TAKS Blitz Day 1: Nature of Science

Science is knowledge gained through __________________. Objective 1 on the TAKS

measures your ability to understand experimental design, how to run a experiment
safely and accurately, and how to interpret data.

Experimental PLANNING

The Scientific Method is the basic outline of any good experiment. It begins by stating the
question that scientists want to investigate. If TAKS asks you what question can “best be
answered”, you need to look at TWO things:

1.) What is being changed? This is the __________________ variable. It is what we

modify.

2.) What is being measured? This is the ____________ variable. It is what we are
looking at.

Also important are CONTROL GROUPS—things that are NOT changed,

but are included in the experiment. We also control controlled
variables, which are things that might affect the results (amount of
water, sunlight, strength of a drug, food, etc.)

These things are done to test a _____________________, which is a testable statement

about a relationship.

Again, if you are asked “what hypothesis is most likely being tested”, you need to look at….

…The same two things above!

But what if my
You make a new one,
hypothesis is
based upon the
wrong?! observations. Just make
sure it’s TESTABLE!

A GOOD HYPOTHESIS AND EXPERIMENT:

Is ___________—meaning it investigates something that can be measured,

like plant growth, or speed, or size. NOT like “happiness” or “hunger”.

The MORE DATA, the BETTER! A larger sample size, or
repeating the experiment will make an experiment more valid
by making data more ___________________, meaning it “represents”
the actual world we live in!

Graphs!
When TAKS asks you to make a conclusion based on a
graph or a diagram, you need to look at that graph or diagram VERY
closely. Look at the TWO AXES (what is on the side and on the
bottom) to see what is being measured and changed.

Most of the time, these two things will be in the answer.

For EQUIPMENT or SAFETY questions, just think back to the labs you did.
Remember that a more precise piece of equipment allows you to measure with
smaller units (e.g. graduated cylinders are more precise than beakers).