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Differences between physical and chemical changes

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Form, shape and substance are just some of the ways to distinguish a substance or material.

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Properties of Matter: Matter's Physical Properties

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Properties of Matter: Matter's Physical Properties

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Properties of Matter: Matter’s Physical Properties | PBS NC Science | PBS LearningMedia

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Some properties of matter, such as solubility, describe how matter physically changes, while others, such as mass or volume, simply provide the matter’s measurements. Watch this video to find out more about the different ways of describing and measuring matter.

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Unit 2, Segment A: Properties of Matter | Chemistry Matters | PBS LearningMedia

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In this segment, our students learn about physical properties of matter using the densities of pennies as a model.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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If you want to jump to the good stuff, you can download your free scientific method worksheet (with several templates!).

Now, whether you're a parent or a teacher (or a fellow human being...) you've most likely heard of the scientific method. You've likely even used it to perform some research and experimentation in your heyday (i.e. high school days).

Whether you were passionate or not about this whole science thing, you had to admit the scientific process worked!

Going from mere observation to potentially discovering something new is fascinating. Heck, most times (especially in an academic setting) it was more about proving something to yourself. For a child, whose mind is in a constant state of exploration and imagination, there's no better process to teach than the scientific method (OK, maybe also the engineering design process).

This post will serve to get you brushed up on the scientific method. You will find a scientific method worksheet (of three variations) I've put together. You will also find links and videos that will help you perform a science experiment and teach the concepts to kids of all ages!

What is the Scientific Method?

The scientific method at its core is a way of gathering information about the world around us. Scientists use the scientific method to test their ideas and theories about how things work. It is the most commonly used process for finding out if something is true.

Why Use the Scientific Method?

Scientists and researchers use the scientific method to make sure that their research is accurate. It does this by allowing us to gather evidence and use logical reasoning.

Other benefits being...

It helps researchers find out if their hypothesis was correct or not. It ensures that the results are not biased by personal beliefs or opinions.

It is a way for scientists to make new discoveries, improve existing theories, or refute them.

It is a process for developing, understanding, and documenting new knowledge.

It helps scientists figure out how things work, why they happen, and even what will happen in the future.

Steps of the Scientific Method

(Click to download the poster)

This is more of an informal first step. You are to make observations on something in nature, such as a rock or an animal, and take careful notes about what you see. Here, you also do research to gain knowledge about the problem and to identify possible solutions.

Identify a single problem or ask a single question based on the observation. Is there a way to improve what you've observed?

This is where you make educated guesses or predictions about what might happen when you experiment with this object. Pick one guess, because this is what is known as the hypothesis. In other words, it's an educated guess about how something works or why something happens in nature.

For example, if you wanted to know how plants grow, you might hypothesize that plants need water, soil, sunlight, and air. Bear in mind, a hypothesis needs to be testable in order to form a definitive conclusion.

Test your hypothesis. Make sure to only change one variable in your experiment during each attempt - this is known as controlled variables. Keep everything else (i.e. all other variables) the same during the experiment.

Time for some data collection and data analysis. Look at the results of your experiment and try to figure out what it all means. Document your findings.

In this last step, we draw conclusions. If your experiment did not support the hypothesis, that's okay. This does not mean it was a bad experiment.

After completing the first experiment, you may need a completely new hypothesis. This is your chance to refine your hypothesis and plan a new experiment. Even if your conclusion does back up your hypothesis, you might take an entirely new path you want to explore.

Another large part of a science experiment is communication. You want to communicate your discovery by writing a paper. This allows others to replicate your experiment and understand it from top to bottom.

The Scientific Method in Action

Let's now walk through an example to see how exactly each step in the scientific method works.

1. Observation: In this first step, John notices that his bathroom faucet has spots of a green-like substance.

2. Question: What can he do to get rid of it?

3. Hypothesis: He first thinks vinegar might help. But one of his friends suggests spraying orange juice. John thinks orange juice might work because of its acidic properties. So that's what he goes with as his hypotheses.

4. Experiment: John gets to testing his hypotheses by spraying orange juice over the green substance on the faucet. He waits for 1 hour before washing it down.

5. Results Analysis: John finds that the orange juice did nothing to remove the green substance.

6. Conclusion: John can safely determine that his hypothesis was wrong. Orange juice does not remove the green stuff on the faucet.

John will now try his original idea and carry out the experiment by spraying vinegar. He will repeat all steps starting from the hypothesis. He can continue to try different solutions until a hypothesis is proven to be correct.

Download Scientific Method Example Worksheet

Here are a few free scientific method worksheet templates your kids or students can use. They are deliberately designed to be different from each other. Pick the one most suitable for your teaching style and let the kids get busy experimenting!

Other Resources

Videos

There's no better learning medium than video - just ask your kids! It draws and keeps attention for a much longer period of time than any book can. Here are some engaging videos to get a basic understanding of the scientific method.

The Scientific Method Song (by Jack Hartmann - 3:45 minutes)

Children learn the scientific method faster with this catchy acronym using the first letter of each step. Teachers can use this incredible song in class to motivate kids. The rhythm, lyrics, and catchy tune make them quickly learn it and want to sing it over and over again.

The Steps of the Scientific Method for Kids (by Free School - 3:15 minutes)

In this short, easy-to-follow video you learn the basic definition of the scientific method and how it helps. Then it goes through all the steps and what needs to be done in each step.

Guided Discovery "The Scientific Method" (by BrainPOP Jr. - 7:49 minutes)

A nicely animated video with a very engaging introduction. If your kids love stories then this one is perfect as it explains the scientific method in a story-driven manner.

The scientific method (by Teacher's Pet - 4:05 minutes)

Short but packed with concise and relevant examples. It also provides tips on how to carry out each step.

The Scientific Method: Steps, Examples, Tips, and Exercise (by Sprouts - 8:38 minutes)

As the title and the length of the video implies, this one has you covered. With engaging animations and examples, your kids will get a better grasp of all the individual steps and how they relate to one another. This one is better suited for the older kids around or over the age of 10.

Scientific Method Worksheets & Books

You can find plenty of quality scientific method worksheets and exercises online (free or paid).

Free Scientific Method Worksheet Resources

Paid Resources

TeachersPayTeachers is a great resource to find a plethora of scientific method worksheets, lesson plans, and activities. It's also a great way to support teachers while helping your kids understand and learn! You can find something for first grade to older students.

Amazon is another good resource for books and activities that you won't otherwise find online.

Wrapping it up

The scientific method of examining facts is not peculiar to one class of phenomena and to one class of workers; it is applicable to social as well as to physical problems, and we must carefully guard ourselves against supposing that the scientific frame of mind is a peculiarity of the professional scientist."- Karl Pearson

The resources and information in this post should be more than enough to get you jump-started in implementing your own science experiments with your kids.

Besides its hands-on nature, the scientific method can also act as a way to re-affirm science principles and theories. You know, the ones you have a hard time explaining or getting through to the kids. It also has all the characteristics of a perfect STEM-based activity. One that can actually and potentially be used in the future in all its glory.

With the scientific method in their arsenal, your kids can take on those previously-dreaded science projects with confidence and enthusiasm!

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Scientific Method Worksheet & Example for Kids - STEM Smartly

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If you want to jump to the good stuff, you can download your free scientific method worksheet (with several templates!).

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Using Chemical and Physical Properties in the Real World

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Using Chemical and Physical Properties in the Real World

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Chemical and Physical Properties of Matter-1

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Chemical and Physical Properties Explained

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Chemical and Physical Properties Explained

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Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter and energy. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Matter can be described in terms of physical properties and …