and
shortages of fuel.
[Link]
electricbike?lite. Retrieved 10 July, 2012.
What is The Scientific Method?
The series of steps that scientists
use to answer questions and solve
problems are often called the
‘scientific method’.
The goal to come up with
reliable answers and solutions.
The Five Steps of the
Scientific Method
1. Observe – state a problem – ask a
question
2. Form a hypothesis
[Link] the hypothesis
[Link] the results
5. Draw conclusions
A Good Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a possible solution to the problem (an
educated guess).
Usually written in in the format:
"If _____ [I do this] _____, [this] _____
will happen (outcome)."
e.g.
If the “Here Balloons” are used, fuel
consumption will decrease.
Or Using the “Here Balloons”, results in less fuel
consumption.
A good hypothesis has to be testable, so we can
measure both what is done and the outcome.
Acceptable Vs. Unacceptable
Hypothesis
Hyperactivity in children is related to eating
much sugar
If students get at least 6 hours of sleep,
they will do better on tests
Stress and health are related
The SM curriculum will be effective
Enthusiastic students are better students
Some nations spend more on weapons
than others
1. State the problem
Problem: In the early to mid-1800’s,
plantations in the Southern states
used to raise cotton year after year
in one [Link] cotton crops were
getting worse each year in spite of
the fact that the same kind of seeds
were planted in the same way each
year.
Question: Why are cotton crops
getting worse?
2. Form the hypothesis
Possible Answers:
1. Poor crops might result from several years
of bad weather.
2. Crops, planted in previous years, used up
the minerals in the soil, causing the poor
growth of plants.
Choose the best solution and form a
measurable hypothesis that can be tested.
Hypothesis: Crops, planted in previous years,
used up the minerals in the soil and caused
the poor growth of plants.
[Link] the hypothesis
First, thescientists tested both the soil
that had been used and the soil that had
not been used.
Second, they added the missing
minerals to the used soil, planted the
seeds and waited for the harvest.
The two experiments were repeated
several times.
4. Analyze the results
The unused soil had more of the
minerals that plants needed than
the used soil.
After the minerals were put back
into the soil, the plants produced a
good crop for the first time in
years.
Each time they repeated the
experiments, they got the same
result.
5. Draw Conclusions
Hypotheses Accepted
In Case rejected back to step 2
Practice With
the Scientific Method
Directions:
Read the following paragraph carefully.
Then show how the scientific method
was used by filling in the correct
information opposite the five steps listed
below.
Bacteria
Louis Pasteur was a famous scientist. He often
wondered why milk spoiled so quickly. He thought it
might be the breed of cow that caused the problem.
He also thought it might be microscopic bacteria or
germs that were causing the premature spoiling of
the milk. He tested the second idea by boiling milk
to kill the germs. He compared it to an identical
sample that was not boiled. He repeated the
experiment several times, and had other scientists
do the same. The results were all the same: the
boiled milk spoiled at a much slower rate than the
other milk. This process carries his name,
"pasteurization".
Practice With
the Scientific Method
1. What was the problem for Pasteur?
Why did milk spoil so quickly?
Possible solutions:
The breed of cow caused the problem.
Germs were causing the premature
spoiling of the milk.
2. Form a hypothesis.
Germs caused the premature spoiling of
the milk.
3. Test the hypothesis.
Boiling milk to kill germs
Comparing to an identical sample
that was not boiled
Repeating the experiment several
times
Asking other scientists to do the
same
4. What was the Analysis?
The results were all the same: the boiled
milk spoiled at a much slower rate than
the other milk.
5. Conclusion:
Hypothesis accepted
Baking Pies
Mr. Jones had a reputation for making excellent pies. One day he
baked a pie using a new [Link] pie was a complete failure. What
could have happened? Mr. Jones was anxious to keep his fine
reputation so he decided to investigate. He carefully checked his
stove, the ingredients he had used, and the recipe. As he reread the
recipe he noticed that it had been developed by a company located in
Denver, Colorado. Mr. Jones did some research and found that the
amounts of certain ingredients had to be changed at different heights
above sea level if the same pie recipe was to be used successfully. First
he determined the changes [Link] he made the pie many
times. At last, he had what seemed to be perfect proportions of
ingredients for the area in which he lived. After that, he made many
delicious pies using the recipe, which had almost ruined his pie-baking
reputation.
Sources:
[Link]
[Link]/science/onlinese/hstp/pdfs/
[Link]