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Step 1
Observe the natural phenomena you want to test. Ask questions about the cause-and-effect relationships directly related to the phenomena. Record these questions.
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Step 2
Translate your questions into an educated guess that attempts to explain the relationship between the natural environment and the observed phenomena. This is your hypothesis. Phrase it as a statement. One way to do this is to use the "If-then" method. For example, "If smoking causes lung cancer, then individuals who smoke have a higher frequency of developing the disease."
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Step 3
Develop one hypothesis for each question. You must perform at least one test for each hypothesis. This means using the entire scientific process for each question.
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Step 4
Discover all of the variables involved in your experiment's cause-and-effect relationship. When you understand the variables responsible for the phenomena, think of ways to manipulate each variable. Identify a dependent variable--the variable being manipulated, and an independent variable--one that is controlled. Record all of your findings, factors and possible manipulations.
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Step 5
Choose variables that are independent of each other instead of those that are linked. Focus on manipulating the independent variables. Changing more than one variable at a time makes it difficult to decipher which variable is causing the observable change.
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Step 6
Design a test for your hypothesis. Make a step-by-step list for each variable's test. This is called the scientific procedure. Choose the best scientific procedure to answer the questions you listed in Step 1. When ready, test your hypothesis.
