Chapter 1 S4
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This document summarizes key points about evaluating scientific explanations based on a reading about the topic. It discusses how to evaluate observations (data) by ensuring they are specific and can be repeated. It also discusses evaluating inferences by checking if conclusions make sense and considering other explanations. The importance of thorough and unbiased notes is covered. Lastly, it notes the need to carefully evaluate claims from sources like advertising that may not be independent or objective.
Chapter 1 S4
- 2. Chapter: The Nature of Science Table of Contents Section 3: Models in Science Section 1: What is science? Section 2: Science in Action Section 4: Evaluating Scientific Explanation
- 3. Do you believe everything you read or hear? 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Believe it or not? Think of something that someone told you that you didn’t believe. Chances are you looked at the facts you were given and decided that there wasn’t enough proof to make you believe it. “ Believe none of what you hear, only some of what you read, and half of what you see.”
- 4. What you did was evaluate, or judge the reliability of what you heard. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Believe it or not? When you hear a statement, you ask the question “How do you know?”
- 5. When you evaluate something, you use critical thinking - judging the reliability of what you heard, read, or seen. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Critical Thinking Critical thinking means combining what you already know with the new facts that you are given to decide if you should agree with something.
- 6. You can evaluate an explanation by breaking it down into two parts. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Critical Thinking First you can look at and evaluate the observations. Then you can evaluate the inferences—or conclusions made about the observations.
- 7. A scientific investigation always contains observations—often called data . 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Evaluating the Data Data are gathered during a scientific investigation and can be recorded in the form of descriptions, tables, graphs, or drawings.
- 8. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Evaluating the Data You should be cautious about believing any claim that is not supported by data.
- 9. The data given to back up a claim should be specific. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Are the data specific? That means they need to be exact. When you are given specific data, a statement is more reliable and you are more likely to believe it.
- 10. An example of data in the form of a frequency table is shown. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Are the data specific? A frequency table shows how many times types of data occur.
- 11. Scientists must take thorough notes at the time of an investigation. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Take Good Notes Important details can be forgotten if you wait several hours or days before you write down your observations.
- 12. It is also important for you to write down every observation, including ones that you don’t expect. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Take Good Notes Often, great discoveries are made when something unexpected happens in an investigation.
- 13. In science class, you will be keeping a science journal. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Your Science Journal You will write down what you do and see during your investigations.
- 14. Your observations should be detailed enough that another person could read what you wrote and repeat the investigation exactly as you performed it. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Your Science Journal
- 15. Scientists require repeatable evidence. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Can the data be repeated? When a scientist describes an investigation, other scientists should be able to do the investigation and get the same results. The results must be repeatable.
- 16. When you think about a conclusion that someone has made, you can ask yourself two questions. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Evaluating the Conclusions First, does the conclusion make sense? Second, are there any other possible explanations?
- 17. Suppose you saw an advertisement in the newspaper like the one shown. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Evaluating Promotional Materials What would you think? First, you might ask, “Does this make sense?” It seems unbelievable.
- 18. How was this claim tested? 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Evaluating Promotional Materials How is the amount of wrinkling in skin measured? You might also want to know if an independent laboratory repeated the results. An independent laboratory is one that is not related in any way to the company that is selling the product or service.
- 19. Results from an independent laboratory usually are more reliable than results from a laboratory paid by the selling company. 4 Evaluating Scientific Explanation Evaluating Promotional Materials It is important that you carefully evaluate advertising claims and the data that support them before making a quick decision to spend your money.
- 20. 4 Section Check Question 1 The formal term for observations made during a scientific experiment is_______. A. conclusion B. data C. hypothesis D. theories NC: 1.09
- 21. 4 Section Check Question 2 When supporting a claim, you’ll want to have data that is _______. A. impressive B. new C. made up D. specific NC: 1.05
- 22. 4 Section Check Question 3 Suppose a person claims to have done an experiment that made him briefly invisible but says that it cannot be done again. You would not believe this person, because _______. NC: 1.09
- 23. 4 Section Check Credible scientific experiments must be repeatable. B. It isn’t possible to become invisible. C. No one has ever turned invisible before. D. You were not there to see the experiment performed. NC: 1.09
- 24. 4 Section Check Answer The answer is B. When you evaluate a scientific claim you should examine the data. Is it given? Does it support the claim? NC: 1.09
- 25. 4 Section Check Answer The answer is D. The data should be as specific as possible, weeding out generalizations that don’t really help explain the world. NC: 1.05
- 26. 4 Section Check Answer The correct answer is A. All scientific experiments must be repeatable before the results can be believed. NC: 1.09
- 27. End of Chapter Summary File