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The Scientific Method made simple

© Angela Plumb

If you open any science textbook, you will find a section on the "Scientific Method". In the lower grades, it is Chapter One; later on, it gets relegated to an appendix. To many students, this ordered series of steps in which we "do" science dictates what science is - methodical, repetitive and structured. I am often greeted with glazed eyes and gaping mouths when students are introduced to words like "hypothesis" and "conclusion". I can also see the images forming in their minds of a scientist in a sterile lab, wearing a pristine white coat and big goggles, surrounded by test tubes and caged mice.

In reality, we are applying the scientific method in our everyday lives. We need to emphasize that the scientific method is nothing new, and we need to demystify this process by having children realize how basic problem solving is related to the scientific method.

Why do we teach the scientific method? When I first started teaching, I wanted every one of my students to become a chemist or a biologist, and to love science as much as I did. With experience, I changed that goal and decided to nurture my students' natural curiosity and help them develop an appreciation for the world around them. The scientific method puts into words and steps what people have been doing all along - coming up with an idea, trying it out, modifying what doesn't work and trying it again. It presents the very basics of problem solving - whether your problem involves nuclear physics or your car engine.

Here is a breakdown of the scientific method:

1) Purpose
This means "WHY are you doing this?" and "WHAT do you want to find out?" Possible answers include "What are the subatomic particles that make up a neutron?", "To make orange juice to quench my thirst" and "How do I get whites whiter and colors brighter?". While we may not phrase a purpose statement for everything we do, we usually have a reason for our actions and that's the first step in the scientific method.

2) Hypothesis
A hypothesis is an educated guess or a prediction to the outcome of our actions (our "experiment", if you will). If my purpose is to get my teeth clean by brushing, then my hypothesis is that after brushing, that gooey residue on my molars will be removed. If I'm testing the acidity of lake water, then I must take into account the soil type, the weather and the proximity of industrial pollution sources when I formulate my hypothesis.

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