PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes

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published by the WGBH Educational Foundation

This resource features two NOVA videos that depict the scientific process within the framework of two groundbreaking 20th century experiments. The first video explores the work of chemist Percy Julian to find a synthetic treatment for glaucoma, and the second features Dr. Judah Folkman's quest to understand how tumors grow.

The videos are accompanied by an animated graphic display that shows the steps each scientist is taking along the path of scientific process. The graphics help learners understand that scientists approach and solve problems in unique, non-linear ways. Though both scientists are rigorous and orderly, their approaches do not follow a textbook "scientific method".

Please note that this resource requires Flash.

https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter....

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Foundations - Research Design & Methodology Education Practices - Active Learning = Problem Solving	- High School - Middle School	- Instructional Material = Activity - Audio/Visual = Movie/Animation

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Learners - Educators - General Publics	- application/flash - text/html	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2007 WGBH Educational Foundation
Keywords:: experiment, experimental design, experimentation, hypothesis, research design, research methodology, research process, scientific experiment
Record Creator:: Metadata instance created October 6, 2010 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 19, 2020 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: December 31, 2007

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Next Generation Science Standards

Crosscutting Concepts (K-12)

Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems (1-12)

Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. (6-8)

Science is a Human Endeavor (3-12)

Scientists and engineers are guided by habits of mind such as intellectual honesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas. (6-8)
Science is a result of human endeavors, imagination, and creativity. (9-12)

NGSS Nature of Science Standards (K-12)

AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

1. The Nature of Science

1A. The Scientific Worldview

6-8: 1A/M2. Scientific knowledge is subject to modification as new information challenges prevailing theories and as a new theory leads to looking at old observations in a new way.

1B. Scientific Inquiry

3-5: 1B/E1. Scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments.

1C. The Scientific Enterprise

6-8: 1C/M7. Accurate record-keeping, openness, and replication are essential for maintaining an investigator's credibility with other scientists and society.

AAAS Benchmark Alignments (1993 Version)

1. THE NATURE OF SCIENCE

A. The Scientific World View

1A (9-12) #3. No matter how well one theory fits observations, a new theory might fit them just as well or better, or might fit a wider range of observations. In science, the testing, revising, and occasional discarding of theories, new and old, never ends. This ongoing process leads to an increasingly better understanding of how things work in the world but not to absolute truth. Evidence for the value of this approach is given by the improving ability of scientists to offer reliable explanations and make accurate predictions.

B. Scientific Inquiry

1B (6-8) #1. Scientists differ greatly in what phenomena they study and how they go about their work. Although there is no fixed set of steps that all scientists follow, scientific investigations usually involve the collection of relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected evidence.
1B (6-8) #4. New ideas in science sometimes spring from unexpected findings, and they usually lead to new investigations.

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=10373">WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, December 31, 2007.</a>

AIP Format

(WGBH Educational Foundation, Boston, 2007), WWW Document, (https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/).

AJP/PRST-PER

PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes (WGBH Educational Foundation, Boston, 2007), <https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/>.

APA Format

PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes. (2007, December 31). Retrieved July 3, 2025, from WGBH Educational Foundation: https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/

Chicago Format

WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, December 31, 2007. https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/ (accessed 3 July 2025).

MLA Format

PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, 2007. 31 Dec. 2007. 3 July 2025 <https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes}, Publisher = {WGBH Educational Foundation}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {3 July 2025}, Month = {December 31, 2007}, Year = {2007} }

Refer Export Format

%T PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes %D December 31, 2007 %I WGBH Educational Foundation %C Boston %U https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/ %O application/flash

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D December 31, 2007 %T PBS Learning Media: Scientific Processes %I WGBH Educational Foundation %V 2025 %N 3 July 2025 %8 December 31, 2007 %9 application/flash %U https://oeta.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/drey07.sci.phys.matter.scprocess/scientific-processes/

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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

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