Teacher Resources
QUICK LAB
What’s in the Bag?
Small groups
25 minutes
MATERIALS
LAB RATINGS
Teacher Prep —
Student Setup —
Cleanup —
SAFETY INFORMATION
Remind students to review all safety cautions and icons before
beginning this lab. Have students wear safety goggles if you are using
marbles, sand, or any other particulate.
TEACHER NOTES
Place several mystery objects in each bag, so that students must make
inferences from a variety of observations. Seal each bag closed with
the packing tape, and label each bag with the marker. This activity
works best if the mystery objects engage a variety of senses such as
sound, smell, and touch. To have students investigate the sense of
touch, cut a hole in the lid of the bag and attach a glove or sock to the
opening so that students can touch the contents of the bag without
directly observing them. To investigate the sense of smell, perforate
the lid of the bag and place objects such as flowers or a small bag of
chopped onions in the bag. Place the bags at different stations
throughout the classroom, and make sure that groups visit each station.
Skills Focus Making Observations, Making Predictions
MODIFICATION FOR
Demonstrate for students the process of identifying the characteristics
of the object(s) in a bag. Walk them through tests they can carry out,
questions they can ask, and observations they can make.
For whole class
• assortment of
mystery objects
(magnets, sand,
small inflated
balloons, alarm
clock, marbles, small
bells, cotton balls,
air freshener,
pencils, etc.)
• assortment of tools
for investigation
(magnets, balance)
• marker
• packing tape
• bags (one for each
group)
For each student
• safety goggles
My Notes
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MODIFICATION FOR
Have each student group prepare the mystery bags themselves and exchange them
with other student groups. To focus specifically on modeling and mapping skills,
have student teams create a “maze” inside their bag using pieces of cardboard and
tape or glue. Teams should place a marble inside each bag and seal the bag. Then,
teams can exchange bags and challenge each other to create a detailed map of the
bag’s interior based on movement of the marble when the bag is tilted.
ScienceFusion
Module K Lab Manual
1
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Alterations to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor .
Unit 1, Lesson 1
What Is Science?
Teacher Resources
Quick Lab continued
Answer Key
2. Sample answer:
Bag Number
Observations
Prediction
1
The contents made a ringing sound.
The bag contains bells.
2
The contents smelled like flowers.
The bag contains perfume.
3
The contents rolled around.
The bag contains marbles.
4
The contents were heavy and were attracted The bag contains pieces of metal that are
to magnets.
attracted to magnets.
4. Sample answer: Two of our predictions were accurate, and three of our predictions
were wrong. It was easy to accurately predict the contents of the bags when only one
object was in the bag. However, it was harder to accurately predict the contents when
more than one object was in the bag.
5. Scientists investigate many things that cannot be directly observed. For example,
scientists investigate the structure of Earth, the movement of earthquake waves, and
events that happened in Earth’s early history. In addition to using their senses to gather
data, scientists use technology such as remote sensing. Then, they make inferences
based on their observations and use models to investigate objects and processes that
cannot be directly observed.
6. Scientific models help scientists investigate objects and processes that cannot be
directly observed. Models can help scientists understand complex processes and
predict the effects of changing variables. Models are also limited by the fact that they
are representations of objects or processes, so they can distort or misrepresent the
object or process a scientist is investigating.
ScienceFusion
Module K Lab Manual
2
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Alterations to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor .
Unit 1, Lesson 1
What Is Science?
Name _____________________________________ Class ____________________Date __________________
What's in the Bag?
In this lab, you will explore how scientists investigate phenomena that they
cannot directly observe.
PROCEDURE
The 6 sealed paper bags each contain mystery objects. Your group
will investigate each of the bags and attempt to identify the contents
of the bags without opening them.
As a group, investigate each of the bags. Record your observations
and predictions in the table below. Be sure to give as many
descriptors as possible to help your prediction. Be sure to share the
bags. When your group is done with one bag, trade it for a bag you
have not inspected yet with another table.
Bag
Number
Observations
Prediction
1
OBJECTIVES
• Describe how
scientists gather data
from indirect visual
observation.
• Explain the benefits
and limitations of
scientific models.
MATERIALS
For each group
• sealed bags containing
mystery objects
2
3
4
5
6
ScienceFusion
Module K Lab Manual
3
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Alterations to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor .
Unit 1, Lesson 1
What Is Science?
When your group is done with all 6 bags, open each one (DO NOT SAY OUT LOUD
WHAT’S IN EACH BAG). Compare your predictions with the contents of the bag.
Were your predictions accurate? Why or why not?
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How was this activity similar to the ways that scientists investigate objects
or processes that they cannot directly observe?
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What are the benefits and limitations of using models to investigate objects
or processes that cannot be directly observed?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
ScienceFusion
Module K Lab Manual
4
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Alterations to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor .
Unit 1, Lesson 1
What Is Science?