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Chapter 1 Grade 6
Chapter 1 Grade 6 Lessons 1, 3
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| scientific inquiry | the ongoing process of discovery in science; the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on evidence they gather |
| hypothesis | a possible answer for a set of observations or answers to a scientific question; must be testable |
| variable | a factor that can change in an experiment |
| independent variable | the one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment; also called manipulated variable |
| dependent variable | the factor that changes as a result of the changes to the independent variable in an experiment; also called responding variable |
| controlled experiment | an experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time |
| data | facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations |
| scientific theory | a well tested explanation for a wide range of observations and experimental results |
| scientific law | a statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions |
| science | a way of learning about the natural world through observations and logical reasoning |
| observing | the process of using one or more of your senses to gather information |
| quantitative observation | an observation that deals with a number or amount |
| qualitative observation | an observation that deals with characteristics that cannot be expressed in numbers |
| inferring | the process of making an inference, an interpretation based on observations and prior knowledge |
| predicting | the process of forecasting what will happen in the future based on past experiences or evidence |
| classifying | the process of grouping together of items that are alike in some way |
| making models | the process of creating representations of complex objects or processes |
| evaluating | comparing observations and data to reach a conclusion about them |
| scientific investigation | the process by which a scientist asks a question about the natural world, collects and analyzes data to help answer that question, and communicates the results with the scientific community |