The Scientific Method and the Fortune Telling Fish

Observations:

1. Open your fortune telling fish and observe what happens when you place it in the palm of your hand. What does the envelope say this means about your personality?

Scientific Thinking

One criteria is scientific thought is that all phenomena have NATURAL CAUSES, or some kind of natural (not supernatural) explanation.

2. Discuss with your team some natural causes that could explain the fish’s movements. Suggest at least two possible causes:

Design an Experiment

Choose one of the causes you suggested and describe how you could test this. You will have some basic supplies that are common to a lab to test your hypothesis.

3. Briefly describe how you plan to conduct your experiment.

Analysis

Describe the outcome of your experiment. Does the variable you tested account for the fish’s movements? How do you know?

*If your results were inconclusive, revise your experiment or test the other variables that might be causing the fish to move.

Other Resources on the Scientific Method and Phenomena

Sponge Capsules – quick lab using capsules and water (toys) to collect data on how fast the “animals” grow

Investigation – Heat Storage and Loss – Use a jar and different types of insulation to explore how heat is lost and which materials are better insulators (Key, TpT)

Sponge Animals: Growing Insects – this lab grows sponge animals, graphs and calculates the growth rate (slope of line)

Mystery Eggs – students use the scientific method to guess how many nails are hidden inside plastic eggs

Saving Sam – using paperclips rescue Sam, the gummy worm by putting a life preserver on him