Scientist explained to kids

A scientist is somebody who studies the natural world by observing, asking questions, and doing experiments. Scientists try to figure out how things in the natural world work. For example, a scientist might ask how a plant grows or how an animal moves. There are many different kinds of scientists. Some scientists study the stars and planets. They are called astrophysicists or astronomers. Other scientists study the Earth. They are called geologists. Still other scientists study the way people think and behave. They are called psychologists. There are also scientists who study very small things, like cells. They are called biologists. Some biologists study the way diseases spread. They are called epidemiologists. All scientists use the scientific method to study the natural world. The scientific method is a way of asking questions and doing experiments to find answers. First, a scientist observes something in the natural world. Then, the scientist asks a question about what they have observed. After that, the scientist makes a hypothesis, or a guess, about the answer to their question. Next, the scientist does an experiment to test their hypothesis. Finally, the scientist looks at their results and decides whether their hypothesis was right or wrong. If the scientist's hypothesis was right, they might write a paper about their experiment so that other scientists can read it. Other scientists might do their own experiments to see if they get the same results. If the scientist's hypothesis was wrong, they might try their experiment again or ask a new question and start the scientific method all over again!