(SOL) Science of Life Overview
Have you ever wondered about where the facts come from in your science textbooks? How do scientists attempt to determine how the natural world works? How certain can they be about their findings? This module gives you a window into the scientific process and scientific thought.
The nature of science requires that any questions asked and answered be open to progress and revision. The scientific method allows for this by providing a framework in which unbiased, structured studies can be used to collect evidence and answer questions about the natural world while also being subject to peer review and revision as new evidence is brought to light.
Module Lessons Preview
In this module, we will study the following topics:
- Scientific Method: Review of guidelines scientists follow to answer questions about life.
- Graphing: How to present data collected during an experiment.
- Metrics: Discussion of the measurement system scientists use and how to complete conversion problems.
- Lab Safety: Rules to follow when conducting experiments.
Science of Life Key Words
- Biology: the study of life
- Scientific Method: a series of steps that guide scientists when investigating questions about the natural world
- Observation: information collected using your senses
- Evidence: factual information
- Data: pieces of information collected using the senses
- Quantitative Data: numerical information; information that can be measured
- Qualitative Data: descriptive information using words
- Inference: an interpretation of data that is logical using experience and/or prior knowledge
- Hypothesis: a testable idea or possible solution to a problem
- Theory: In science, a well-tested explanation of a natural phenomenon that has much evidence to support it; may be rejected or modified if new evidence arises
- Law: a simple statement that states some aspect of nature; the law does not attempt to explain a natural phenomena
- Controlled Experiment: a method for testing a hypothesis where only one variable is changed or manipulated
- Independent Variable: the variable that is changed during the experiment
- Dependent Variable: the results in an experiment; comes from changes in the independent variable
- Control Variables: factors that are kept the same for the experimental and control groups
- Control Group: the group in the experiment that is exposed to the same conditions as the experimental group except for the independent variable
- Experimental Group: the group in the controlled experiment that receives the independent variable
- Bias: unfair prejudice against someone/something that comes from personal experience; science should avoid bias
- Graph: a pictorial representation of the data collected; used to make interpretations about the data collected; visualize patterns
- Line Graph: a graph with points connected by a line to see changes over time
- Bar Graph: a graph using rectangular bars to show how much something is
- Circle Graph: also called a pie graph; comparing parts of a whole; percentages
- Cell: a basic unit of structure and function in living things
- Tissue: a group of cells working together to perform a specific function
- Organ: a group of tissues working together to perform a specific function
- Organ System: a group of organs working together to perform a specific function
- Organism: a group of organ systems working together to maintain a living organism
- Metabolism: a set of chemical reactions required by life
- Homeostasis: maintaining a stable internal environment
- Lab Safety: a set of rules and guidelines that must be followed for the lab to be conducted safely
- Metrics: a system of measurement based on the decimal system that is used in the scientific community
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