When teaching the scientific method, it's important that you also teach the scientific process skills. Check out these science activities to help you get started and grab a freebie!
Teaching the scientific method with these ten tips will help cement the scientific principles your students need to succeed in science this year - Getting Nerdy
Teach the scientific method to your students through these engaging science experiments! Check out this blog post to learn more!
Children love science experiments. They want to observe and test out #allthethings, but sometimes it’s hard to get students to understand the scientific method. Understanding the steps of a true experiment is part of every
Teaching the scientific method with these ten tips will help cement the scientific principles your students need to succeed in science this year - Getting Nerdy
These free worksheets for teaching the scientific method well help you teach the process by which this method is used.
This is a digital product. You will be sent a download link upon purchase. The scientific method is an important part of any science program. Starting from very young ages children can partake in inquiry based discovery and make guesses about what will happen, reason why they think it will happen and test their theories. This package contains: 1 Scientific Method Reference Poster 1 Simplified Scientific Method Lab Notebooking page (suitable for grades 1-4) 1 Scientific Method Lab Notebooking Page (2 pages and suitable for grades 5-8) *Please note that there are several different versions of the scientific method, the steps and the wording. I chose the one that we most utilize.
As a middle school science teacher, I always love teaching the scientific method to my students. There are so many routes you can take with teaching it, and I’ve tried many of them. If you’re gearing up to teach the scientific method, then you might benefit from reading this post. (See what I did there?) You probably have many questions. When should I teach the scientific method? What all should I include in my unit? What order should I teach the topics of the scientific method? How do I go about teaching the scientific method? In this post I’ll share what’s worked for me. Plus, you’ll find some links to FREE resources to help get you started. When Should I Teach the Scientific Method? I want my students to have a good handle on lab safety before getting started with the scientific method because it involves labs, tools, and sometimes harmful chemicals. The scientific method is important for studying science in general, so I teach it as early in the year as possible. It is my second unit (right after lab safety). I bring the scientific method up throughout the year, whenever we have labs. After winter break I have a week-long review to brush up on the more difficult aspects of the scientific method. What Should I Include in My Scientific Method Unit? In What Order Should I Teach the Topics? Obviously, all groups of students are different. My seventh graders always come in with very, very little experience with the scientific method. Knowing that, I start with the basics and go over everything I think they need to know to successfully use the scientific method. I recommend giving your students a preassessment before the unit to gauge what topics you can skip and which you need to hammer into your students’ skulls. Here are the topics I always include in my scientific method unit and the general order in which I teach them: The Steps of the Scientific Method Independent and Dependent Variables Scientific Questions Hypotheses Observations and Inferences Research and Procedures Constants/Controlled Variables Analyzing Data/Graphs Scientific Conclusions How Do I Go About Teaching the Scientific Method? In my class, each of the nine topics listed above starts with interactive notebook notes in combination with a PowerPoint. (See the video below of the interactive science notebook pages I use. They're all available in my store and you can get the INB pages in my Scientific Method Interactive Notebook Pages Bundle.) After introducing the topic via notes and a PowerPoint, the students get practice in the form of stations, activities, and/or worksheets. Lastly, I assess each topic with an exit ticket to determine if we need to keep working on the current topic or if we’re ready to move on to the next. The single most important scientific method resource I have is my Scientific Method Stations. I use them at least three times in the unit because they’re so versatile. They give students practice identifying variables, writing good hypotheses, designing procedures etc. I just post them around the room at the beginning of the unit and they stay there until the day of the unit test. I truly believe they are a great resource for the middle school science classroom. They are one of my most loved and best selling resources, so I decided to make a second set. I added my Scientific Method Stations V2 to my store in September 2023! But Really, What Do You Do for Each Topic? The Steps of the Scientific Method: I go over what the scientific method is, what it’s used for, the order of the steps, and what each step might look like. Independent and Dependent Variables: I go over the definitions of independent and dependent variables and how to identify them in an experiment. Then we practice. And practice. And practice some more. Eventually it clicks and then my students HAVE GOT IT DOWN. Scientific Questions: Students learn about what a good scientific question needs to have. We review variables again while examining good and bad scientific questions. Group work and games can be fun with this. Hypotheses: Students learn what a hypothesis is and how to write a good hypothesis. Even my best students need to learn the If/then version of writing a hypothesis because they have only been taught the “I think blah blah blah will happen” version. Hypotheses typically need a lot of practice. Here is a free coloring worksheet to help your students write good hypotheses and identify independent and dependent variables. Observations and Inferences: Students learn the definitions of qualitative and quantitative observations and how to use those to make inferences. Here is a free observation activity you can use in your class. Research and Procedures: Research is straightforward so we briefly discuss where to find accurate information. For procedure, we learn what it is, why it’s important, and what happens if a procedure is poorly written. Constants/Controlled Variables: This is hands down the hardest part of the scientific method for my students. We go over what constants are, why they are important, and how to identify them in experiments. Students need TONS of practice with this. Here is a free exit ticket to check if your students have mastered constants. Analyzing Data/Graphs: I go over where independent and dependent variables go on graphs, what good graphs include, and types of graphs. Then we practice interpreting graphs. I try to include as much data analysis throughout the year as possible because my students always need practice with this. Here is a free data analysis worksheet and a free data analysis Boom Deck. Scientific Conclusions: Students learn what should be included in a good conclusion and practice writing a good conclusion using a data table and graph from an experiment. I hope this post gives you a good starting point for planning your scientific method unit. I love teaching the scientific method and have created many resources for my students. You can find my scientific method resources here, including interactive notebook pages, activities, worksheets, and assessments. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to post a question below or message me. Thanks for reading and have a great school year! You can get another free scientific method resource just for signing up for my newsletter. Sign up for my newsletter here. I added an option in my store to get all of my scientific method resources in one discounted bundle: Scientific Method HUGE Bundle.
There is no single scientific method that all scientists follow! When we teach this topic and refer to it as "The Scientific Method" our students take this to mean that there is only one standard method that all (or most) scientists use. The scientific method presented in science classrooms and textbooks is a gross oversimplification of how scientists generally build knowledge.
Teaching the scientific method to kids can be tough. Here are some modifcations to the classic steps of the scientific method for special eduacaiton students.
It's so important that you are teaching about variables when you teach the scientific method. This post gives you ideas to help your students get started!
Scientific method for kids no longer something that is impossible. kids should be accustomed to resolve all the problems with using the scientific method. Find out more here.
Check out these fun and easy science experiments for kids! These EGGcellent EGGsperiments are a great way to teach your kids the scientific method.
The Scientific Method! Again! I'm in such a science-y mood! By the time kiddos get to me in 6th grade they can repeat it and know all about it. #thestruggleisreal to make it awesome and exciting by the time they are in 6th grade. And doing something they will remember and LOVE is such a challenge. Scientific Method Fun is found with a few centers and one lab that we do. The LAB is called "Cat's in the BAG". MEOW! I use it to setup my expectations for how I want students to complete labs (the detail, organization, and descriptions I expect). I think the first year I called it Mystery Bag but it didn't have the same allure as "Cat's in the Bag!" so thus the title stuck. 6th graders like quirky. And I do too. The purpose of this lab is to get students to write detailed notes and describe things--science isn't just science--it's writing too! To make sure your students know what is expected and how detailed they need to be it's important to set the stage for that. ALSO we make connections to the scientific method! (bags can also be just plain jane lunch bags too!) First I label all of the bags #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 (I recommend no more than 8 otherwise things can get a little out of hand). I put one object in each bag and rolllllll it shut and then I got town stapling the bags sealed. I typically pick things that my students are familiar with and are around our classroom. Even the simplest objects can throw them for a loop! I set up stations around the room and have those numbered as well. Beginning with the kiddos I set up expectations for what I will be looking for (it is the beginning of the school year so brushing off those summer cobwebs is a struggle but it has to be done!). Sometimes I show past students examples of great labs or I make up my own (both good and bad). This is a really important part so they understand while yes, this lab is play, we are also doing science. It really sets the tone for the rest of the labs so I make sure I get it right the first time. When the draw a super cool picture of what they think is in the bag...I encourage them to show their work with their groups and discuss together. This gets them excited and it also makes it so I don't get chicken scratch and lame-o work (I don't ever tell them this but you know the feeling after you've prepped and kids are doing awesome things and then you get work that is like :\ why did we do allllllll of this???). So I try and help them solve my teacher pet peeve problem without telling them about my teacher pet peeve. WIN!WIN! We go over the lab rules. Students are to guess what's in the bag they can shake, touch and gently feel the bag to see what's in it (no shaking or doing anything crazy with the bag) then they have to discuss, draw and write a detailed description about what the think it is. Then do a final check of what is in the bag. The groups have to come up with a consensus as to what it is and fully fill out their lab sheets. Students go from station to station trying to get this figured out! The big reveal. We do the whole drum roll y'all. Make it exciting and meaningful right!?! Make it MAGICAL. We reveal and there is so much energy in the room from having correctly identified things in the bag, shock as to that really weird one was a staples, and its just all so FUN and SCIENTIFIC. I also have a prize if someone guesses them all correctly but it has never happened. Ha! Then comes the discussion and connection to the scientific method (specifically about making observations, taking notes, and not guessing--have an educated guess). And they get it but you have to make these connections or else the whole lab was just play. And then the scientific method BECOMES REAL and your expectations become concrete. They weren't just guessing what was in the bags. Some are close, some are way, off, and some are spot on. And that's exactly how science works isn't it? Much like the bags the answer to our questions is hidden and we have to question, research, develop an idea, experiment, look at the data, and put the facts together. Results? Data? Which side of the fence are you on? Or are you like me and use both?!? (where's the monkey emoji covering it's eyes when you need it?!?) ALSO...I have these so we can look at the parts of the scientific method. Their exit ticket for the lab is to have a completed lab sheet. We work on a lot of this together. The question? WHAT'S IN THE BAG?, etc. So they put on finishing touches, write a reflection (how does this apply to science/the scientific method/experiments?), and turn in the lab. and TA-DAA! It's a fun one one and a great lab for the beginning of the year. My students love this and they remember it. For some it's their favorite lab throughout the school year (over roasting starbursts and caramel popcorn scale models which is shocking to me ha! but I'm all about schnacks!). If you'd like it all in a handy dandy PDF shoot me an email @ [email protected] and I'll happily pass it along. ***(update) After receiving requests for this activity from teachers all over (seriously! Israel and Zambia included) and my inbox being completely flooded (I LOVE you all!) I have posted it in my tpt store here (and follow along too)! And it is totally FREE! Still feel free to email me for a pdf or to say hello! Follow me on TPT for more school awesomeness! >>HERE!<< >>>>>>>>>>>Wanting another fun scientific method activity? Click here!<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Over and Out!
As a middle school science teacher, I always love teaching the scientific method to my students. There are so many routes you can take with teaching it, and I’ve tried many of them. If you’re gearing up to teach the scientific method, then you might benefit from reading this post. (See what I did there?) You probably have many questions. When should I teach the scientific method? What all should I include in my unit? What order should I teach the topics of the scientific method? How do I go about teaching the scientific method? In this post I’ll share what’s worked for me. Plus, you’ll find some links to FREE resources to help get you started. When Should I Teach the Scientific Method? I want my students to have a good handle on lab safety before getting started with the scientific method because it involves labs, tools, and sometimes harmful chemicals. The scientific method is important for studying science in general, so I teach it as early in the year as possible. It is my second unit (right after lab safety). I bring the scientific method up throughout the year, whenever we have labs. After winter break I have a week-long review to brush up on the more difficult aspects of the scientific method. What Should I Include in My Scientific Method Unit? In What Order Should I Teach the Topics? Obviously, all groups of students are different. My seventh graders always come in with very, very little experience with the scientific method. Knowing that, I start with the basics and go over everything I think they need to know to successfully use the scientific method. I recommend giving your students a preassessment before the unit to gauge what topics you can skip and which you need to hammer into your students’ skulls. Here are the topics I always include in my scientific method unit and the general order in which I teach them: The Steps of the Scientific Method Independent and Dependent Variables Scientific Questions Hypotheses Observations and Inferences Research and Procedures Constants/Controlled Variables Analyzing Data/Graphs Scientific Conclusions How Do I Go About Teaching the Scientific Method? In my class, each of the nine topics listed above starts with interactive notebook notes in combination with a PowerPoint. (See the video below of the interactive science notebook pages I use. They're all available in my store and you can get the INB pages in my Scientific Method Interactive Notebook Pages Bundle.) After introducing the topic via notes and a PowerPoint, the students get practice in the form of stations, activities, and/or worksheets. Lastly, I assess each topic with an exit ticket to determine if we need to keep working on the current topic or if we’re ready to move on to the next. The single most important scientific method resource I have is my Scientific Method Stations. I use them at least three times in the unit because they’re so versatile. They give students practice identifying variables, writing good hypotheses, designing procedures etc. I just post them around the room at the beginning of the unit and they stay there until the day of the unit test. I truly believe they are a great resource for the middle school science classroom. They are one of my most loved and best selling resources, so I decided to make a second set. I added my Scientific Method Stations V2 to my store in September 2023! But Really, What Do You Do for Each Topic? The Steps of the Scientific Method: I go over what the scientific method is, what it’s used for, the order of the steps, and what each step might look like. Independent and Dependent Variables: I go over the definitions of independent and dependent variables and how to identify them in an experiment. Then we practice. And practice. And practice some more. Eventually it clicks and then my students HAVE GOT IT DOWN. Scientific Questions: Students learn about what a good scientific question needs to have. We review variables again while examining good and bad scientific questions. Group work and games can be fun with this. Hypotheses: Students learn what a hypothesis is and how to write a good hypothesis. Even my best students need to learn the If/then version of writing a hypothesis because they have only been taught the “I think blah blah blah will happen” version. Hypotheses typically need a lot of practice. Here is a free coloring worksheet to help your students write good hypotheses and identify independent and dependent variables. Observations and Inferences: Students learn the definitions of qualitative and quantitative observations and how to use those to make inferences. Here is a free observation activity you can use in your class. Research and Procedures: Research is straightforward so we briefly discuss where to find accurate information. For procedure, we learn what it is, why it’s important, and what happens if a procedure is poorly written. Constants/Controlled Variables: This is hands down the hardest part of the scientific method for my students. We go over what constants are, why they are important, and how to identify them in experiments. Students need TONS of practice with this. Here is a free exit ticket to check if your students have mastered constants. Analyzing Data/Graphs: I go over where independent and dependent variables go on graphs, what good graphs include, and types of graphs. Then we practice interpreting graphs. I try to include as much data analysis throughout the year as possible because my students always need practice with this. Here is a free data analysis worksheet and a free data analysis Boom Deck. Scientific Conclusions: Students learn what should be included in a good conclusion and practice writing a good conclusion using a data table and graph from an experiment. I hope this post gives you a good starting point for planning your scientific method unit. I love teaching the scientific method and have created many resources for my students. You can find my scientific method resources here, including interactive notebook pages, activities, worksheets, and assessments. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to post a question below or message me. Thanks for reading and have a great school year! You can get another free scientific method resource just for signing up for my newsletter. Sign up for my newsletter here. I added an option in my store to get all of my scientific method resources in one discounted bundle: Scientific Method HUGE Bundle.
Many upper elementary science teachers start the year teaching their students about science process skills and scientific practices like: working safely in the lab using science tools asking questions planning and carrying out investigations analyzing and interpreting data constructing explanations with claims, evidence, and reasoning Here are some resources and ideas that can help make ... Read more
Looking for a unique way to help your class learn the scientific method? Students will love this scientific method flipbook.
Why is it that kids LOVE science so much? Is it because they like the idea of being scientists with lab coats and safety goggles? Is it because they want to conduct science experiments and make things explode? Is it because they are thrilled at the thought of discovering some groundbreaking new truth in their ... Read More about Teaching The Scientific Method Unit Using Pickles
Still teaching scientific method? Yes, you can use traditional strategies as part of the newer NGSS science and engineering practices.
With this Water Balloon Science Experiment we are teaching the scientific process and encouraging inquiry based activities to prove theories.
Looking to start your year with a bang? Including some engaging scientific method experiments provides a solid foundation for any high school science course.
Teach the scientific method to your students through these engaging science experiments! Check out this blog post to learn more!
In middle school science, I feel like it is important for students to really understand the steps of the scientific method. Knowing the order of the steps isn’t necessarily that important to me, but understanding each of the steps and what they entail is. I view the steps of the scientific method more as a way of thinking and problem solving than simply a way to conduct an experiment. Yes, students should know how to conduct an experiment correctly and they’ll need the steps for their future science classes. However, I realize most of my students won’t become scientists and won’t use the steps outside of school. What all of my students will need, regardless of their future career choices, is a way to approach and solve the problems that come their way. The scientific method can help with that, so that’s how I choose to present it to my students. Consider the six steps of the scientific method. Make an observation and ask a question about it Research if needed Make a hypothesis Test the hypothesis in an experiment Record and analyze the data Write a conclusion Students can use these steps to solve problems in their everyday, middle school lives. When I introduce the scientific method, I bring in a problem they can relate to. I don’t know about your students, but my students are always having some kind of friendship drama. So I walk my students through the steps of the scientific method in relation to a quarrel with a buddy. Make an observation and ask a question about it: You notice your best friend Ashleigh is being frosty to you but extra friendly to everyone else in your friend group. You ask yourself “Why is Ashleigh mad at me?” Research if needed: You ask your friends why Ashleigh is mad. Then you look through your Facebook posts to see if you wrote anything offensive. You see that yesterday you wrote a post saying Ashleigh’s skinny jeans don’t make her look very skinny. Make a hypothesis: You’re pretty sure Ashleigh is mad about your post. You think to yourself “If I remove the skinny jeans post and make a new Facebook post about my insensitivity, then Ashleigh will stop being mad at me.” Test the hypothesis in an experiment: As soon as you get home from school, you delete the old post and write a new Facebook post about how you made a mean and unfunny joke about a friend and how sorry you are about hurting her feelings. For good measure, you add that you’re a little jealous because you wish you had her curves. Record and analyze the data: Within an hour you have 67 likes on your new post and 13 comments praising your apology. You also have one rude comment from your annoying little brother, but he’s stupid and doesn’t matter. You get a message from Ashleigh saying that she forgives you and asks if you want to go shopping this weekend. Write a conclusion: You learned you shouldn’t write or say mean things about your friends (or anyone else…except your annoying little brother), and apologizing and admitting you’re wrong is important. In the future, you will treat your friends better. I think it’s important for students to realize the scientific method reaches beyond the science classroom. Besides the example above, I also use the Steps of the Scientific Method Activity with Rappers Scenarios. (You can learn more about the rapper activity here.) Using examples students can relate to and seeing how they and others can use the steps in their daily lives will help them remember the steps and actually understand them. With practice, they’ll begin to approach problems and work towards solutions differently. In order to give my students more practice with the steps of the scientific method, I use card sorting activities. My students enjoy them and the activities are more hands on than other approaches. In my Teachers Pay Teachers store you’ll find a set of three card sorting lessons about the scientific method. Each lesson can be used in multiple ways and comes in both English and Spanish so I can reach all of my students. (You can purchase the card sorting activities here.) Lesson Option 1 The first lesson option is a group card sorting activity. I use this activity as practice for my students at the beginning of the year when they’re first learning about the scientific method and again after winter break as a review. In this activity, the students work together to sort the cards into the six steps of the scientific method. For each step, there are five cards: a number card, a step description card, a step explanation card, and two example cards. Take a look at the picture below to see an example of each type of card. This activity gets students to understand what is involved in each step and see what it might look like in an experiment or a problem a student might encounter. The students can work together and discuss the groupings of the cards. After all the cards have been grouped, I have my students complete a two-part reflection sheet individually. The first part is about how well they would have done by themselves. For part two, the students pick out key words and phrases from the example cards and explain how those key words indicate what step the example was a part of. I like it because it gets the students thinking about why it represents a step and not just where a card should be placed. Lesson Option 2 The second lesson option is an individual card sorting activity. I use this activity instead of the group activity for my classes that get a little wild when given any kind of freedom. (It seems like there is always one of those that needs a constant thumb pushing down on it.) Alternatively, I sometimes use it in all of my classes as an assessment part way through the scientific method unit. I do this by having the students glue the cards on a paper to hand in. This lesson option has a lot of possible purposes: a review, a pre-assessment, formative assessment, or summative assessment. I’ve used it as a quick activity where students just sort the cards. And I’ve extended it by having students complete a reflection sheet where they explain how the examples represent each step. Lesson Option 3 The third lesson option I use with our interactive notebooks. The students sort the cards and glue them into their interactive notebooks instead of taking traditional notes. When they’re done gluing the cards, they have the steps in order, a description of what the steps contain, and an example of each step to refer back to in the future. You can use the cards as a part of your lesson and arrange the cards together as a class. Or you can give your lesson about the steps and then have the students arrange the cards afterward as a way to practice what they just learned. If there is time left over in class, I encourage my students to color their cards in a way that is meaningful for them. For example, they might color all of the steps in yellow, the descriptions in red, and the examples in blue. Or they might color all of the step one cards in red and step two cards orange and continue on in the order of the rainbow. While the steps of the scientific method are important for students to learn for their future classes and possible future science careers, I think it is more important for students to learn about the steps so they can use them in their everyday lives as a problem solving technique. When the steps are presented in this way, alongside of the typical science context, I find this approach helps students remember the order of the steps, understand why each step is important, be more motivated to learn the material, and be more likely to use the steps in real life outside of school. If you're interested in using these any of these card sorting activities in your classroom, take a look at the Steps of the Scientific Method Card Sorting Activities in my TpT store. Are you a middle school science teacher? Sign up for my newsletter! You'll get a free scientific method resource just for joining.
It's so important that you are teaching about variables when you teach the scientific method. This post gives you ideas to help your students get started!
Why is it that kids LOVE science so much? Is it because they like the idea of being scientists with lab coats and safety goggles? Is it because they want to conduct science experiments and make things explode? Is it because they are thrilled at the thought of discovering some groundbreaking new truth in their ... Read More about Teaching The Scientific Method Unit Using Pickles
FREE scientific method worksheets for elementary and middle school. Guided template for independent investigations, coloring sheet, cut and ...
Using the scientific method with kids is a great way to introduce how to ask questions, set up an experiment, and test results.
Do you teach the scientific method to your students? Do your students have a hard time remembering what the specific steps are in the scientific method
Many upper elementary science teachers start the year teaching their students about science process skills and scientific practices like: working safely in the lab using science tools asking questions planning and carrying out investigations analyzing and interpreting data constructing explanations with claims, evidence, and reasoning Here are some resources and ideas that can help make ... Read more
Scientific Method Worksheet High School. Scientific Method Worksheet High School. Scientific Method Worksheets High School Scientific Method
Use this free activity to teach your students the steps of the scientific method with your grade 4 5 6 science students.
Teach the scientific method to your students through these engaging science experiments! Check out this blog post to learn more!
Make science fun! Use this free printable Scientific Method Cootie Catcher for easy & interactive educational fun with kids.
Today kids can learn the 6 steps of the scientific method in a super easy way. The scientific investigation steps are the way that real scientists move
I LOVE SCIENCE. I LOVE SCIENCE. Can I tell you that I used to hate science? I was so nervous to teach it because a) I didn't like it b) I WAS totally not a science person! So I had no choice and I decided to set some science aspirations for myself. My goals were to be the science teachers that was FUN/ENGAGING, FULL OF EXPLORATION AND UNDERSTANDING, AND HANDS ON. If you teach science...I'm pretty sure we have that in common! Well, now science is easily the thing I look forward to almost and I may or may not say "hurry up and read for thirty minutes so we can do SCIENCE!" eeeeeks. I value reading too! I do! I just can't make up my mind which one is my favorite! I just want to share a QUICK and FUN thing/activity/groupish thing that I do with my kiddos--I don't really know what to call it! (But if you do please let me know! ;) By the time kiddos get to me in 6th grade they are Scientific Methoded Out. Have you ever seen this syndrome in kids? Like I get blank stares and I can't rumble any enthusiasm because there is absolutely none. SO. Nothing gets kids excited more than Bill Nye right??! WRONG! Episodes of MYTHBUSTERS! I watch and select edited episodes {without language} but it still feels so rebellious and AWESOME to watch them at school. And 6th graders just wanna be rebellious sometimes, so I humor them every once in a while (ha!). Let's start. We go over the scientific method and each group gets this handy dandy and cute speech bubble. Each group is to look for and recognize the steps in the scientific method but be the CLASS EXPERTS on a specific part--determined by their handy dandy and cute speech bubble. Si! So they are paying attention the whole time and are accountable by having to present! So we watch this Mythbusters Video about walking on water...is it possible??? The bonus is it's like 4 minutes long--so quick and easy and fun (I promised that...delivering). Sorry about the super weird screen shot. There are something's that I just can't make cute! My students have a recording sheet but I tell them not to write anything down...just watch! It's a quick clip and as a group they can all work together to fill out the information. They are pumped and excited and gawking over that facial hair because mustaches are still a thing! They've watched and are discussing what in the awesome world just happened in this video. In groups, they discuss the scientific method and how they saw it in action. They are also perfecting their part that they need to present--full of detail and information. Then I begin asking each group about their specific part and lo and behold...the SCIENTIFIC METHOD IS alive and well. They turn in their lab sheet, I check it, and then they keep it in their science binder and jot down the info in their note tracker. I love this because they love it and see that the scientific method isn't this long drawn out process all of the time {it is sometimes kids!}. I try and pull clips of several of these (mythbusters or other experiments) so they can see the real process throughout the week and throughout the year. If I see something on the news, we discuss it! We also do lots of quick labs (there are two types of labs in my classroom--big labs and little labs :) that have them exploring the scientific process! Anyways, SCIENCE IS AWESOME. And grab this handy dandy printable about the scientific method HERE. I couldn't decide on past and present tense or which pronouns I liked so I added them ALL. Sometimes I like my students to plan things out in advance but sometimes they also use these to reflect on things? It's in my store and as always I LOVE feedback "This is so cute!" "Can't wait to use this" "I LOVE SCIENCE TOO"...let me know and FOLLOW me too! I appreciate it all! So SCIENCE. YES. Over and Out!
Need fun activities to teach the scientific method? Check out these ideas to use with your science students in grades 4 5 6.
The scientific method for kids helps kids explore how things work. The steps will encourage your kid to find the answer to their favorite question, "why?"
Lesson Plan Ideas for teaching the Scientific Method - Getting Nerdy Science
Introduction to the scientific method and a printable scientific method worksheet for kids.
Back-to-school season is here. It's time for science teachers to review the scientific method. Try something new and unique this year- comics.
Looking to start your year with a bang? Including some engaging scientific method experiments provides a solid foundation for any high school science course.
When teaching the scientific method, it's important that you also teach the scientific process skills. Check out these science activities to help you get started and grab a freebie!
