Science and You Worksheet Part 1:
Read the examples and answer the questions.
Example 1

A team of researchers are working on a project to make a new kind of airplane fuel. During their experiment, there was an explosion that destroyed the lab. While they were cleaning up the debris, they discovered a number of pieces of frozen metal. The scientific community was amazed. The researchers were so excited to report that they had discovered a fuel that burns so hot that it becomes cold. They were not sure of the true importance of their discovery but they knew it was something that had never been seen before. The researchers quickly wrote up a report, created a press release, and applied for a patent. The news spread quickly through the world wide scientific community and soon other scientists were trying to replicate their experiment. Much to the relief of the original team or researchers, no other scientist could ever replicate their find.

Would this example be considered science or pseudoscience? Support your decision with at least three reasons.

Example 2

Researchers at a university want to know if higher levels of nitrogen in fertilizer will increase the production of tomatoes per plant. Twenty plants are given normal levels of nitrogen and twenty other plants are given ten percent higher levels throughout the growing season. The plants receive the same levels of sunlight, water and are planted in the same soil on one farm. At the end of the experiment the average number of tomatoes produced is the same for each group. The scientists repeat the experiment on two additional farms further south that season. The researchers conclude that increasing nitrogen levels by 10% in tomatoes is not beneficial.

Would this be a well-designed, reliable experiment? Support your decision with at least three reasons.

Example 3

There is a new brand of water on the market advertised to relieve headaches. It is selling like crazy! When the Food and Drug Administration asked for scientific proof that the water actually does what it claims to do, the owners of the company produced a scientific research study that they had paid a group of scientists to perform. In the study researchers gave this special water to a group of 50 people who claimed to have a headache. The people drank the special water whenever they felt thirsty over a period of 24 hours. After the 24 hours, 99% of the people reported that their headache was gone.

Should the Food and Drug Administration trust this scientific study and allow the company to sell the water with this claim? Would this be an example of science or pseudoscience? Support your answer with at least three reasons.

Example 4

Two photographers are competing for business in town. Andrea uses only film photography and Keira uses only digital photography. Keira claims that the digital technology is superior, and her advertisement claims that the images can be stored, shared, and copied more easily. They can even be sent long distances using a series of wave pulses to transmit the information. Andrea replies that digital images can be stolen and altered more easily.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, or do both sides have valid points? Support your answer with at least three reasons.

Example 5

The town of Seaside needs to build a new power plant. The old coal burning plant produces too much pollution and is no longer safe. The mayor decides that he will do some research on alternative forms of energy like nuclear power plants and solar power plants.

What types of resources should the mayor use to conduct his research? Why would these be considered reliable sources of information and why? What types of resources are reliable? How can he use what he learns to make the best decision for the town?

Part 2:
Design your own plan for a scientific experiment. You do not have to conduct your experiment.

Choose a topic that you are interested in, and come up with a testable question. Write a procedure so that you could perform an experiment if you wanted to, or someone else could read it and follow the steps. Include all the steps of the scientific method. Since you will not be able to record data or draw a conclusion, for the last two steps please include a description of what each step involves.

Your finished product should include the following:

Experiment Topic:

Experiment Purpose:

Hypothesis:

Identify the independent, dependent, and controlled variables:

These are the materials someone would need if they were going to do this experiment:

Procedures (these are the step by step instructions someone would follow in order to do this experiment):

This is how the experiment uses the scientific method (include all of the steps in the proper sequence):

Conclusion questions:

What measurements or other method of data collection would you use?
How could you form a statement about your hypothesis based on the data?