Rachel Richards
Biology
Grades 9-12
1. TITLE OF LESSON
The Scientific Method Lesson Plan
This lesson fits with the standard, “Investigation and Experimentation”.
50 minute class, over the course of 1 week
2. CURRICULUM AREA & GRADE LEVEL
Biology
9th & 10th Grade
3. STUDENT INFORMATION
A. English Language Learners
1.) Readiness Level
5 Students are EL learners, level 3
2.) Learning Profile
Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners
3.) Interest
Family, Mexican food, Soccer
B. Students with Special Education Needs
Students with special needs: 1 with ADHD; 1 with cerebral palsy
1.) Readiness Level
Student with ADHD (Connor) focuses well when sitting in the front of the class. He takes careful
notes and hasn’t needed any additional support.
Student with cerebral palsy (Ema) has physical disabilities regarding movement and speech. She
needs more time to speak and sometimes needs more time to get to class on time.
2.) Learning Profile
Both are auditory learners and also learn a lot by working in groups.
3.) Interests
Ema plays the clarinet in the school band and loves playing basketball.
Connor enjoys playing sports, socializing, and playing video games.
4. RATIONALE
A. Enduring Understanding:
Understanding how to apply the scientific method to solve problems is essential in helping
students develop critical thinking skills. Students will learn about the scientific method process
and how to use it to formulate hypotheses, design experiments, and infer conclusions.
B. Essential Questions:
1. How do scientists design experiments?
2. What are the steps of the scientific method?
3. What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?
4. How can I apply the scientific method to real-life problems to make educated
inferences?
C. Reason For Instructional Strategies & Student Activities
Rationale:
All too often, people believe what they see and hear because it’s printed in the media or on
television. Students can be taught to ask themselves, “Is that true?”, “Why is that true?”, and
“Are there other possibilities for that explanation?” so that as they grow into adults, they will
learn how to critically reason through real-life problems, using logic and the scientific method.
Students will be able to formulate their own hypotheses based on their observations. Then,
students will be able to design a simple, controlled experiment based on their hypotheses.
Students will also be able to distinguish between a theory and a hypothesis.
Instructional Strategies:
Provide content with an interactive powerpoint presentation on the scientific method. I will
employ quick writes and think-pair-share periodically throughout the presentation to engage
students and check for understanding. The process will employ a graphic organizer of key terms
for the scientific method, a scientific method worksheet, and a quick-write and discussion
about the differences between theory and hypothesis. The final product will be a quiz on the
material learned.
5. CA CONTENT STANDARD(S)
Grade 9 & 10 Biology 11d,f,&l.
11: Investigation and Experimentation—Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful
questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and
addressing the content in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions
and perform investigations.
11d: Formulate explanations by logic and evidence.
11f: Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms.
11l: Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from
more than one area of science.
6. ELD STANDARD(S)
Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways
1. Exchanging information/ideas
2. Interacting via written English
5. Listening actively
6. Reading/viewing closely
11. Justifying/arguing
Part II: Learning About How English Works
1. Understanding text structure
2. Understanding cohesion
7. LEARNING GOAL(S) – OBJECTIVES
(Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor, Language Development)
After learning about the scientific method through a presentation, worksheet, quick-write and
discussion, and quiz, students will be able to formulate their own hypotheses based on their
observations. Then, students will be able to design a simple, controlled experiment based on
their hypotheses. Students will also be able to distinguish between a theory and a hypothesis.
(Cognitive, Language Development. Bio Stds 11d,f,l; ELD Stds Parts I, II)
8. ASSESSMENT(S) (Identify if your assessments are diagnostic/entry level, formative/progress
monitoring or summative)
Entry Level—Each student will take a short “Literacy Survey” to determine their readiness level
for reading as well as their background in biology. The teacher will use that information to
differentiate the assignment and rubrics to meet the students’ individual needs.
Formative—The teacher will check for understanding periodically by including questions on
slides embedded in the PowerPoint presentation. Students will do a quick write, which I will
check over for understanding. In addition, I will call on three students randomly for each
question to share their answers with the class.
Summative—Students will complete a worksheet on the scientific method, which will be peer
graded as I go over the answers in class. Students will take a quiz at the end of the week to
assess whether they have learned the key points to the scientific method.
9. EXPLANATION OF DIFFERENTIATION FOR ELL & STS W/ SP ED NEEDS
A. English Language Learners
1.) Content/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest
All students will create flashcards encompassing 13 words about the scientific method, which
will be posted on the Word Wall. Students will take Cornell notes on the presentation. Students
will use a graphic organizer to scaffold the key points of the scientific method. (The vocabulary
provided is part of the content).
2.) Process/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest
Teacher will have students pair up to support ELLs while taking notes during the presentation
and while reading the article. Students will “think-pair-share” with their partner.
3.) Product/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest
Teacher instructs students to read over their worksheet answers to themselves. Then, they will
work together with their partner to peer-teach each other. Teacher provides students with a
textbook, which includes vocab words in the glossary. Working in pairs will help ELLs to develop
their oral communication skills and utilize peer-teaching. In addition, ELLs will have extra time
to finish the quiz, if needed.
A. Students with Special Education Needs
1.) Content/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest
All students will create flashcards encompassing 13 words about the scientific method, which
will be posted on the Word Wall. Students will take Cornell notes on the presentation. Students
will use a graphic organizer to scaffold the key points of the scientific method. (The vocabulary
provided is part of the content).
2.) Process/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest
Teacher will have students pair up to support Spec. ED students while taking notes during the
presentation and while reading the article. Students will “think-pair-share” with their partner.
3.) Product/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest
Teacher instructs students to read over their worksheet answers to themselves. Then, they will
work together with their partner to peer-teach each other. Teacher provides students with a
textbook, which includes vocab words in the glossary. Spec. ED students will be given additional
time, if needed, to complete the quiz.
10. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES (Describe what the teacher does. Include differentiation
strategies.)
A. Anticipatory Set/Intro (30 min)
Teacher will present a short clip from Mythbusters that asks the question: Will a sheriff’s badge
stop a bullet? Following the video, teacher will lead a guided discussion on how the scientific
method was used. Then, using PowerPoint, teacher will present content about the scientific
method. Students will take notes, using the Cornell format, where they will write three
questions in the margin and leave room at the bottom for a summary, which they will write as a
warm-up activity the following day. Every few slides include a question. Students will “thinkshare” in response to these questions to check for understanding.
B. Instruction/Through (30 min)
After finishing their Cornell notes on the scientific method, teacher will guide students in
creating their own flashcards of the vocab, including: cell, analyze, hypothesis, variable,
manipulate, infer, homeostasis, theory, conclude, stimulus, experiment, observe, and
metabolism. Teacher will direct students to use the glossary in the back of their texts as well as
their partner, and/or their iphone to look up definitions. Teacher will guide students to write
definitions in their own words. Then, students will share their definitions with the class. In
addition to the vocab flashcards, students will complete a graphic organizer to help remember
the steps in the scientific method.
C. Guided Practice/Through
Teacher will arrange students in pairs to complete a worksheet, composed of various, short
experiments. Teacher will guide students to identify the following: observation, question,
hypothesis, experiment, results and conclusion. They will also identify the control, control
group, independent variable, experimental group, and dependent variable. In addition to being
able to use each other as a resource, students can use their notes. I will circulate and provide
support to those who need it.
D. Independent Practice/Through
Teacher will administer a 20 mulitple-choice question quiz that covers the vocab, the scientific
method, and analyzing an experiment for the controls and variables.
E. Closure
Students will peer grade the quizzes in class. Students will share their answers to the class, and I
will review the answers and respond to student questions.
11. STUDENT ACTIVITIES (Describe what the students do. Include differentiation activities.)
A. Anticipatory Set/Into
After finishing their Cornell notes on the scientific method, students will create flashcards of
the vocab, including: cell, analyze, hypothesis, variable, manipulate, infer, homeostasis, theory,
conclude, stimulus, experiment, observe, and metabolism. They will use the glossary in the back
of their texts as well as their partner, and/or their iPhone to look up definitions. Students will
learn how to write definitions in their own words. Then, students will share their definitions
with the class. In addition to the vocab flashcards, students will complete a graphic organizer to
help remember the steps in the scientific method.
C. Guided Practice/Through
Students will work in pairs to complete a worksheet, composed of various, short experiments.
Students must identify the following: observation, question, hypothesis, experiment, results
and conclusion. They will also identify the control, control group, independent variable,
experimental group, and dependent variable. In addition to being able to use each other as a
resource, students can use their notes. I will circulate and provide support to those who need it.
D. Independent Practice/Through
Students will complete a 20 mulitple-choice question quiz that covers the vocab, the scientific
method, and analyzing an experiment for the controls and variables.
E. Closure
Students will peer grade the quizzes in class. Students will share their answers to the class.
12. RESOURCES (Attach any materials needed to implement the lesson, such as a power point
presentation, graphic organizer, reading…)
Attached is the power point presentation, graphic organizer, worksheet, and quiz.