SUBJECT AREA: General Science (7-12)

CONCEPTS COVERED: Scientific Method

MATERIALS:

1. A coffee can which is specially constructed

a) a slanted metal piece attached on the inside to keep water in.

2. A glass of water

PROCEDURE:

1. Hold the coffee can above the observers to ensure that they can not view what is inside.

2. Pour a glass of water directly into the coffee can. Note: do not let observers see inside to coffee can.

3. Tip the can over on the side which will allow no water to spill out of the coffee can.

QUESTIONS:

1. Describe exactly what you observed.

2. Based on your observations, describe or draw what might be in the coffee can.

3. Are you making an educated guess about what occurred?

4. What is the scientific word for making and educated guess?

5. How might you collect further information to support your educated guess?

6. Write down some examples in which scientist have made educated guess about natural events that occur to try to explain what is happening in the world.

RATIONALE:

This demonstration is an excellent way to introduce the Scientific Method because it deals with observing and recording those observations. Furthermore, the students can make an educated guess (hypothesis) about what might be occurring.

Students can also be introduced to the idea that in science there are many wonders that scientist can not fully explain. Scientist can only make observations and try to collect as much information as possible and based on the knowledge they gain from these observations they can hypothesize about what is happening. For example, scientist did not actually see the dinosaurs that lived during the Triassic Period; However, they can predict because of the evidence that was left behind in the fossil record.

It is important to inform the students that even though their educated guess about what was inside the coffee can was correct, that they would have to do millions of test to state that it was because in order for a hypothesis to become a fact or theory an enormous amount of data must be collected to support the hypothesis and millions of tests must have taken place.