Loading StandardsThe Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are built around three major dimensions. The Framework for K–12 Science Education, the basis of the new standards, defines these dimensions as:
The new standards emphasize depth rather than breadth of content. The underlying intent is to foster questioning by students who learn by doing rather than memorizing facts often disconnected from practice. Students will build their knowledge and understanding of core ideas of science and engineering* while they engage in scientific and engineering practices.
[You may choose to refer to engineering as well as science throughout the lesson. While there are some notable variations, the practices are largely shared by both.]
In this lesson, students will examine how scientists do their work. No matter what their discipline, all scientists seek to develop a deeper understanding of the world we live in. The process they use doesn't occur in a set way; rather, scientists approach and solve problems in unique ways. They use a mix of imagination, creativity, and perseverance and rely on their ability to clearly communicate and defend their ideas.
The lesson will key on three scientific practices: 1) asking questions, 2) planning and carrying out investigations, and 3) developing and using models. The first two practices prepare students to understand the origin of scientific knowledge and the process that scientists go through—from the forming of questions and framing of problems through the gathering of results. The third practice focuses on explanations and solutions, in particular the development and use of models. Models are tools that scientists use to represent complex processes. They enable scientists to work through their own ideas or findings and present them to others and may be revised to account for new observations and explanations.
Students will learn about each of the three practices by watching a selection of videos of scientists at work. They will then discuss as a class and in groups how the practices are evident in the videos. They will also complete an activity in which they will have a chance to try designing their own models.
1. Take five minutes or so to have students describe how they think scientists work. Have them think of two or three different kinds of scientists and imagine what they do when they go to work. Ask them:
Make a list of their ideas on the board. If you have more time, you may divide students into small groups. Ask them to come up with a group description and then share their ideas with the class.
2. Follow this discussion by introducing the term “practices” as it relates to science. Start by handing out a list of the eight practices of science and engineering or projecting this list in the classroom. Give students a minute to read through the practices.
After students have finished reading, ask them if they notice any connections between their list and the practices. Then explain to students that science is at its core a set of practices. These practices are features of inquiry-based and problem-solving approaches common to all scientists, no matter what their field of study. They complement one another and are often used in combination.
Before going on, you may choose to elaborate on the nature of science and provide deeper understanding of the role that practices play. Here are some additional ideas to convey:
3. Tell students that that they will be focusing on the first three practices for the remainder of the lesson.
4. Introduce the first practice (#1 on the list): asking questions. Explain that questions are what drives science and that they arise in a variety of ways. Questions can be driven by curiosity about the world or inspired by a theory’s predictions. Reinforce the idea that scientific questions are those for which answers can be found in observation or experiment. Give students some examples of scientific questions and ask them what data (observations, measurements) would help lead to an answer to these questions:
5. To help students understand the kinds of questions that some actual scientists ask, show the class the Looking for Intelligence in the Brain and Profile: Ethiopian Anthropologist videos. In the first video, a scientist looks for a new way to assess intelligence in the brain. In the second video, an anthropologist discovers the fossil skeleton of a young child that provides important clues about human evolution.
As students watch each video, have them write down answers to these questions:
After watching the videos, have students share their responses and discuss them as a class.
6. Scientific questions may naturally lead to another practice (#3 on the list): planning and carrying out investigations. Scientific investigations may be conducted in a laboratory or in the field. Effective planning and design should generate data that will help answer the question being asked and/or test the scientist’s expectations of the results (i.e., a hypothesis).
While students may be familiar with the principles of experimental design, experiments are just a subset of scientific investigations. Investigations are centered on making observations and comparisons and must be carefully planned according to the given conditions to generate valid data. These data will be subsequently analyzed and interpreted. Depending on these data, a scientist may have to revise the research question or change the investigation’s design.
7. Watch the Decision-Maker Bees and the Human Brain and Interfering with Fear videos. In the first video, a scientist investigates how a swarm of bees chooses a new home and how this relates to human decision making. In the second video, a psychologist investigates what happens in your brain when you face a pressure situation, either on the athletic field or in the classroom.
As students watch the videos, have them note answers to these questions:
8. Next, introduce a third practice (#2 on the list): developing and using models. A model is something that is used to represent another thing or system. It can be a physical object or a description. In science, a model may be used to represent objects of study that a scientist cannot view due to some limitation, such as scale or location. Atoms or the far reaches of space require models to explain their structure and behavior because they are too small or too distant to see.
To get students comfortable with the idea of modeling as a tool to represent an object or phenomenon—even something that cannot be visualized—ask them to make a simple drawing of what they imagine a foul odor or a neuron firing in the brain would look like if it were enlarged. Students should annotate their drawing to show the components and any movements or reactions.
Explain to students that a model can take many forms: a drawing like they have just made, a diagram or map, a computer simulation (a weather forecast), or a three-dimensional representation—for example, a structure made of toothpicks or an object made of clay. Mental models or conceptual models also count. A good starting point for developing ideas for models is an analogy—identifying something similar, yet familiar, to the object or process being studied.
To conclude your discussion, explain that scientists use models to represent their current understanding of something being studied. The models may inspire questions and explanations and can be effective tools to communicate ideas to others. Further, they can help scientists make predictions—such as how a chemical compound will react when combined with another substance. Because models are based on evidence, these predictions can be trusted.
9. Explain to students that they will have already seen models in use during the videos they watched earlier in the lesson.
Take a few minutes to review an example or two together. Use the following to guide your analysis:
10. Tell students that they will now get some direct experience modeling like a scientist. Divide the class into groups of two to three students. Each group will create a model using pen and paper based on one of the videos in this lesson. [Note: If classroom time is limited, this activity could also be completed individually or in teams as a homework assignment.]
Following are the modeling guidelines for each video used in the activity:
As students complete this activity, they should annotate their sketches to demonstrate their ideas and the thinking behind them. They should cite evidence where possible (from the video or from a made-up scenario that they can describe) that supports their thinking.
After students have developed their models, they will present them to the class. For each presentation, have the class identify the strengths and weaknesses in the models. (By doing this type of peer review, they will be engaging in another science practice.) Here are some guidelines they might use in their assessments:
You may also adapt the more formal review process suggested in The Inquiry Project. Select the Grade 5 Curriculum and then “Resource Quick Links” from the menu at the left. Under “Section 2. Water to Vapor” in the main part of the page, find the “Additional Resources” subhead and select “Annotated Drawing.”
Standards