Begin this lesson by showing the slide show How To Conduct A Science Investigation (S-4-6-1_PowerPoint Presentation.pptx). Show students slides 1–8. Use the following slide notes to present the lessons and introduce vocabulary: If a projector is unavailable, refer to the PDF version (S-4-6-1_PowerPoint Presentation PDF.pdf or print out the PowerPoint lesson in a notes format by following these instructions:
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CONTROL PRINT or Click on FILE and scroll down to PRINT
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Under the PRINT WHAT tab, click on HANDOUTS
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Under the HANDOUTS tab, click on 4 PER PAGE.
Slide Show
Slide 1: “Today we are going to looking at a slide show and practice our skills of observation. Who can tell me what it means to observe? How do we observe? Why is this skill important for scientists?”
Slide 2: “Why do we need a process to follow?”
Slide 3: “Science is the way we learn about the world through our curiosity. It helps us answer questions about the world around us.”
Slide 4: “Introduce the scientific method of conducting an investigation. Explain that this method helps scientists conduct investigations in a uniform way.”
Slide 5: “Today we will be CSI members. We will be Conducting Scientific Investigations. We will be looking at the skills needed to conduct good investigations to find the answers to questions and find results. This is the road map that we will use. These are the steps that will get us through the investigation. Read the following questions on how to plan and implement an experiment.”
Slide 6: “One of the most important parts of an investigation is making observations. Some scientists call this a ‘Descriptive investigation’. Let’s look at what we mean when we say ‘making observations’.”
Slide 7: Explain to students the That’s a Puzzle to Me activity. Hand out copies of the Puzzle Piece Observation Sheet (S-4-6-1_Puzzle Piece Observation Sheet.doc).
That’s a Puzzle to Me
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Show students a large container of puzzle pieces. Make sure you have at least 50 pieces that are center pieces not edges.
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Give students directions that they are to come up one at a time and draw one puzzle piece from the container.
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Have students draw a puzzle piece from the container and when all students have taken a puzzle piece say, “I want you to observe your puzzle piece. Record your observations on your Puzzle Piece Observation Sheet.”
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Allow students time to observe their puzzle piece and record their observations.
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When students have recorded their observations have them return their puzzle pieces to the container. Mix up the puzzle pieces for more difficulty.
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Spread the puzzle pieces out so that students can come up a few at a time and retrieve their puzzle piece. Note: Some students may be able to retrieve their puzzle piece; others may not.
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When most students have found their puzzle pieces, give remaining students a puzzle piece.
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This time tell students they are to observe their puzzle piece again and record their observations.
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Have students again return their pieces to the container.
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Spread the pieces out again and ask students to find their piece again.
After students have found their puzzle pieces the second time, ask the following questions: “What made finding your puzzle piece easier the second time? Why do you think making good observations is important?” Sometimes when we are observing we are just seeing things. Observations in science mean that we are looking and wanting to know the answers to questions.
View the rest of the slides (8–12) to complete the steps for conducting scientific investigations.
Making Observations or Inferences
“Now let’s look at a video that gives us more practice on making observations.” Show students the video title Observation vs. Inference http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-tPhWF2zPSwk/observation_vs_inference/
Ask the following questions about the video: “How many of you made the observation that it was a candle? How many of you were surprised to see the person in the video bite the ‘candle’? What would have allowed you to determine that it was not a candle? What questions do you have about this video after making your observations?”
Class Discussion
“We have been talking about making observations. Scientists use observations to answer questions. You had questions about the candle video. Because of your observations you have questions that need to be answered. How would you design an investigation to answer your questions? Investigations help answer questions but they also may lead to more questions. Scientists use observations to answer questions and sometimes find answers.”
Extension:
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Challenge students to create a video describing how to make good observations.
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Put together a “feel” box for students. Students will place their hands inside a box. They cannot see the object in the box but must use their senses to describe the object.
