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SOIL, FOOD AND SOCIETY
He Oneone, he Kai me te Hāpori
Scientific investigations
What is it?
A scientific investigation is the way scientists organise things to help them understand and show others what they think is happening.
What is it for?
The aim of scientific investigations is to help understand what is happening. Scientific investigations do not prove something is right or wrong, they help build our understanding based on observations or evidence.
How does it work?
A scientific investigation begins with a question about why something is happening. Based on their observations, scientists propose a hypothesis to explain why or how something they have seen is happening.
How do I do a scientific investigation?
Observe, think about and discuss something you have seen that you do not understand. Then, based on what you see and think, propose a reason why you think what you have seen is happening. This is your hypothesis.
• A hypothesis can be tested by asking scientific questions.
• Test your scientific questions through observing, measuring, describing and classifying.
• Evaluate your findings. Do they support your hypothesis?
• Publish your results.
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