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Thinking Scientifically:

Introducing the Scientific Method

Created by Robert Brickley

Grade Level: 5^th

Rational:

Establishing a strong foundation in the basic skills areas of the Language Arts and Math is of course the top priority of the early elementary grades. Given the ever-expanding curriculum and the seemingly ever-contracting number of quality instructional minutes, science instruction in many instances is limited. As a result, it is often at the 5^th grade level that in depth focus on the subject of Science begins. The purpose of this unit is to introduce students to the Scientific Method, and to encourage them to “think and do” as a scientist.

Corresponding Standards web site: http://www.odedodea.edu/curriculum/g5science.html (DoDDS)

Objectives:

The student will:

Learn about the Scientific Method through Internet research.

Start a Science Journal and access a standard Experiment Report form from the class Web page.

Conduct a simple experiment to apply use of the Scientific Method and the Experiment Report form.

Work cooperatively in a small group.

Introductory Activity:

The unit begins with the students brainstorming as a class on the following:

“ What is Scientific Thinking? How does the way scientists think differ from ordinary, everyday thinking? How does the way in which scientists do their work reveal their way of thinking?”

Together the teacher and students will use the results of the above class brainstorming session to organize (map / web) the ideas into general concepts. The students will then start their Science Journals (page 1) by creating individual statements about scientific thinking. This statement should include what kind of a scientist they individually would like to be and should give examples of how someone working in that branch of science would use scientific thinking.

Activity #1:

You will access the class home page and first double click on the Science Journal link to view the Power Point presentation.

Next you will double click on the Science Experiment Report Form and copy it onto page 2 of your science journal. You will be using this same form to report the results of any and all of the experiments that you do throughout this year, either individually or with your team.

Corresponding class homepage web site: http://204.219.151.47/bricklr/

Activity #2:

Working with your assigned Science Experiment Team members (3 or 4 student scientists), you will divide the following web sites to learn more about the Scientific Method. You will review your share of the listed web sites to answer the following questions. Then you will share and compare with your team what each of you learned from your web sites.

Questions:

1. What is the hypothesis and why is it always put in the form of a statement rather than a question?

2. Why should research of a topic always come before an experiment is conducted?

3. Why is exact record keeping of materials and procedure so important?

4. Why can it be said that “Math is the language of Science”?

5. What are variables, and what are the different types of variables, and how do they affect an experiment?

6. Why is it important for different scientists to do (repeat) the same experiment others have already done?

Corresponding web sites:

Experimental Science Projects:
An Introductory Level Guide

http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjIntro.html

This is an easy site to start with. Just click on each of the headings or scroll down the page.

The Scientific Method

http://sciencefairproject.virtualave.net/scientific_method.htm

There are great answers to some of the questions found here.

Discovery School.com: The Scientific Method

http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/scientificmethod.html

This is probably the best site and it’s for the best reader.

Learning about the Scientific Method

http://www.kapili.com/s/scimethod.html

Here’s another great site for a good reader.

Activity #3:

You will now conduct a simple experiment to practice using the Scientific Method and the Experiment Report Form. The question we will try to answer is:

If you poke a hole in the bottom (side) of a paper cup and fill it half full of water (sealing the hole with your finger), what will happen if you drop the cup from a second floor balcony? Will the water stay in the cup as it drops, or will the water leak out of the hole before the cup hits the ground?

Your team will be responsible for:

researching the topic ( the web sites below will help)

forming a hypothesis

gathering the materials

conducting the experiment

observing and recording results

drawing a group conclusion

identifying all variables

maintaining safety concerns

Corresponding web sites:

http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/data/scimethod.html

This site features a similar experiment (dropping a bowling ball & feather).

http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/resources.html

This site lets you “ask the expert”.

Evaluation:

Each team member will be responsible for completing an experiment report on page 3 of their individual science journal.

Together the team will assess each member’s performance and contribution by filling out the following :

Collaboration Rubric

Name __________________________________

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Contribute
Research & Gather Information	Does not collect any information that relates to the topic.	Collects very little information--some relates to the topic.	Collects some basic information--most relates to the topic.	Collects a great deal of information--all relates to the topic.
Share Information	Does not relay any information to teammates.	Relays very little information--some relates to the topic.	Relays some basic information--most relates to the topic.	Relays a great deal of information--all relates to the topic.
Be Punctual	Does not hand in any team assignments.	Hands in most team assignments late.	Hands in most team assignments on time.	Hands in all team assignments on time.
Take Responsibility
Fulfill Team Role's Duties	Does not perform any duties of assigned team role.	Performs very little duties.	Performs nearly all duties.	Performs all duties of assigned team role.
Participate in Science Experiment	Does not speak or assist with the science experiment.	Either gives too little assistance or is off task which disrupts team efforts.	Offers some assistance--most is on task and productive.	Offers a fair amount of important assistance—helping the team.
Share Equally	Always relies on others to do the work.	Rarely does the assigned work--often needs reminding.	Usually does the assigned work--rarely needs reminding.	Always does the assigned work without having to be reminded.
Value Others' Viewpoints
Listen to Other Teammates	Is always talking--never allows anyone else to speak.	Usually doing most of the talking--rarely allows others to speak.	Listens, but sometimes talks too much.	Listens and speaks a fair amount.
Cooperate with Teammates	Usually argues with teammates.	Sometimes argues.	Rarely argues.	Never argues with teammates.
Make Fair Decisions	Usually wants to have things their way.	Often sides with friends instead of considering all views.	Usually considers all views.	Always helps team to reach a fair decision.

				Total

Corresponding web site:

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/tidepoolunit/Rubrics/collrubric.html

Additional sites to aid teachers:

http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.html

In depth coverage and related issues

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/sci_meth.htm

Technical stuff made easy

http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/science.html

Amer. Library Assoc. great sites links

http://sciencefairproject.virtualave.net/judging_sheet.htm

Evaluation sheet for assessing experiments of student scientists

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/tidepoolunit/Rubrics/reportrubric.html

Evaluation rubric for judging Science presentations