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State Standards | Classroom Demonstrations | Classroom Activity

State Standards

GRADE THREE

Investigation and Experimentation

5. 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 three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Repeat observations to improve accuracy and know that the results of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same because of differences in the things being investigated, methods being used, or uncertainty in the observation.

b. Differentiate evidence from opinion and know that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.

c. Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements.

d. Predict the outcome of a simple investigation and compare the result with the prediction.

e. Collect data in an investigation and analyze those data to develop a logical conclusion.

Investigation and Experimentation

9. 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 three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis.

b. Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data.

c. Distinguish between variable and controlled parameters in a test.

Investigation and Experimentation

1. 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. Students will:

a. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data.

b. Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable experimental error.

c. Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.

d. Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence.

f. Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms.

g. Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and theories as scientific representations of reality.

j. Recognize the issues of statistical variability and the need for controlled tests.

k. Recognize the cumulative nature of scientific evidence.

l. Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from more than one area of science.

m. Investigate a science-based societal issue by researching the literature, analyzing data, and communicating the findings. Examples of issues include irradiation of food, cloning of animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer, choice of energy sources, and land and water use decisions in California.

n. Know that when an observation does not agree with an accepted scientific theory, the observation is sometimes mistaken or fraudulent (e.g., the Piltdown Man fossil or unidentified flying objects) and that the theory is sometimes wrong (e.g., the Ptolemaic model of the movement of the Sun, Moon, and planets).

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Classroom Demonstrations

Brain Pop
This site contains a 3-4 minute animated movie, an interactive quiz, and an experiment to learn more about the scientific method.

Want to learn more about bees? This website provides excellent activities and worksheets for students of all grade levels.

The Process of Scientific Inquiry
A fun activity to learn about the process of scientific inquiry.

Insect Biodiversity
Learn about biodiversity by collecting insects from your own backyard. After you catch or observe some insects brainstorm a theory about insects and how to test it.

Nature Songs
Listen to many different animal sounds.

The Waggle Dance
Watch an animated bee dance.

Why do bees sting?
How are bee societies organized? What actually happens when a bee stings you?

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Classroom Activity

Scientists often follow what is called the "Scientific Method" when conducting a scientific investigation. Although all experiments do not follow the same steps in the same order, many follow a pattern similar to the one described here. This list of steps is designed to help you conduct scientific research and come up with a possible science fair project of your own:

1. Select a topic or subject to focus on.
2. Research the subject
3. Determine a question that you would like to attempt to answer, otherwise known as your "statement of the problem."
4. Write a hypothesis
5. Plan the experimental design.
6. Conduct the experiment.
7. Make observations
8. Analyze the results
9. Write a report and abstract of your findings
10. Prepare an exhibit and/or presentation to share your findings.

Selecting a Topic

Selecting a topic can be the most difficult step. There is often a lot of work involved in conducting a scientific investigation. Since you will be devoting so much of your time to your experiment, why not choose a topic that you are interested in? Learning about a topic you like will keep you motivated and help you maintain enthusiasm for your research. As you saw in the video clip, Dr. Nieh was excited about his research and as a result was driven to learn more.

Here are some important factors to ask yourself when deciding on a topic for a science fair project or scientific investigation:

• Is your project idea realistic? Do you have the resources and time needed to conduct the type of experiment your interested in?

• Is your idea to complex? Keep it simple, you dont have to answer all of the mysteries of the universe in one project. Focus your project on a specific area or question you have about your field.

• Will the project be one that produces measurable data? Measurable data is important. Your results should be in quantitative measurements. This means using numbers and units to present your findings rather than qualitative descriptions.

• Are you interested in this topic? Is this an area you want to spend days, months or even years of your time learning about?

Researching the Subject

Once you have chosen your project topic, now you can start researching to become more knowledgeable in your field. A typical science fair project report describes this area as the "Review of Literature." By searching scientific literature you may find an area or particular effect that is not well known or completely researched, this could be the basis of a good experiment.

Statement of the Problem

The statement of the problem is where you introduce the question that you are going to be investigating. It should be written in the form of a question. For example, one of Dr. Niehs questions was "Do stingless bees use a complex language of dance and sound to communicate?"

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is your predicted answer to the question presented in the statement of the problem. It should be based on the background research that you completed. For example, Dr. Niehs hypothesis was "Stingless bees use a complex language of dance and sound to communicate."

Plan the Experimental Design

Determine your experimental procedures
The procedures are the steps designed to test the hypothesis. They should be written so that you or another researcher could easily replicate the experiment. In a well-designed experiment you need to keep all variables the same except for one. A variable is any factor that can change in an experiment. Here is an explanation of different types of variables and the role they play in your project:

Independent Variable - this is the cause of the change in your experiment.

Dependent Variable - this is the effect of what happens when one factor is varied in your experiment.

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Lesson developed by Wendi Snodgrass, 8th grade science teacher, Kieller Middle School, San Diego Unified School District.