Science Process
In 6th
grade students are formally taught about the process of science at the
beginning of the school year. This is accomplished through note taking a variety
of activities that culminate with student chosen inquiry projects on a certain
topic and a final test. This unit is about a month to a month in a half in
length and prepares the students for science class for the remainder of their 6th
grade year and beyond.
Here are some of
the topics and skills that the students
learn about and
apply throughout the year!
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Observations: Students
learn about what it means to be a good observer and learn the difference between
qualitative and quantitative observations. |
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Making
hypotheses and predictions: Students
learn that a hypothesis is a special kind of prediction that forecasts how
one variable will affect another. Students also learn how to write a
hypothesis using an If…, then format. |
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Fair tests
and variables: Students learn
the difference between controlled, manipulated and dependent variables and
why scientists need to identify them in order to conduct fair tests. |
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The
scientific method: It is
important for students to realize that the scientific method is a helpful
guide in creating and conducting experiments. Students also learn about
carefully writing a procedure that can be repeated by someone else,
meticulously collecting data, and analyzing their finding to write an
appropriate conclusion. |
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Communication:
Both written an oral communication skills are essential to the work that scientist do. Students learn to write and present their findings in a clear and thoughtful manner. Students write up lab reports and projects based on their experiments and present their findings orally to the class. |
State
Frameworks Related to This Unit:
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SCIENTIFIC
INQUIRY ¨
Scientific
inquiry is a thoughtful and coordinated attempt to search out, describe,
explain and predict natural phenomena. ¨
Scientific
inquiry progresses through a continuous process of questioning, data
collection, analysis and interpretation. ¨
Scientific
inquiry requires the sharing of findings and ideas for critical review by
colleagues and other scientists. |
SCIENTIFIC
LITERACY ¨
Scientific
literacy includes speaking, listening, presenting, interpreting, reading and
writing about science. ¨
Scientific
literacy also includes the ability to search for and assess the relevance and
credibility of scientific information found in various print and electronic
media. SCIENTIFIC
NUMERACY ¨
Scientific
numeracy includes the ability to use mathematical operations and procedures
to calculate, analyze and present scientific data and ideas. |
C INQ.1
Identify
questions that can be answered through scientific investigation. C INQ.2
Read,
interpret and examine the credibility of scientific claims in different
sources of information. C INQ.3
Design
and conduct appropriate types of scientific investigations to answer
different questions. C INQ.4
Identify
independent and dependent variables, and those variables that are kept
constant, when designing an experiment. C INQ.5
Use
appropriate tools and techniques to make observations and gather data. C INQ.6
Use
mathematical operations to analyze and interpret data. C INQ.7
Identify
and present relationships between variables in appropriate graphs. C INQ.8
Draw
conclusions and identify sources of error. C INQ.9
Provide
explanations to investigated problems or questions. C INQ.10
Communicate
about science in different formats, using relevant science vocabulary,
supporting evidence and clear logic. |