MyScienceLab

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method is central to all of the Sciences.  Scientists use the SI system for measurement in experiments.

Be a Scientist!
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What are the steps of the Scientific Method?

What is Science?

  • What is the goal of Science?
  • What is a hypothesis?
  •  What are the steps of the process a scientist uses to test a hypothesis?
  • How do scientists share information?
  • Why is it important to work safely in the science lab?
  1. NOTES: Steps of the Scientific Method
  2. DO: What is "Good Science"?
  3. DO: Interactive Tutorial on the Scientific Method
  4. DO: Identifying Controls and Variables
  5. DO: Laboratory Safety Activity
  6. EXPLORE: Scientists in action!

Tools and Procedures

  •  What is the measurement system most scientists use?
  •  Explain how light microscopes and electron microscopes are similar and different.
  1. NOTES:  The metric system 
  2. DO: Tutorial on How to Use a Microscope.  Includes a powerpoint and a quiz on the parts of a microscope.
  3. EXPLORE: Colorized electron micrographs of a variety of organisms.

Studying Life

  •  What are the 8 characteristics of living things?

  • What are the different levels of organization of life?

  1. NOTES:  Levels of Organization for Organisms.

  2. EXPLORE: Here are the common characteristics of life on earth but what about life on other planets?  Explore this website created by students at Astrobiology: The Living Universe.

  3. EXPLORE: Encyclopedia of Life

Biochemistry
The Nature of Matter
  • What are the subatomic particles found in atoms?
  •  Explain how all of the isotopes of an element are similar and how they are different.
  •  Why do chemical compounds form?
  •  What are the different types of chemical bonds?
  1. NOTES: Biochemistry Tutorials - Basic Chemistry necessary for understanding Biology.
  2. DO: Periodic Chart and Bonding Activity Elements combine into compounds in fixed ratios, use this tutorial to practice creating a compound.  Why do elements share or take electrons to form compounds?
  3. EXPLORE: WebElements: Interactive Periodic Table
  4. EXPLORE: Chemical Elements: Better Interactive Periodic Table
  5. EXPLORE: Another Periodic table!

Properties of Water

  •  What does it mean to say the water molecules is polar and why is taht important?
  • What is the difference between solutions and suspensions?
  •  What are acidic solutions and basic solutions?
  1. NOTES: Water Basics from the U.S. Geologic Survey.
  2. DO: The Chemistry of Water - Brief overview of basic water chemistry.
  3. DO: Water Properties and Behavior- Read through this page and watch the animations then take the quiz to see what you have learned!
  4. DO: Hydrogen Bonds and Water - Short animation on hydrogen bonds and water
  5. DO: Salt Dissolving in Water Short animation on how water disolves.
  6. DO: Animation of the water molecule in action! 
  7. EXPLORE: National Science Foundation - The Chemistry of Water
  8. EXPLORE: The Water Cycle- Learn how water moves throughout the biosphere.

Carbon Compounds

  • What are the functions of each group of organic compounds?
  1. DO: Short Animation- Find out what makes carbon so unique 
  2. DO: Tutorial on biochemistry online activity: Building Biomolecules
  3. DO: Tutorial on the four Biomolecules of life: Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids.
  4. DO: Food Preservation Tutorial Quiz -View standard or full screen versions

Chemical Reactions and Enzymes

  •  How do chemical reactions affect chemical bonds in compounds?
  •  How can energy changes affect how easily a chemical reaction will occur?
  •  Why are enzymes important to living things?
  1. NOTES: Read more about how enzymes work.
  2. DO: Basic Tutorial on Enzymes
  3. DO: Interactive tutorial on how the enzyme-substrate complex lower activation energy to speed up chemical reactions.
  4. DO: Enzyme Animations - Use these animations to help you learn how enzymes work. Learn about the different factors that can affect enzyme function.
  5. LAB ACTIVITY: Enzyme Catalysis
  6. EXPLORE: Interactive Tutorial on Enzymes and Digestion.
Toxicology
  • What is Toxicology?
  • Can you explain the relationship between dose and response?
  • What makes a substance toxic?
  1. DO: Toxicology Tutorial- Discover ways chemicals can affect human health and develop an understading of fundamental principles of toxicology.
  2. DO: National Institute of Health Toxicology Website: Chemicals, the Environment, and You Student Activities

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