1
HANDOUT
GEN. ED. SCIENCE
PREPARED BY: EARSHAD B. B ANJAL, LPT , MAED- TS 1
BASIC CONCEPTS
I. Definition of Science
a. Science (etymology: Latin scire – to know) is an organized way of knowing or investigating the
world. Its domain is restricted on the observable natural world.2
b. Science is a way to teach how something gets to be known, what is not known, to what extent
things are known (for nothing is known absolutely), how to handle doubt and uncertainty, what
the rules of evidence are, how to think about things so that judgments can be made, how to
distinguish truth from fraud, and from show.3
c. Science is a system where we discover and record physical phenomena. It is a process whereby
man seeks to understand the world and the universe through scientific theories proven by
practical experiments.
d. Science is the collective findings of human about nature, and a process of gathering and
organizing knowledge about nature.4
II. What are the Major Divisions of Science?5
a. Natural Sciences – the study of natural phenomena (including cosmological, geological, chemical,
and biological factors of the universe)
b. Social Sciences – the systematic study of human behavior and society
c. Formal Sciences – the study of mathematics and logic, which use an a priori, as opposed to factual,
methodology
III. What are the Branches of Science as Natural Science?
a. Physical Sciences – study of non-living things (systems), such as but not limited to:
i. Chemistry – the study of matter, its properties, how and why substances combine or
separate to form other substances, and how substances interact with energy
ii. Physics – study of matter and energy and their relationship
iii. Earth Sciences – study of the Earth, such as but not limited to:
1. Geology – study of the Earth, including the materials that it is made of, the physical
and chemical processes that occur on its surface and in its interior, and the history of
the planet and its life forms
2. Meteorology – study of the day to day condition of the atmosphere
3. Oceanography – the study of the ocean, its properties and its characteristics
iv. Astronomy – study of celestial objects and processes, the physics, chemistry, and evolution
of such objects and processes, and more generally all phenomena that originate outside the
atmosphere of Earth
b. Life Sciences – study of living things, such as but not limited to:
i. Biology – study of life, its nature and viii. Evolutionary biology – study of how
characteristics populations change over time
ii. Botany – general study of plants ix. Anatomy – parts and structures of
iii. Zoology – general study of animals living organisms
iv. Microbiology – study of x. Physiology – study of how parts and
microorganisms structures of living organisms
v. Ecology – interaction of living things function
and the environment xi. Entomology – insects
vi. Genetics – heredity and genes xii. Ichthyology – fish
vii. Taxonomy – naming and xiii. Ornithology – birds
classification of living things xiv. Paleontology – fossils
xv. Histology – tissues
1
The author is a graduate of BS Biology major in General Biology from the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP - Obrero, Davao City), earned his teaching
units at Brokenshire College of Davao, and has units in master’s degree in MAEd Teaching General Science in Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc. and Bachelor of
, 2
xvi. Embryology – growth and xvii. Herpetology – reptiles and
development amphibians
xviii. Mycology – fungi
IV. What is Applied Science?6 – technology
a. Technology is the application of science in everyday life.
b. Technology can be a product or a process.
c. Technology lets humans use that knowledge for practical purposes, and it provides the
instruments scientists need to conduct their investigations.
d. Applied in robotics, computing, and teleconferencing
V. The Scientific Methodology7 - in the 11th and 16th Century, Alhazen and Galileo were the first
to formalize a particular method for doing science; Francis Bacon (1573) is the Father of
Scientific Method.
a. A systematic way to answer scientific questions and present the results to the scientific community
b. A logical way in which a scientist goes about trying to solve a problem
c. A logical and orderly procedure and investigation leading to the discovery of facts and the
relationships that exist between facts 8
d. The Heart of Science is Scientific Method.9
e. What are the steps in Scientific Method? 10
i. Observing and Asking Questions
1. Observing – the use of the fundamental “five” senses in investigating a natural
phenomenon
2. Questions are scientific and logical problems. Both processes lead to inductive
reasoning.
3. Preliminary data are gathered in this stage.
ii. Forming a Hypothesis
1. What is a Hypothesis? – an educated guess, or a temporary answer to the problem;
hypothesis is deductive by nature
a. Example format: If <condition>, then <inference>.
iii. Designing Controlled Experiments (or an experiment where there is only one independent
variable), which consists of factors such as:
1. Variables (in an experiment)
a. Independent variable – the variable which is intentionally changed or
manipulated by the experimenter; the variable that is tested; also called as
manipulated variable
b. Dependent variable – the variable that is observed and measured; the factor
that changes in response to the independent variable; also called as responding
variable
c. Controlled variables – the condition/objects that must be the same or uniform
for all groups and set-ups throughout the experiment; also called as constant
variable
2. Groups (in an experiment)
a. Experimental group – a set of experimental subjects with an independent
variable
b. Control group – a set of experimental subjects untreated or unexposed to
independent variable
iv. Collecting and Analyzing Data, for which the data are either:
1. Quantitative data – numerical data obtained by counting or measuring
2. Qualitative data – descriptive data and characteristics that cannot be counted
v. Drawing Conclusions – conclusions may or may not support the hypothesis, may even modify
or revise it
vi. Communicating Results11 - publishing and reporting the results or conclusions to the
community
6
Supra, see Hewitt, P. et al. (2012), p. 9.
HANDOUT
GEN. ED. SCIENCE
PREPARED BY: EARSHAD B. B ANJAL, LPT , MAED- TS 1
BASIC CONCEPTS
I. Definition of Science
a. Science (etymology: Latin scire – to know) is an organized way of knowing or investigating the
world. Its domain is restricted on the observable natural world.2
b. Science is a way to teach how something gets to be known, what is not known, to what extent
things are known (for nothing is known absolutely), how to handle doubt and uncertainty, what
the rules of evidence are, how to think about things so that judgments can be made, how to
distinguish truth from fraud, and from show.3
c. Science is a system where we discover and record physical phenomena. It is a process whereby
man seeks to understand the world and the universe through scientific theories proven by
practical experiments.
d. Science is the collective findings of human about nature, and a process of gathering and
organizing knowledge about nature.4
II. What are the Major Divisions of Science?5
a. Natural Sciences – the study of natural phenomena (including cosmological, geological, chemical,
and biological factors of the universe)
b. Social Sciences – the systematic study of human behavior and society
c. Formal Sciences – the study of mathematics and logic, which use an a priori, as opposed to factual,
methodology
III. What are the Branches of Science as Natural Science?
a. Physical Sciences – study of non-living things (systems), such as but not limited to:
i. Chemistry – the study of matter, its properties, how and why substances combine or
separate to form other substances, and how substances interact with energy
ii. Physics – study of matter and energy and their relationship
iii. Earth Sciences – study of the Earth, such as but not limited to:
1. Geology – study of the Earth, including the materials that it is made of, the physical
and chemical processes that occur on its surface and in its interior, and the history of
the planet and its life forms
2. Meteorology – study of the day to day condition of the atmosphere
3. Oceanography – the study of the ocean, its properties and its characteristics
iv. Astronomy – study of celestial objects and processes, the physics, chemistry, and evolution
of such objects and processes, and more generally all phenomena that originate outside the
atmosphere of Earth
b. Life Sciences – study of living things, such as but not limited to:
i. Biology – study of life, its nature and viii. Evolutionary biology – study of how
characteristics populations change over time
ii. Botany – general study of plants ix. Anatomy – parts and structures of
iii. Zoology – general study of animals living organisms
iv. Microbiology – study of x. Physiology – study of how parts and
microorganisms structures of living organisms
v. Ecology – interaction of living things function
and the environment xi. Entomology – insects
vi. Genetics – heredity and genes xii. Ichthyology – fish
vii. Taxonomy – naming and xiii. Ornithology – birds
classification of living things xiv. Paleontology – fossils
xv. Histology – tissues
1
The author is a graduate of BS Biology major in General Biology from the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP - Obrero, Davao City), earned his teaching
units at Brokenshire College of Davao, and has units in master’s degree in MAEd Teaching General Science in Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc. and Bachelor of
, 2
xvi. Embryology – growth and xvii. Herpetology – reptiles and
development amphibians
xviii. Mycology – fungi
IV. What is Applied Science?6 – technology
a. Technology is the application of science in everyday life.
b. Technology can be a product or a process.
c. Technology lets humans use that knowledge for practical purposes, and it provides the
instruments scientists need to conduct their investigations.
d. Applied in robotics, computing, and teleconferencing
V. The Scientific Methodology7 - in the 11th and 16th Century, Alhazen and Galileo were the first
to formalize a particular method for doing science; Francis Bacon (1573) is the Father of
Scientific Method.
a. A systematic way to answer scientific questions and present the results to the scientific community
b. A logical way in which a scientist goes about trying to solve a problem
c. A logical and orderly procedure and investigation leading to the discovery of facts and the
relationships that exist between facts 8
d. The Heart of Science is Scientific Method.9
e. What are the steps in Scientific Method? 10
i. Observing and Asking Questions
1. Observing – the use of the fundamental “five” senses in investigating a natural
phenomenon
2. Questions are scientific and logical problems. Both processes lead to inductive
reasoning.
3. Preliminary data are gathered in this stage.
ii. Forming a Hypothesis
1. What is a Hypothesis? – an educated guess, or a temporary answer to the problem;
hypothesis is deductive by nature
a. Example format: If <condition>, then <inference>.
iii. Designing Controlled Experiments (or an experiment where there is only one independent
variable), which consists of factors such as:
1. Variables (in an experiment)
a. Independent variable – the variable which is intentionally changed or
manipulated by the experimenter; the variable that is tested; also called as
manipulated variable
b. Dependent variable – the variable that is observed and measured; the factor
that changes in response to the independent variable; also called as responding
variable
c. Controlled variables – the condition/objects that must be the same or uniform
for all groups and set-ups throughout the experiment; also called as constant
variable
2. Groups (in an experiment)
a. Experimental group – a set of experimental subjects with an independent
variable
b. Control group – a set of experimental subjects untreated or unexposed to
independent variable
iv. Collecting and Analyzing Data, for which the data are either:
1. Quantitative data – numerical data obtained by counting or measuring
2. Qualitative data – descriptive data and characteristics that cannot be counted
v. Drawing Conclusions – conclusions may or may not support the hypothesis, may even modify
or revise it
vi. Communicating Results11 - publishing and reporting the results or conclusions to the
community
6
Supra, see Hewitt, P. et al. (2012), p. 9.
