Page 180 - Microsoft Word - LessonPlan-Overview.doc
P. 180
asthma, but could make it worse if Controlled Experiments
you already have it.
In an experiment, it is important to
These are all interesting ideas, and make sure that you are really
could lead to a new experiment, testing the thing you mean to test.
but it’s important to realize that we For example, imagine a scientist
have not proven any of these developed a new medication that
things. she thought could treat bronchitis.
All we have proven is that the rates If she tested the medication by
of people with asthma are not giving it to 100 people with
higher in smoggier states. bronchitis, and 90 of them got
getter in three days, does that
mean the medication works?
Communicating Results
Maybe. Or maybe the people
The last step of the scientific
would have gotten better even
method is to communicate your
without the medication. The
results. Whether your hypothesis problem is that we have no way of
was right or wrong, it is important knowing. For that reason, this
to let other scientists know what
experiment is not good. But it can
you have discovered.
be improved.
This will allow them to conduct
What if the scientist took 200
their own experiments based on people, gave 100 of them the
yours. This is how science moves medication, and gave the other
forward. To communicate results,
100 nothing. If 90 of the people
scientists sometimes create web
who got the medication were
sites, give lectures, or write articles better after three days, but only 50
for scientific magazines.
of the 100 people who didn’t get
the medication got better, would
that be proof that the medication
Wow! That was a lot of work just
works.
to answer a question. It’s true that
the scientific method is a lot of Well, we’re getting closer, but
work, and that’s one reason why there is still a problem.
it’s not used in all cases. Even so, Sometimes, people who are getting
understanding this process is medication think they are going to
important because so many get better, so they start to feel
important discoveries have been better, even if the medication is
made in this way. doing nothing! If you don’t believe
© 2011 Supercharged Science www.ScienceLearningSpace.com
582
