People from ancient times sought to study and explain the objects and phenomena of the world around them and used various methods of studying nature for this. The 5th grade of secondary school is the age when the inquisitiveness of a child is combined with the seriousness of a young researcher.
Nature Science
Natural science is a special area of human activity. Its purpose is to acquire new information about the world and the accumulation of knowledge.
What does it mean to study nature?
Studying nature means studying everything we live next to, everything that surrounds us: plants, birds, animals, humans, weather, climate, earth, sky, space, water, soil, cities, countries.
Which grades begin to learn the methods of studying nature?
Method is the whole range of systematic activities necessary to achieve the desired result.
Children begin to learn about the world around them from birth (pull unfamiliar objects into their mouths, feel, lick, bite), classes are conducted in kindergarten to learn about the world. In elementary school, the methods of studying nature are already slightly affected. Grade 5 is the beginning of a more serious, more detailed, more scientific study.natural sciences.
Natural science: methods of studying nature
Throughout human history, people have explored their environment and made amazing, unexpected discoveries in the process.
Sciences that study nature are united by the word "natural science". This word is decomposed into two bases: "nature" and "knowledge". Modern natural science includes the following areas of scientific knowledge:
- physics;
- chemistry;
- geography;
- astronomy;
- ecology;
- geology;
- astrophysics;
- biology.
Nature Study Methods:
- observation;
- experiments and experiences;
- measurement.
Observation
The main simplest and most accessible, and therefore the most common method of studying nature is observation. In it, all the senses help a person: sight, hearing, smell, touch.
Observation can be direct or indirect. In the first case, the behavior of the object is observed directly, in the second, information is summarized based on the physical signs of completed actions.
With the help of observation, you can study the typical behavior of any kind of animal in its natural conditions or the influence of certain weather conditions on the growth, flowering or fruiting of a certain plant species, in addition, you can study the location and movement of celestial bodies and space objects.
In ancient times generalizationand the comparison of observations formed the so-called signs:
- Larks fly to the heat.
- The cat is sleeping on the floor - wait for the heat.
- Clouds are high - good weather expected.
- Saw a sparrow floundering in the sand - soon it will rain.
- Birches before a rainy summer give a lot of juice.
- High flying geese - to the flood.
- Golden or pink sunset - to clear weather.
- On the eve of bad weather, blood-sucking insects eat their fill, ants hide cocoons with children deeper and seal the exits from the anthill, fireflies go out, and dragonflies rush about randomly, huddled in flocks.
- Trees and other plants smell stronger on the eve of a thunderstorm.
- The frogs croak loudly for clear and hot weather.
In order to draw a useful conclusion from direct or indirect observations, you need to conscientiously process and carefully analyze the data obtained.
Processing and analysis is a generalization, explanation, summation, comparison and comparison of observed phenomena and facts. First, individual observations are analyzed (changes in the amount of precipitation, temperature, pressure, cloudiness, wind speed, quality), after which their results are summarized and compared.
When observing, magnifying instruments are often used: magnifying glass, microscope, binoculars, telescope.
Experiments and experiences
Confirmation of scientific facts often requires certain conditions, and it is not always possible to wait for these conditionsin a natural way, and then a scientific experiment comes to our aid, during which the required conditions are reproduced artificially.
So, experiments (or experiments) are carried out by scientists in the laboratory. In the course of this kind of research, the experimenter himself reproduces various conditions or natural phenomena. For example, using this method of research, you can find out what happens to an object in the process of heating or, conversely, cooling or freezing.
Measurements
Both in the course of observations and during experiments, researchers have to make various kinds of measurements. They measure temperature, humidity, pressure, speed, duration, force, area, capacity, power, volume, mass. Measurements are made using special tools. This is:
- thermometer;
- scales;
- telescope;
- microscope;
- weather vane;
- hygrometer;
- barometer;
- voltmeter;
- ammeter;
- force meter;
- weather satellite;
- tonometer;
- lactometer;
- glucometer;
- cloudmeter;
- weather balloon;
- roulette;
- level;
- compass;
- protractor;
- ruler;
- tailor's meter;
- measuring cylinder;
- beaker;
- stopwatch;
- clock;
- height meter.
By the way, a special branch of science, metrology, deals with measurements.
Summarizing the results of observations, experiments and experiences
When the processing of observations, experiments or experiments is completed, their results are recorded in the form:
- texts;
- tables;
- schemes;
- charts;
- diagrams.
The goal and objectives, means and methods are written in the report, all participants in the research are listed, data on the conditions are recorded, then the results obtained with a detailed description and confirmation of the actual data.
Method differences
The main difference between observation and experiment is that the first method describes the phenomenon, and the second explains it.
So, we got acquainted with several methods of studying nature: observation, experiment and measurement.
