The Nature of Science: The Scientific Method

Name: Alexa DAuria

Grade/ Subject Area: 5/ Science, Math, ELA

Community Attributes: This lesson plan was constructed for a fifth grade inclusion classroom at P.S
86. The students are all below grade level in ELA and Mathematics. There are 16 girls and 14 boys. One
student is Asian American, five students are of African American descent, and the majority of the class,
24 students, are either of Latino or Hispanic American descent. The classroom has five groups of desk
facing each other, with six students in each group. Each student in a group varies in ability.
Date of Lesson: 11/11/13

NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS

NYS Science Scope and Sequence
Unit 1: The Nature of ScienceHow do scientists gather and share information?
Intermediate Level Major Understandings
S1.2a S2.1b,c S2.2b,c,d,e S2.3b,c Identify questions and formulate hypothesis; design
and conduct scientific investigations to answer those questions.
S2.1d S3.1a,b Employ tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
M3.1a Use mathematics in scientific inquiry.
S3.2a,b,c Use data to construct reasonable explanations. Evaluate your hypothesis in
light of the data.
S1.3 S3.2d,e Develop and communicate explanations using evidence.
M1.1a S2.2d Identify dependent and independent variables.
General Skills (from NYS Core Curriculum)
Follow safety procedures in the classroom and laboratory.
Safely and accurately use the following measurement tools: metric ruler,
graduated cylinder, thermometer
Use appropriate units for measured or calculated values.
Recognize and analyze patterns and trends.
Sequence events.
Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
Common Core ELA Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and
texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing
ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support
main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

PURPOSE and Essential Questions

A. Background Summary: Experimental design is part of the scientific inquiry approach. In
order to achieve the goal of scientific inquiry, which is to obtain knowledge in the form of
testable explanations that can predict the results of future experiments, scientists use the
scientific method. There are six steps in the scientific method. They include the problem or
question, information (background), hypothesis, experiment/procedure, results, and a
conclusion. It is important for students to use their background knowledge to help formulate

questions to acquire new/more knowledge. The basic academic language associated with the
scientific method will be emphasized to help with further understanding.
B. Rationale: One of the essential concepts in the nature of science is the scientific method.
Prior to learning the steps in the scientific method, the students will learn how to start an
experiment with a question and apply background information to form an educated guess or
hypothesis, using the terms associated with the independent and dependent variable. The
students will conduct an experiment to prove whether their hypothesis is correct.
C. Essential Questions:

What is a hypothesis?
How do we write a hypothesis?
What other information is needed to create a hypothesis?

OBJECTIVE(S)
Student will be able to
Identify independent variables and dependent variables
Identify and create a problem
Define a hypothesis
Create a hypothesis

Record observations

Develop and communicate explanations using evidence and data

Measure the mass of an object using a scale
Calculate the density of a liquid using the formula: Density = mass x volume

VOCABULARY & KEY TERMS/Ideas

Independent variablewhat is being manipulated, changed on purpose
Dependent variablewhat is being measured, changed as a result of independent variable
Hypothesisan educated guess, an if, then statement
Densityhow heavy a liquid is, measured by calculating the liquids mass (using a scale)
times its volume (using the numbers labeled on the graduated cylinder)

PRE-ASSESSMENT
Prior to this lesson, the students have mastered the concept of identifying independent,
dependent, and controlled variables. The students are familiar with making predictions while
reading. The students are now ready to learn the relationship between a prediction and a
hypothesis, as well as create their own hypothesis based on given situations and experiments.

LESSON PRESENTATION:

SET-INDUCTION (15 mins)

The teacher will ask the students to take out their science notebooks and open to a
blank page.
The teacher will explain to the class that todays science lesson is similar to how
we make predictions as we are reading
What is a prediction?
The teacher will explain that the scientific term for prediction is hypothesis.
A hypothesis is an educated guess. It is based on your observations and your
problem/question.
Teacher will provide an example of an independent variable (exercise) and a
dependent variable (heart rate) and ask the students to depict which variable is
which
The teacher will ask the students to create a question using these variables (Does
the type of exercise effect heart rate? Does heart rate change in response to
different types of exercises?)
The teacher will ask the class again what the independent variable is and
dependent variable is and underline both terms in different colors on the
Smartboard
The teacher will make sure the class is copying what she is writing on the
Smartboard.
The teacher will call on students who do not seem to be paying attention or
listening to their classmates.
The teacher will allow one student to choose another independent and dependent
variable
The teacher will ask the class to create a question and then a hypothesis using
those variables in an if, then statement

PROCEDURE (each jeopardy box will take 5 mins for a total of 30 mins)
The teacher will make sure the students understand and think they are ready for a
game of jeapordy
Divide the class into two groups
Notify the class that even though they are competing, each individual must
participate in solving the problem, whether it is your group answering the
question or not because if a group gets the answer wrong, then the other group has
the chance to answer
the group with the most points will decide whether the class has a free homework
pass or a Thanksgiving festival before Thanksgiving break
The teacher will keep a tally chart on the white board and will allow teams to
create their team name
Using Your Senses Lab experiments
Hypothetical
Situations
100
100
100
200
200
200

Using your senses: 100 pointsthere will be a two identical mystery boxes with
an apple inside, each student will receive a handout that is broken down into
steps:

1. Shake and listen

a. Observations
b. What I expect it to smell like
2. Smell
a. Observations
b. What I expect it to feel like
3. Touch
a. Observations
b. What I expect it to look like
4. Make a hypothesis in sentence form, using evidence from
observations, to guess what it is.
The teacher will tell the students to work together in their groups and make sure
they have the same answers written down because different people in the group
will be called on for each part of their answer.
If the students make appropriate observations and give the correct name of the
object in the box, they will get the points. However, if both teams make the same
mistake and are partly correct, they will divide the points.
Using your senses: 200 pointsOne student in each group will be given the
word popcorn and will be instructed to use their body and knowledge to get
their group to figure out what the object is. When the group that selected this
jeapordy box figures it out, they must tell the teacher what it is. The groups may
not communicate with each other because if the first group gets it wrong after
three tries, the other group gets three chances to guess. One group member must
explain how they figured out the answer.
Lab experiments: 100 pointsthere will be two lab experiments set up for each
group of students. Each student will receive a handout to fill in while conducting
the experiment. Problem: How does the density of a liquid affect where it will
layer in a cup?
1. Hypothesis: If a liquid is denser, then it will
2. Measure the density of the water and the oil separately using the scale.
Use the formula D=m/v to calculate the density. You may use a
calculator. Record your data.
3. Pour the 50 ml of water and the 50 ml of oil into the empty cylinder.
4. Draw and label the layers in the cup.
5. Is your hypothesis supported by the results of your investigation?
Explain.
Lab Experiments: 200 pointsthere will be two lab experiments set up for each
group of students. Each student will receive a handout to fill in while conducting
the experiment. The teacher will ensure that the students are working together and
communicating their thoughts
1. Instructions:
a. Poor water into the glass until it is about half full
b. Stir in salt
c. Carefully and slowly poor in water until glass is nearly full
2. Before putting the egg in the water, create a problem or a question to
determine what this experiment is seeking to find out.
3. Write observations of what the water looks like, and draw a picture of
it.
4. Create a hypothesis: If I put the egg in the water, then
5. Place the egg in the water. What happens? Draw a picture.
6. Did this result support your hypothesis?

Hypothetical situations: 100 points The teacher will give the class this
situation: My friend and I are growing roses outside. However, her plant seems to
be growing faster than mine. My plant looks like it is dying. Why? What can I do
to save my plant? Each group must create three possible hypotheses that may
explain this. (sunlight, water, fertilizer) *hint- what do plants need to grow?
Hypothetical situations: 200 pointsThe teacher will ask the group to come up
with their own situation, problem/question, and identify one hypothesis.

CLOSURE (2 mins)
Finally, the students will fill out an exit-slip and write three things they learned in science
today, without using their notes.

MATERIALS

Smartboard

Science notebook
Pencils
2 boxes with half of an apple in it
Using your senses: 100 points handout
2 strips of paper with the word popcorn written on it
2 scales
2 calculators
Lab experiments: 100 points handout
Two cylinders with 50ml of water
Two cylinders with 50ml of oil
Lab experiments: 200 points handout
2 measuring cups filled with water
2 empty cylinders
2 cups filled with 6 tablespoons of salt
2 eggs

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY or ASSIGNMENT

The following day, the students will participate in an experiment on hypothesis using chocolates.
The students will be divided into three groups and will measure how fast chocolate melts and
different room temperatures.

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT
The students will be evaluated and assessed formatively in their groups. The teacher will have a
checklist for each group. The students names will be on that list with lines next to them
indicating whether they communicated well with the group and performed the experiment
appropriately. There will be space for comments on behavior.

10 DIFFERENTIATION
This lesson satisfies the needs of Special Education children with strength in:

Verbal/linguistic intelligences because they read the teachers examples on the

Smartboard, communicate with their team members, and read the problems in the
jeopardy game
Visual/spatial intelligences because they will see the teacher write the students responses
on the Smartboard, see the jeopardy game, and see the experiments set up in front of
them
Kinesthetic intelligence because the students move around the classroom, they will be
able to physically touch the parts of each experiment.
The lesson involves a lot of organizing and communication with each other, which is a
component of interpersonal intelligence.
It satisfies the needs of children with disabilities by having a lot of visual and hands-on
activities.
Students who are auditory learners have the opportunity to listen to the teacher give
instructions and work with a group. The students will listen to each others opinions
It is a great opportunity for students to socialize and work together. This correlates with
Vygotskys theory as the students work in groups to conduct experiments and play
jeopardy.
If a student is struggling, the teacher can place that student in a group with other students
who are succeeding in the class.

11 Reference List
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/5
http://schools.nyc.gov/Documents/STEM/Science/K8ScienceSS.pdf
http://gk12calbio.berkeley.edu/lessons/less_makingobs.html
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/floatingeggs.html