Scientific Explanations – Ooblek
Name:_________________
When writing an explanation in science you need to:
I – Identify the main idea/concept in the question.
D – Define the idea or describe the concept in general terms. This
should be short, just a sentence, and won’t use scientific terms.
E – Expand on your definition or description using scientific terms and
providing detailed information. This could be a couple of sentences
long.
A – Apply the scientific idea or concept to the specific question being
asked. Make sure you provide a reason for your answer and check that
you answer the question being asked!
Example 1:
What state of matter is a table? Explain your answer.
I – states of matter
D – there are three main states of matter: solids, liquids and gases.
E – solids have a fixed shape and volume, liquids can change their shape but
not their volume, gases can change both their shape and volume.
A – a table has a fixed shape and volume so a table is a solid.
Example 2:
Bob believes that the water in the ocean is a gas. Is Bob correct? Explain your
answer.
I – states of matter
D – there are three main states of matter: solids, liquids and gases.
E – people can’t move through a solid, people can move through a liquid but it
isn’t easy, people can easily move through a gas.
A – people can’t easily move through the ocean, it is possible to do but not
easy, so the water in the ocean is a liquid. Bob is wrong.
Have a go yourself by answering the following question:
Question 1: What state of matter do you think Ooblek is? Explain your
answer.
I – Identify
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
D - Define or Describe
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
E – Expand or Elaborate
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
A – Apply
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________