OVERVIEW:
This introductory science activity will set the stage for the remaining activities
throughout the year. The main emphasis will be introducing the students to
“the scientific method.” After some exposure to the terms used
to describe the scientific method, students will conduct a paper helicopter
experiment in which they use all the methods of science. Students will work
in groups of four for their experiment.
TERMS
USED:
Process related—wonder,
observation, hypothesis, comparison, classification, prediction, independent
variable, dependent variable, inference, qualitative data, quantitative data,
measurement, control, experiment, replication, repeated trials, methods, procedure
Content related—physics,
force, motion, seed dispersal, plant adaptations
OUTLINE
OF ACTIVITY:
Slides, demonstrations, and student volunteers will be used in the first half
of the activity to acquaint students with science as a discipline and the
methods used by scientists to learn about the world. A large science poster
will be used to teach some of the terms that are commonly used to describe
the scientific method, such as observation, hypothesis, prediction, and experiment.
This will be followed by a class activity where the instructors and class teacher demonstrate how the scientific method can be used to conduct a helicopter flight experiment. We will provide several helicopters of a basic design that vary in blade characteristics, the person who flies them, and the amount of extra weight added. We will point out that the helicopter design in some ways mimics the design of some plant seeds. Helicopters will be flown to convey ideas about observing, repeated trials in experiments, and the nature of variables. We will emphasize that without preliminary observations it is impossible to come up with questions.
Groups of four students, working in pairs, will then conduct their own helicopter experiment. We will explain the tasks that each student will be expected to perform, including data collection and recording. Students will then conduct the experiment as detailed by the instructors. Once all groups have conducted the experiment we will all gather for a “science seminar” to compare the results and demonstrate how data can be analyzed. We will reiterate the concepts of variation, repeated trials, control, hypothesis—all parts of the scientific method.
