SCIENCE AS INQUIRY

NOTES

 

 

1a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing understanding of how the scientific enterprise operates.

Applying the Scientific Method Investigation (Neo/SCI PO Box 22729 Rochester NY 14692-2729; www.neosci.com) Great mini-investigation leading to the "hatching" of sponge creatures. Inexpensive replacement parts.

 

Students will be able to:

  1. Solve problems using a variety of strategies
  2. Pose questions for scientific investigations and make predictions about the outcomes
  3. Design and conduct a scientific investigation exploring the relationship between two variables
  4. Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, organize, and interpret data
  5. Compare and estimate very large/very small numbers
  6. Use appropriate measurement units
  7. Read bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, and tables
  8. Construct explanations, including the development of simple models, for observations made
  9. Work in small teams to investigate problems, but form own conclusions
  10. Discuss the relationship between evidence and explanations
  11. Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and procedures
  12. Communicate scientific procedures and explanation
  13. Make hypotheses and design simple experiments to test hypotheses made
  14. Recognize the variables in a situation and the importance of controlling them when conducting a scientific investigation
  15. Seek information for comparing past and present scientific ideas and theories

  

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

NOTES:

 

 

2a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to use measuring instruments to gather accurate and/or precise information.

 

Students will be able to:

  1. Use an assortment of measuring instruments, with a variety of scales, such as rulers, thermometers, graduated cylinders, balances, and timers
  2. Describe and practice appropriate techniques for using simple measuring devices
  3. Use technology to explore events in nature (e.g., telescopes, microscopes, computer probes)

 

 

2b. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to use technology to observe nature.

 

Students will be able to:

  1. Explore nature with simple scientific tools (e.g., magnifying glasses, levers, pulleys, batteries and bulbs)
  2. Use technology to capture information on film, tape, etc.

2c. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate scientific information using technology.

 

Students will be able to:

  1. Record data using appropriate units
  2. Use a calculator to determine other important quantitative values from data, using proper units (e.g., speed, density, area, volume)
  3. Compile and display classroom data on a computer
  4. Use technology to share data with classmates or other groups of students

2d. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand how technology is used to synthesize new products.

 

Students will be able to:

  1. Construct simple projects from readily available materials found at home

 

 

2e. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand that science and technology affect individuals, and that individuals in turn can affect science and technology.

 

Students will be able to:

A. Describe and defend decisions that they have made involving themselves and their environment

  • Identify and gather information needed to make a decision on a science and/or technology~related issue
  • Describe the possible consequences of various alternative decisions to a science and/or technology~related issue
    		•

     

     

     

     

     

    2f. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand that progress in science and technology is controlled by societal attitudes and beliefs.

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Demonstrate that knowledge makes it possible to make informed decisions

    B. Cite examples which show that society can affect the direction taken by science and technology

    C. Describe how science and technology affect career choices and the kinds of work people do

     

    UNIFYING THEMES AND CONCEPTS

    NOTES:

     

     

    6a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to recognize parts of any object or system, and understand how the parts interrelate in the operation of that object or system.

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Identify and describe the essential parts of any object or system

    B. Relate structure and function of parts of any object in a system to the system as a whole

    C. Describe the interrelationships among the parts of an object or system

    6b. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the meaning of stability and change and will be able to identify and explain change in terms of cause and effect.

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Identify and describe several ways in which things may change

    B. Identify and describe several types of change

    C. Identify and describe how change may be prevented or enhanced

  • Distinguish between important and unimportant changes in given situations
    •

     6c. Curriculum Standard: Students will understand the meaning of models, their appropriate use and limitations, and how models can help them in understanding the natural world.

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Define and describe various physical models and their uses (e.g., cell model, model cars)

    B. Use graphs, geometric figures, number and time lines, and other devices to represent events and processes in the natural world

    C. Construct one or more physical models representative of objects or processes in the natural world, and explain how the elements of the model are representative of the real object (e.g., solar system, dinosaurs, telephone)

    D. Recognize that a model is a representation of an object or process and is not identical to the object or process

    6d. Curriculum Standard: Students will increasingly quantify their interactions with phenomena in the natural world, use these results to understand differences of scale in objects and systems, and determine how changes in scale affect various properties of these objects and systems.

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Measure properties of objects, to a reasonable degree of accuracy, using standard scientific instruments such as a ruler, balance clock, and thermometer

    B. Calculate derived measurement of objects, such as area, volume, and density from direct measurements made in the laboratory

    C. Estimate the smallest and largest limits, or the range in size, of certain objects in quantitative terms

    D. Determine that increases in linear dimensions (length) have a large effect on area and volume

     

     LIFE SCIENCE: Structures of Life

    NOTES:

     

     

    3a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to recognize patterns and products of evolution, including genetic variation, specialization, adaptation, and natural selection.

    Link to classification activity Note: this is a .pdf file, need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. Source: www.middleschoolscience.com

    "Animal Antics" activity (AIMS Critters - Life Science AIMS Education Foundation PO Box 8120, Fresno, CA 93747-8120; www.aimsedu.org) Students sort animals into appropriate classifications in the Animal Kingdom

    "Sorting All Sorts" activity "Creature Feature" activity (AIMS Math & Science, A Solution AIMS Education Foundation, see above) Good for observation and classification

    Program has skulls to borrow? BMOS; Cooperative Extension (skeleton of a bat); Profile has many human skulls

     

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Classify a variety of organisms based on their characteristics, and use this scheme as a tool to organize information about the diversity of life forms

    B. Describe/identify random differences between individuals of the same species of plant or animal (e.g., students can examine parts of plants of the same species and recognize variations, and can construct graphs and charts showing the variations)

    F. Relate the structure of body parts to function (e.g., when presented with teeth or models from various animals, students can make inferences concerning what the animal eats)

    3b. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand how environmental factors affect all living systems (i.e. Individuals, community, biomes, the biosphere) as well as species to species interactions.

     

    B. Identify and describe the basic requirements for sustaining life (e.g.,plants and animals need food for energy and growth)

    "Recipe for a Forest" from Priscilla Didio, BES, adapted from Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell

     

    3d. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand fundamental structures, functions, and mechanisms of inheritance found in microorganisms, fungi, protists, plants, and animals

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Describe similarities and differences between single-celled and multicellular organisms (e.g., cell structures)

    B. Identify the major anatomical features of plants and animals, and the major function of each

    C. Observe and describe major characteristics of various life forms (e.g., microorganisms, fungi, protists, plants and animals)

    D. Compare and contrast life processes in plants and animals (e.g., growth and development, nutrition, reproduction, etc.)

    Project Learning Tree: Environmental Education Activity Guide, handbook of activities.

    Project Wild

    Ranger Rick's Nature Scope, by National Wildlife Federation

    Fungi - Small Wonders (Delta Science Module, DSM II, Delta Education, Inc. PO Box 915, Hudson, NH 03051-0915; www.delta-education) Introduces students to the world of fungi, compares and contrasts the structure of seed plants with those of fungi. Students grow mold "gardens" so there's lots of opportunity for observation and comparison

    Various programs available through NH Fish & Game Department

      

    LIFE SCIENCE: The Human Body

    NOTES:

     

     

    3d. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand fundamental structures, functions, and mechanisms of inheritance found in microorganisms, fungi, protists, plants, and animals.

    Ninsects Activity - Paul will link

    "Genes and Probability" Investigation (NeoSCI, www.neosci.com) Students apply the laws of chance to genetics, demonstrate the effect of dominance in a monohybrid cross; demonstrate the effect of incomplete dominance; and model a dihybrid cross to demonstrate the law of independent assortment.

    Link to human body systems online activity:

    http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/brooklyn/humanbody/teacher.html

    Virus Activity:

    http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/ATG/data/released/0210-JoyceCalo/index.html

    For objective D: plastic egg activity

    For a genetics mini-unit: http://www.netlabs.net/hp/ebend/genetics/GreatTraits.html

    For more lessons visit:

    www.middleschoolscience.com

     

    Students will be able to:

    G. Explain the difference between acquired and inherited characteristics or traits of an organism

    D. Compare and contrast life processes in plants and animals (e.g., growth and development, nutrition, reproduction, etc.)

    E. Describe/identify major organ systems of the human body, state their major functions, and describe some of their interactions (e.g., the heart and lungs working together in respiration)

    F. Explain how the human body remains healthy and fights off disease, i.e., the immune system, the influence of diet, food and exercise, the influence of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, protista)

     3a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to recognize patterns and products of evolution, including genetic variation, specialization, adaptation, and natural selection.

     

    Owl Pellets - dissection and investigation - allow for hands-on exploration of skeletal system. Can be tied in with habitats, ecosystems, etc.

    Human Body Systems (Kendall-Hunt) Complete unit with investigations around each system of the body.

     

    Students will be able to:

  • Identify major body structures of some common organisms (e.g., when shown a picture of the human skeleton, students can identify, by common name, the major bones in their body)

    • C. Describe/identify similarities and differences among multiple offspring of same parents, and between parents and offspring

    D. Collect data on inherited characteristics and use the data to explain how traits are passed from generation to generation

      

    PHYSICAL SCIENCE: Properties of Matter

    NOTES:

    5a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to distinguish among materials by utilizing observable properties.

    See Operation Primary Physical Science Website for background information at:

    www.phys.lsu.edu/dept/opps/Download/

    American Plastics Council (APC) has an interactive, online version of their "Hands on Plastics: a Scientific Investigation Kit curriculum. www.teachingplastics.org

     

    Hardness – compare with fingernail (does it scratch or be scratched); penny, steel.

    Students will be able to:

    A. Distinguish between the general properties of a substance and the properties which are important for a specific use

    B. Classify substances according to observable properties and describe how certain properties determine the major uses of the substance

    C. Measure and compare properties, such as color, size, shape, texture, and hardness of a variety of substances

    5b. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand that matter is composed of dynamic interactive units or particles and that all the properties in changes in matter can be explained in terms of the forces involved in the interactions of these units

    For an introductory activity to the three states, try

    "Mystery Eggs" This is a .pdf file requiring Adobe Acrobat

    from www.terrificscience.org/freeresources/

    (Phases)

    Generation of CO2 gas and the activities with that

    Balloon blow up activity at:

    http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/activity/energy/ener-4.html

    Same Material, More fun - changing matter

    Make mayonnaise; Gloop

    The Mysterious Powder unit (Kendall-Hunt) Properties of matter investigation in mystery form

    Oobleck (GEMS unit, www.lhsgems.org) Great look at properties of matter and can be used to tie or lead into the Earth Science space standard if the students create spacecraft that can land on an ocean of Oobleck

    Crystals - "create" and look at the differences between chemical and physical changes/reactions

     

    Students will be able to:

    A. Perform an experiment to demonstrate that matter exists in different states that are interchangeable (e.g., melting ice cubes, boiling water)

    B. Perform an experiment to demonstrate common properties of gases, liquids and solids

    C. Describe and record how treatments such as heating, wetting, bending, or combining with other materials affect substances

    D. Perform or describe experiments which illustrate the difference between physical and chemical changes in substances

     5g. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing understanding that heat is the product of many natural processes.

     

     Match, heat pack, hand warmer for skiing

    rubbing hands, hammer a nail – pull out; fire syringe - plunger…, hypothermia - hyperthermia

    microwave; sunburn – uv; solar panel – black white

    -measure the temperature of ice water melting

    -measure the temperature of water freezing

    Students will be able to:

    A. Explore and identify sources of heat including chemical, mechanical, and absorption of radiation

    B. Identify the effect of heat on common substances

      

    EARTH SCIENCE: Weather

    NOTES:

     

     

    4b. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand that the earth is a complex planet with five interacting systems, which consists of the solid earth (lithosphere), air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), ice (cryosphere), and life (biosphere).

    www.weatherclassroom.com

    Teachers must register at this site, but there are lesson plans on a variety of weather topics for all grade levels. There are also student and parent links.

    www.nsta.org

    Offers links to websites with lesson plans on a variety of topics.

    "Cloud Demonstration":

    http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/teacher_resources/cloud_edu.html

    Weather Geokit by National Geographic

    Bill Nye Videos, additional resources on Bill Nye available at www.Edustation.com

    The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting with meteorologist Mark Breen (multiple copies) Mark Breen is the meteorologist at the Fairbanks Museum in St.Johnsbury VT

     

    Weather Sense - Moisture, Weather Sense - Temperature, Air Pressure, and Wind (AIMS Education Foundation)

     

     

    Link to Literature Resources

    Students will be able to:

    E. Observe, describe and record weather conditions such as clouds, temperature, air pressure, and precipitation

    • Explore various weather instruments and their purposes
    • Construct a weather instrument
    • Explore components of weather such as air masses, fronts, pressure systems, and wind systems
    • Explore violent storms and their effects

    I. Compare and contrast the various types of common clouds

    • Identify common clouds

    J. Relate observed weather conditions to different climates and seasonal changes

    • Read and interpret weather maps
    • Predict/forecast weather using information from newspapers and weather services

    F. Identify events in nature that have repeating patterns or cycles, e.g., weather patterns, water cycle, rock cycle

    • Investigate different stages in the water cycle (melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation) observe, describe and record weather conditions such as clouds, temperature, air pressure, and precipitation

     EARTH SCIENCE: Space

    NOTES:

     

     

    4a. Curriculum Standard: Students will demonstrate an increasing ability to understand the earth is a unique member of our solar system, located in a galaxy, within the universe

    Make your own planetarium using black plastic, duct tape, and a box fan.

    Flashlight far away from white board moving towards – Sandy;

    Star Gazer for (at least) the 5th Grades; Abrams Planetarium –Michigan State University

    www.spaceweather.com

    www.heavens-above.com

     

    100 meter solar system – scaled model of the solar system

    "Lunar Lollipops" hands-on activity: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/teacher_resources/lunar_edu.html

     

    Earth, Sun, Moon scale models of each other

     

    Project Star

    Students will be able to:

    C. Explain how the brightness of a star as seen from earth is related to its size, color, and distance from earth

    • Observe patterns of stars in the sky; notice that where they appear in the sky changes over the course of the year

    D. Use a telescope and binoculars to magnify the appearance of some distant objects

    A. Compare and contrast important features of the Earth, Sun and Moon

    B. Observe and describe the motion of the sun, moon, and stars from the perspective of the Earth

    • Describe the motions of stars and planets over a period of time

    E. Explain how the Earth’s relationship to the Sun causes light, day and the seasons

    F. State the type of information which can be gathered by the use of scientific instruments such as telescopes, satellites, etc.

    • Demonstrate the size and spatial relationships of celestial objects using drawings and/or models

      

    Instructional Resources for Grade_______

     

     

     

    Resource

    Location

    Notes

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Terms of Grade ________

     

     

    Term:

    Definition