Thursday, January 10, 2008
The scientific method is not just something that you learn in grade school in order to pass science class. The scientific method is something that all of us use on a daily basis in order to make sense of the world around us. The scientific method is basically the process that we go through in our minds to ask questions and find answers. The scientific method roughly follows the following pattern:
1. The first step is to make an observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena. In other words, you observe a problem or a question and define exactly what the issue is in order to make more sense of it.
2. Formulation of a hypothesis to explain the phenomena. A hypothesis is a theory or an idea of how something can be worked out or how a problem can be solved. Through the process of the scientific method you will work to prove that your hypothesis is in fact true.
3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena. In some cases your hypothesis is part of a sequence of events and you are curious to see how altering a specific occurrence will alter the overall result of a process. Your goal is to predict quantitatively (meaning with physical evidence) the results of new observations.
4. Now you take action. You perform a series of experimental tests of the predictions/hypotheses. With more complicated scientific experiments (not necessarily anything that your child will encounter in their schooling) several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments are meticulously planned and carried out. In the case of a child’s science project or simple day-to-day use of the scientific method, the process of experimentation is much cruder. You can test your ideas in a matter of seconds in some cases and many of the testing that we all do is done mentally and in our homes, schools, or workplace, not in a laboratory.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies between theory and experiment and/or observation. In other words, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try again.’ Many times our initial theories or predictions of what might happen in an experiment are wrong. There is no shame in guessing wrong. What is important is that you continue trying to formulate new ideas and solutions until you find a hypothesis that works.
The scientific method is not as complicated as you may think, and it is important that your child be using the basic outline of the scientific principle in his or her daily life. For example, say that your child is drinking juice from a plastic cup and notices that a puddle has formed under the cup. What should your child do? A child without an understanding of the scientific method is stuck and may call on a parent to just solve the problem for them. On the other hand, when a child understands how to solve problems the situation can be controlled without parental intervention. A child with an understanding of the scientific method may follow the following steps:
1. Identify the problem: There is a puddle of juice underneath my cup.
2. Form a hypothesis: Maybe there is a hole or crack in my cup.
3. What other phenomena are present with this hypothesis: If there is a hole or crack in my cup it should still be leaking until the juice is gone.
4. Take action: lift the cup off the table and see where the drips are coming from, find the location of the crack.
5. Repeat the process if hypothesis is not proved: I didn’t see a hole or a crack, maybe it is just water condensing on the outside of the cup.
6. Repeat the process to see if water is in fact forming on the outside of the cup.
Just Science Projects is one of the leading online sources for science projects for kids websites. Visit Just Science Projects for fun elementary and middle school science experiments and science fair guides. Visit Just Science Projects or call 206-498-6502 today!
Teach Your Child To Analyze With Science Projects
Teaching scientific principles is not something that parents should leave to the schools and the educators of their children. Science holds principles that children use all the time, not just when they are in school. Teaching your child to analyze with science projects can help them learn how to better analyze the everyday world around them. Through this type of analysis children are encouraged to ask questions, find answers and explore possibilities.
Teach your child to analyze with science projects through using the scientific method
Your child can learn to analyze their science projects through a process called the scientific method. The scientific method is a process that outlines how you can scientifically answer questions. Below are some steps to the scientific method:
1. Observe what is happening (what’s the problem or question?)
2. Predict what might happen (make a guess as to what might solve the problem)
3. Test predictions under controlled conditions to see if they are correct (experiment to see if your guess was right)
4. Make sense of our observations (was your guess right? If not what can you try differently in your next experiment?)
Remember that science isn’t always just about test tubes and lab coats. Science is in everything that we do and the scientific method can be used to determine solutions for any type of problem that we are faced with. As you teach your children this process of analyzing through their school science projects you are doing more than helping him or her to get a good grade in a class. You are teaching and helping your children to learn how to figure out problems and find solutions on their own. Analytical skills are vital principles to learn as they can help your child in the detection of danger and in sensing when something is not right.
Teach your child by example
Of course it is important to teach your child to analyze when they are doing certain science projects, but you can also expand their understanding by making sure that science projects are done as activities in the home and not just required school work. Show your enthusiasm for science and learning and your attitude will rub off on your child. Children learn mostly by example. Do not let scientific principle and learning be a strange concept in your home. Constantly strive to blur the line between school and home by having learning play an intricate part in your children’s day.
When you don’t know, look to the experts for help. Sometimes children will ask a question that you are not familiar with. Make sure that when this happens that you have resources for information. Teachers, textbooks and internet information searches provide a great deal of resources for continual learning even if you are a parent.
Have reliable sources for ideas.
There are many excellent examples of online resource for school projects. You can find ideas and assistance for science projects in earth, life, and physical science for children in elementary and middle school. You can browse through the many different project options available and either choose to have the more detailed project information sent to you or you can download the information that you need to get started on a project right away.
Just Science Projects is a great source for ideas about science experiments for kids . Whether you're looking to teach a child to learn to analyze from science experiments , science projects, or science fair ideas make it great fun. Visit JustScienceProjects.com or call us at 206-498-6502.
How Doing Science Projects Are A Great Way To Spend Time With Your Child
There are many ways you can spend your time. There is also many ways your children can spend there time. Such as playing video games, watching T.V, or listening to music. Sometimes those are great things to do. But wouldn’t you rather have your kids doing something more educational? Here are some reasons on how doing science projects are a great way to spend time with your children.
Doing science projects are a great way to spend time with your child because they give you time to interact with your child. It helps you get to know what your child is interested in and what they are not interested in. Doing science projects are a good way to spark up conversations with your child.
Doing science projects are a great way to spend time with your child because it helps them learn about science. You are your child’s greatest teacher. Your child looks up to you and cares about what you have to say. When you take something they are interested in, and use practical application by doing a science project, not only do you spend quality time with them, but you spark their interest, and get them on a path to learning.
Doing science projects together will also help you see where your child is struggling and needs improvement and what they are really good at. Doing science project is a fun way to help your child learn and feel like they are getting one on one attention with you that they need. For example you could take your child on a nature walk. Not only will you be getting your child out of the house it will also give you and your child the chance to discover new things about nature and what it has to offer. You can then discuss with each other the different things each of you can see, identify how they work in nature and what they contribute to nature. This is a good way to spend the afternoon and to get your child more involved.
Doing science projects with a teenager might be a little more difficult but well worth the try. Being a teenager is a hard thing sometimes and raising a teenager is an even harder thing to do. Being able to do a science project together will help you interact without wanting to be at each others throats. Most teenagers will not want to do a science project right off the bat. They might think that they have better things to do with their time. So make sure to find something that you think might spark and interest, or do something that they have shown an interested in. For example maybe if you have heard in the news that a historical building is being torn down and you teenage child has shown interest in it, go take your teenager to see it. Then you can go back and together research things and then discuss together about what you have both found. This will be a great way to show how structural buildings have changed and for what reason building have to be torn down. Talk about how this applies to science. This will help build interaction between you and your child.
There are also little experiments that you can do with all ages of kids. Just little ones can spark interest and can be a good thing for your child. Science projects are great ways to have your child get involved and feel like they are having fun and learning. Children of all ages can take many things away from doing science projects and will remember them for years to come. Doing science projects can help them for years to come. These are ways of how science projects are a great way to spend time with your child.
Just Science Projects is one of the leading science projects for kids websites. Visit Just Science Projects for fun elementary and middle school science experiments and science fair guides. Visit Just Science Projects or call 206-498-6502 today!
|