Using the scientific method to solve real-life problems
TIME ESTIMATE: 1 hour 15 minutes
LEARNING STYLE: Visual, auditory, hands-on
VOCABULARY:
Terminology: particular words used in a specific field of study.
Scientific Journal: an academic source for information/articles of a specific subject matter.
Food Desert: a physical area where people have limited access to healthy or affordable food options.
LESSON SUMMARY: This lesson aims to show how the scientific method can be used in daily life. Students will think of a problem they would like to solve in their lives using the scientific method. Students will complete a worksheet that guides them through the scientific method to solve their problems. Students will also get to think about science and society by participating in the Get Off the Fence activity where they can express their opinions about modern-day science.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:
Identify at least one issue facing their community or school.
Describe the preliminary design of an experiment that would address an issue facing their community or school.
Students will be able to identify resources needed for the design of their experiment.
Students will be able to describe how and with whom they will share their findings.
MATERIALS:
Candy
Agree/Disagree signs for the get off the fence activity
Printed worksheets
Kahoot link
2 small whiteboards
2 whiteboard markers
2 whiteboard erasers
BACKGROUNDINFORMATION: The scientific method is often practiced in 6 steps: observe, question, hypothesis, experiment, analyze and report. Although it is mostly employed in the scientific world, the goal of the scientific method is to construct and test a hypothesis, which can be employed in many different fields. For example, the scientific method can be employed in addressing small daily problems. Let’s take microwave popcorn as an example, students might have the observation of not all their popcorn popped after being microwaved. Then students can raise the question of why didn’t all the popcorn pop at the same time and come up with a hypothesis like the popcorn did not pop at the same time because popcorn on the outside absorbs all the radiation and thus popcorn on the inside do not receive enough energy to pop. Students will then run an experiment to collect data on the distribution of popped popcorn and un-popped popcorn. With the data collected, students can analyze it to see if the hypothesis is correct and share the findings with friends. Get Off the Fence is an activity where students chose whether they strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree with the prompts provided. In this activity, students can express their opinions without talking and get a sense of the classroom opinions at the same time. This activity can be very helpful when students are not as talkative and prompt students to talk more when they see people have or do not have the same opinions as them. COLORADO ACADEMIC STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
Standard 1: Physical Science-Academic Context and Connections.1 1. Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly. (Plan and Carry Out an Investigation) (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
ASSESSMENT SUGGESTIONS: In groups, students will compare two experiments performed in previous lessons. Students will complete a worksheet at the end of the class which will require them to use the scientific method to solve an issue impacting their school or community.
ADVANCED PREPARATION:
Prepare examples of using the scientific method to explore different types of social, political, economic, and environmental issues.
Print worksheets
Tape agree/disagree signs to either side of the room before class begins.
Have the Kahoot set up on the projector at the beginning of class.
RESOURCES/REFERENCES: Pedaste, M., Mäeots, M., Siiman, L. A., de Jong, T., van Riesen, S. A. N., Kamp, E. T., Manoli, C. C., Zacharia, Z. C., & Tsourlidaki, E. (2015). Phases of inquiry-based learning: Definitions and the inquiry cycle. Educational Research Review, 14, 47–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.02.003
Nelson, T.H., & Moscovici, H. (1998). Shifting from Activitymania to Inquiry. Science and Children, 35, 14.
PROCEDURE AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS WITH TIME ESTIMATE: