Day 1
Purpose
Today is the introduction to the series of lessons. The goal for the day is to get the students to come
up with a “driving question”; the question their model will attempt to answer. The question we want
(and will gently guide them to) is: “What are the steps in doing science?”
Materials Needed:
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Doodle Sheet 1
Scientific Method PowerPoint slides 1 – 4
Observation Lab
Activities
1. Introduce the activity by explaining that today we are going to begin to explore how we get
organized in science.
2. Present the introduction from the scientific method PowerPoint.
3. Ask students “How comfortable is your house? Why?” Ask them to write their thoughts on
Doodle Sheet 1A then give them a few minutes to Pair/Share.
4. Discuss and share out what students have written. Record their ideas on the PowerPoint.
5. Ask students “What questions can we ask about insulation?” Give students time to write
thoughts on Doodle Sheet 1B.
6. Introduce the problem using the Scientific Method PowerPoint.
7. Now ask, “What questions could we ask to solve this problem?” Ask them to write their
thoughts on Doodle Sheet 1C then have them Pair/Share.
8. Responses will vary of course and many times someone will come up with something very
close to our desired driving question. If so ask, “Is there a question here that encompasses all
the other questions – in other words, if we answered it we would answer all the other
questions too?”
9. Discuss and share out ideas. Record on PowerPoint.
Day 2
Purpose:
The goal for the day is to get students to guide students to come up with the first step: Observation.
Students will begin observing 8 different types of insulation in a lab experiment.
Materials Needed:
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Doodle Sheet
Model Sheet (Keeping Track) – use throughout the rest of the lesson sequence
Scientific Method PowerPoint slides 5 – 10
8 samples of insulation
Insulation Observation Lab handout
Activities
1. Point out the driving question on the wall. Explain that we are going to do some
activities to try to develop a model (explanation) that will answer this question. Have
students write the question on the model record sheet.
2. Insulation Observation Lab
3. Pass out Model Sheet (record keeping track). Have students record the driving question
and steps 1.
4. Before the class the next day write Steps 1 on poster paper and post.
Day 3
Purpose:
The goal for today is to guide the students to come up with
Step 2: Ask a question
Step 3: Hypothesis.
Step 4: Test
Today students will also look at the reaction of different types of solid insulation with the
polyurethane insulation.
Materials:
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Insulation Lab
Scientific Method Power Point slides 10 – 13
Friendly Talk Handout
Per group:
o 8 different types of insulation
o 8 foam cups per group
2. Ask students, “Where do we start when solving this problem? How could this have
happened to the insulation?” Have them respond in Doodle Sheet D. Try to guide students
to come up with a possible solution or “hypothesis” – an educated guess as to what
happened.
3. Ask students, “Once we have a guess as to what might have happened, then how do we
find out for sure? What approaches or steps do we need to do to check if our guess was
correct?”
4. Discuss the Friendly Talk responses. Address any misconceptions.
5. Explain that in this insulation activity we will explore whether or predictions for the
problem valid or invalid.
6. Pass out handout. Establish groups of 4. Explain the procedures. Give students the Lab
handout.
7. Collect Lab.
Day 4
Purpose:
The goal of today’s lesson is to guide students to:
Step4: Test
Step5: Collect Data
Step6: Analyze
Step7: Conclude
Students will explore what to do with a set of data and how to make it useful. They will
have time to analyze the data, make a conclusion and whiteboard a group response.
Students will do a gallery walk for 10 mins to share their ideas.
Materials Needed:
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Scientific Method ppt slides 14 – 20
Doodle Sheet
Record Log Sheet
Card Sort
Examining Data Worksheet
White board
Activities
1. Ask students, “What are the important aspects when performing an experiment?” Have
students respond on Doodle E. Guide students to come up with writing down or collecting
data.
2. Making sense of Data activity.
3. Each group will summarize their data on the white board.
4. Students will post the white board and be given 10 mins for a gallery walk to look at other
student responses.
5. Ask students, “When looking at data what do we need to do with this information to make
it useful?” Guide students to come up with analyzing data and summary or conclusion.
6. Have students write Steps 4 – 7 on the Record Log Sheet.
7. Have students do a card sort with the statements provided.
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Have students write on the white board the 7 steps of the scientific method.
Tell them to read each statement and then discuss as a group the order of the cards.
They should place the statement next to the correct step.
Walk around while they are doing this to make sure they are discussing the reasoning
for each placement.
6. Share our results to class
Day 5
Purpose:
The goal of this day’s lesson is to guide students to:
Step 8: Retest
In addition we would like to see if the students can apply the model to a new situation. The
students will be given a new problem and then asked to give a detailed explanation
describing the change that was observed – the phenomenon. This is the final day of the unit
and the explanations the students give should be used as an evaluation of their
understanding the Model of the Scientific Method. You should focus on the students
reasoning and completeness of the explanation.
Materials Needed:
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Scientific Method Power Point slides 21 - 22
Rat infestation Insulation Assessment
Evaluating according to the Steps of the Scientific Method
Model Record Sheet (Keeping Track)
Activities:
1. Review what makes a complete explanation.
2. Pass out the rat infestation insulation assessment.
3. Read background information and instructions aloud.
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This is the student’s final evaluation of this unit – their quiz.
Students can and are encouraged to use the posters on the wall, their Model Sheet.
This is not testing their memorizing skills, but their ability to apply the Scientific
Method model to a new phenomenon.