Your Name: April Kauffman
Name of Strategy: Experiential Learning, Experiment, Post-Reading Activity
Source (Where did this come from?): Guide to Science Experiments ( http://www.abcteach.com/ )
Link to the Strategy: http://www.abcteach.com/free/s/science_scientificmethod_upperelem.pdf
Give a thorough description of the strategy and how it will be implemented. This should be a summary of the strategy according to the original source:
This guide will be used as a post-reading activity relating to the Scientific Method. Students will write up an experiment along with the students described in these activities. Students then compare each step in the process with the vocabulary words to see how to use the scientific method to perform an experiment in a real-life situation. Students will go through each step and arrive at a conclusion, and then write a written report.
Explain what part of the standard course of study is addressed by this activity.
8th grade Science
COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
Objectives
1.01 Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
1.02 Develop appropriate experimental procedures for:
- Given questions.
- Student generated questions.
1.03 Apply safety procedures in the laboratory and in field studies:
- Recognize potential hazards.
- Safely manipulate materials and equipment.
- Conduct appropriate procedures.
1.04 Analyze variables in scientific investigations:
- Identify dependent and independent.
- Use of a control.
- Manipulate.
- Describe relationships between.
- Define operationally.
1.05 Analyze evidence to:
- explain observations.
- make inferences and predictions.
- develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
1.06 Use mathematics to gather, organize, and present quantitative data resulting from scientific investigations:
- Measurement.
- Analysis of data.
- Graphing.
- Prediction models.
1.07 Prepare models and/or computer simulations to:
- Test hypotheses.
- Evaluate how data fit.
- Make predictions.
1.08 Use oral and written language to:
- Communicate findings.
- Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
- Describe strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and/or data
1.09 Use technologies and information systems to:
- Research.
- Gather and analyze data.
- Visualize data.
- Disseminate findings to others.
1.10 Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
- Scientific text.
- Articles.
- Events in the popular press.
Explain why you think this strategy will work. How does the strategy help your students learn?
After completing the reading assigned in the text for scientific method, this guide will allow the students to conduct several additional experiments. They will have the opportunity to practice writing a complete lab report using the appropriate vocabulary and procedures.
There are numerous experiments in this guide to be used as needed to reinforce the scientific method procedures. I would begin with a whole class experiment. We would conduct the experiment and use the smart board to write our appropriate lab report as a group. The students would be asked guided questions based on their reading and the experiment as other students write the responses on the board. We will discuss which ideas are appropriate and work together to get the best answers. After completing this experiment as a class, the students, working in lab partner groups, will be assigned further experiments working with greater independence.
I think this guide is very useful. Not only does it provide multiple step by step experiments to practice becoming familiar with the scientific method, but it also gives teachers several ideas on games to help keep students familiar with vocabulary terms used in the discussion of the scientific method.
