Summary
Teaches the scientific method principle of controlling variables — only changing one thing at a time in an experiment — using a bowling ball analogy to show why uncontrolled variables produce untrustworthy results.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What is a variable in a science experiment?
- What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable?
- Why would an experiment with two changing variables produce untrustworthy results?
- What would you keep constant in an experiment testing whether plant height depends on the amount of water it receives?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: variable, independent variable, dependent variable, control, isolate, experiment.
Try it: Design a simple experiment: does the height a ball is dropped from affect how high it bounces? Write your independent variable, dependent variable, and three things you would hold constant.