2010 Virginia Science SOL

The Nature of Science

Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.

UNDERSTANDABLE

THE NATURAL WORLD IS

The Natural World is Understandable

The natural world is understandable through the careful collection and analysis of data .

Every discipline in modern science has derived its laws, principles, standards, and theories through this process.

EVIDENCE

SCIENCE DEMANDS

Science Demands Evidence

Scientific knowledge involves a combination of observations and inferences.

Scientists use data to make inferences and formulate explanations of phenomena.

Data can be obtained through experimentation or observation.

Scientific methodology Scientists apply various methods in

doing research.There is no universally accepted

“scientific method” agreed upon by the scientific community.

Science does demand that evidence be collected and analyzed.

LOGIC AND IMAGINATIONSCIENCE IS A BLEND OF

Science is a Blend of Logic and Imagination Scientific knowledge involves human

imagination, creativity, and inference. Much of the science is governed by the

ability and creativity of scientists to visualize different situations and predict outcomes.

DURABLE

SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IS

Scientific Knowledge is DurableScientific ideas are continually

tested. Ideas that are able to withstand the

time and testing form the foundations of our current understandings of the natural world and how it functions.

Theories and lawsTheories and laws are two different types of knowledge used by scientists to describe natural phenomena. They are equal in terms of scientific validity.

Theories are generally used to explain complex natural processes.

Laws use mathematical formulas to show relationships and make predictions about the natural world.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IS

Scientific Ideas are Subject to ChangeScientists want to be able to explain

the finer points of scientific data. By studying this data scientists may

uncover changes to the data ~ which may change our understanding of the concept.

“The main body of scientific knowledge is very stable and grows by being corrected slowly and having its boundaries extended gradually.”

AVOID BIAS

SCIENTISTS ATTEMPT TO

Scientists Try to Identify and Avoid Bias

Bias is relating your own opinions for or against an argument.

Scientists within the same field must continually try to avoid bias.

There are universally accepted standards within the scientific community to keep scientists from using their bias from determining outcomes.

SOCIAL ACTIVITYSCIENCE IS A COMPLEX

Science is a Complex Social Activity Scientific knowledge is tied to social and cultural factors.

Scientific research is dependent upon financial support, and this can influence - both positively and negatively - which areas are investigated.

The natural world is understandable.Science demands evidence.Science is a blend of logic and

imagination.Scientific knowledge is durable.Scientific knowledge is subject to

change.Scientists attempt to identify and

avoid bias.Science is a complex social activity.

The Nature of Science

All scientific ideas are derived from controlled experiments.

False Scientific ideas change gradually over time.

True When a theory has been thoroughly tested over time, it then becomes a scientific law.

False The scientific method is accepted worldwide as the standard for research.

False

True/False Reactions

Science is based on the premise that, if a natural phenomenon is studied long and hard enough, it can be understood.

True Scientists are objective in their research.

False Hands-on science investigations can easily be used to help students understand the Nature of Science (NOS).

True! Society has little influence scientific research.

False

True/False Reactions