What is the Scientific Method?
It is a series of steps used to help solve a problem.

* Step 1. Define the problem.
Make sure only one problem is being studied.

* Step 2. Research the problem.
Use all available resources to collect data on the subject being covered.
Libraries, Internet, books, magazines, personal interviews, etc.

* Step 3. Develop a hypothesis (educated guess).
Make it a short definitive statement. It should be an "if" then" statement. The “if” part will become the hypothesis and the then part should be the results received at the end of the controlled experiment. Remember your lab IS NOT a failure if your hypothesis is wrong!

* Step 4. Develop a controlled experiment.
A controlled experiment is an experiment that contains only one experimental variable.
An experimental variable is the thing being tested.
Everything else in the experiment or all other variables must be the same.
These variables are also called the controlled variables.
Keeping these variables the same allows the experimenter to show that it
was the experimental variable that caused the results.

* Step 5. Analyze the data and come up with a conclusion.
The conclusion may or may not support the hypothesis. Additional experimentation must then take place to build documentation concerning the problem. Never change your data to support your hypothesis. If the hypothesis is proven wrong by your experimental data try to understand WHY it’s wrong! That’s done by analyzing the data and drawing conclusions.

Example:
Problem:
Research the problem:  
Make a Hypothesis:  
Develop a controlled experiment:
Conduct the experiment & collect data:
Form a conclusion based on the data: