Since ancient times, people have sought to study and explain the objects and phenomena of the world around them and have used various methods of studying nature for this. Grade 5 of high school is the age when the inquisitiveness of a child is combined with the seriousness of a young researcher.
Science of nature
Natural science is a special area of human activity. Its purpose is the acquisition of new information about the world and the accumulation of knowledge.
What does it mean to study nature?
To study nature means to study everything near which we live, everything that surrounds us: plants, birds, animals, humans, weather, climate, earth, sky, space, water, soil, cities, countries.
In what class do methods of studying nature begin to learn?
The method is the whole range of systematic measures necessary to achieve the desired result.
Kids begin to learn the world around them from birth (they drag unfamiliar objects into their mouths, feel, lick, bite), and classes in knowledge of the world are conducted in kindergarten. 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 of the natural sciences.
Natural History: Methods of Studying Nature
Throughout the history of mankind, people have studied what surrounds them, and in the process they have made amazing, unexpected discoveries.
The sciences studying nature are united by the word "natural science". This word is decomposed into two foundations: "nature" and "knowledge." The following areas of scientific knowledge are included in modern natural science:
- physics;
- chemistry;
- geography;
- astronomy;
- ecology;
- geology;
- astrophysics;
- biology.
Methods of studying nature:
- observation;
- experiments and experiments;
- 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 the person: sight, hearing, smell, touch.
Observation can be direct and indirect. In the first case, the behavior of the object is observed directly, in the second, the information is summarized based on the physical signs of the completed actions.
Using observation, you can study the typical behavior of a certain type of animal in natural conditions for it or the influence of certain weather conditions on the growth, flowering or fruiting of a certain type of plant, in addition, you can study the location and movement of celestial bodies and space objects.
In ancient times, the generalization and comparison of observations was formed in the so-called signs:
- Larks fly to the heat.
- The cat is sleeping on the floor - wait for the heat.
- The clouds are floating high - good weather is expected.
- I saw a sparrow floundering in the sand - it will soon rain.
- Birch trees give a lot of juice before rainy summers.
- High flying geese - to the flood.
- Golden or pink sunset - to clear weather.
- On the eve of bad weather, blood-sucking insects eat enough, ants hide cocoons with children deeper and seal exits from the anthill, fireflies go out, and dragonflies randomly rush about, huddled together in flocks.
- Trees and other plants on the eve of a thunderstorm smell stronger.
- Frogs croak loudly to clear and hot weather.
To make a useful conclusion from direct or indirect observations, you need to conscientiously process and carefully analyze the data.
Processing and analysis is a generalization, explanation, summation, juxtaposition and comparison of observed phenomena and facts. First, an analysis is made of individual observations (changes in the amount of precipitation, temperature, pressure, cloud cover, wind speed, quality), after which their results are generalized and compared.
When observing, magnifying devices are often used : magnifying glass, microscope, binoculars, telescope.
Experiments and Experiments
To confirm scientific facts, certain conditions are often required, and it is not always possible to wait for these conditions in a natural way, and then a scientific experiment comes to the rescue, 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 the subject during heating or, conversely, cooling or freezing.
Measurements
Both during observations and during experiments, researchers have to carry out various kinds of measurements. Measure temperature, humidity, pressure, speed, duration, strength, area, capacity, power, volume, mass. Measurements are made using special tools. It:
- thermometer;
- Libra;
- telescope;
- microscope;
- vane;
- hygrometer;
- barometer;
- voltmeter;
- ammeter;
- force meter;
- weather satellite;
- tonometer;
- lactometer;
- blood glucose meter;
- cloud meter;
- weather balloon;
- roulette;
- level;
- compass;
- protractor;
- ruler;
- tailor's meter;
- measuring cylinder;
- beaker;
- stopwatch;
- clock;
- stadiometer.
By the way, a special branch of science , metrology , is involved in measurements .
Summing up the results of observations, experiments and experiments
When the processing of observations, experiments or experiments is completed, their results are recorded in the form:
- texts;
- tables
- schemes;
- schedules;
- diagrams.
The report records the purpose and objectives, means and methods, lists all participants in the research, records data on the conditions, then - the results obtained with a detailed description and confirmation by 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.