School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-12 Using live-action footage, interviews, and still photos, The Scientific Method focuses on its core processes - planning, observation, experimentation, and analysis of data. Three different investigations are shown throughout the video. The first involves a middle school class testing the sweetness of apples. The students discover the need for controlled variables, definitive aspects that can be tested, and the importance of reliable data. Next is an industrial research facility studying air pollution caused by the emissions from school buses. A scientist shares his knowledge about the topic and provides a tour of his research facilities. The third and strongest example of scientific investigation is the detailed description of the process Dr. Joseph Goldberger went through to discover the cause of pellagra. Pellagra was thought to be a fatal disease caused by bacteria. Goldberger collected information and data, traveled to orphanages and prisons where most of the pellagra outbreaks occurred, and did experiments. After a thorough investigation, he found that pellagra was caused by poor diet, not infectious bacteria. Throughout this segment, questions appear onscreen and teachers should pause the video and have students discuss what Goldberger may have been thinking at the time, and what he might have done next or concluded based on results from various tests. Vocabulary words and discussion questions appear onscreen. Narration is clear and succinct. The video provides a good introduction to the scientific method and controlled experiments.-Anita Paque, Templeton Middle School, Sussex, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.