What is the Scientific Method?
If you have ever seen something going on and wondered why or how it happened, you have started down the road to discovery. If you continue your journey, you are likely to guess at some of your own answers for your question. Even further along the road you might think of ways to find out if your answers are correct. At this point, whether you know it or not, you are following a path that scientists call the scientific method. If you do some experiments to see if your answer is correct and write down what you learn in a report, you have pretty much completed everything a scientist might do in a laboratory or out in the field when doing research. In fact, the scientific method works well for many things that don’t usually seem so scientific.
Semester will begin with a review of the Scientific Method as we complete a project for Homeschool Science Fair.
Science Projects may be of ANY science category.
Practicing Observations and Wondering How and Why...
It is really hard not to notice things around us and wonder about them. This is how the scientific method begins, by observing and wondering why and how. Why do leaves on trees in many parts of the world turn from green to red, orange, or yellow and fall to the ground when winter comes? How does a spider move around their web without getting stuck like its victims? Both of these questions start with observing something and asking questions. Think about your hobbies and interests and ask yourself, “I wonder why that does that, or how can it do that?”
Students will register with Scienteer at https://www.scienteer.com/register/icanhomeschoolms or https://www.scienteer.com/register/icanhomeschoolhs. Scienteer is an online science fair management software system that works like tax software, designed to guide students through a step by step process, auto-filling forms and documenting student research.

Completed projects will advance to Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This year's fair will be held on February 19 (set up, 12-5pm) -20 (7am –in person fair, 7pm awards), 2019, at the College Park Events Center at the University of Texas at Arlington. Go to http://www.fwrsef.org/index.php for more information.

Try Out Your Detective Skills
After we practice the basics of the scientific method, we will test our reasoning skills by solving mysteries and maybe even catch a murderer.