Taylor Schuck and Kelsey Goodson

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Title

How do Scientists Think?

Subject Area

Science: Structure and Properties of Matter

Grade Level

Grade 2

Summary of the Lesson

Students will engage in the scientific thought

process via their experimentation. Students
will be able to hypothesize, investigate, draw
conclusions from said investigation, and
communicate their results via academic
language. The goal of the lesson is to
familiarize students with the scientific method
thought process.

Title of the Lesson

Warm water vs. Cold water.

Academic Standards

2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an

investigation to describe and classify
dierent kinds of materials by their
observable properties. [Clarification
Statement: Observations could include
color, texture, hardness, and flexibility.
Patterns could include the similar
properties that

dierent materials share.]

2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from

testing dierent materials to determine
which materials have the properties that
are best suited for an intended purpose.*
[Clarification Statement: Examples of
properties could include, strength,
flexibility, hardness, texture, and

Objectives

The students will be able to identify and

demonstrate scientific methods and
phrases.
The students will be able to raise
questions about the world and investigate
them by observing.
The students will be able to explain that
similar results should occur when
investigations are repeated.

Explain how scientists are continually looking

for new ways to solve problems.

Vocabulary: Three Tier

Investigate, draw conclusions, hypothesis,

communicate.

Estimated Time

1 hour and 15 minutes

Materials Required

Cups, water, food coloring, tape and a

marker, and student worksheets

Procedure

Beginning: The teacher will begin the

lesson with a short video that explains
the scientific process. (E-LEARNING.) The
teacher will then ask the students to
reflect upon the scientific process and
how scientists acquire new answers. The
class will do a brief worksheet together
that emphasizes how scientists think in
order to prepare the students for the
proceeding lesson that embodies said
concepts.(ENGAGE) The teacher will go
over the vocabulary (hypothesis, draw
conclusions, communicate, investigate)
with the students as a group. The
teacher will highlight the importance of
scientific investigation and explain to the
students that they are about to conduct
their own investigation. (EXPLORE)

Middle: The teacher will draw the

students attention to the various cups of
water and food coloring. The teacher will
ask the students to hypothesize whether
or not food coloring will spread faster in
cold water of warm water. The teacher
will ask the students how they think they
will investigate this question and what
materials they will need to do so.
(EXPLAIN) The students will then conduct
the experiment in pairs and test their
hypothesis by adding food coloring to the
water. The students will do two tests for
the warm water and two tests for the
cold water.

!End: The students will then draw conclusions

via their experimentation and fill out an

accompanying picture that reflects the
results of their experiments. Upon finishing
the students will communicate to one
another whether or not their hypothesizes
were correct. (EVALUATE) The students will
analyze the data they collected and reflect
upon how the water temperature affected
the food coloring. The teacher will then have
the students summarize the steps of the
investigation on several workbook pages.
These pages will reinforce the concepts of

Procedure

Formative Assessment

The teacher will assess the students

based on their ability to hypothesize,
investigate, draw conclusions, and
communicate the results of their
experimentation.
The teacher will assess the students
based on their ability to engage in
scientific thinking and answer related
questions throughout the
experimentation process.

The teacher will assess the students based

on their ability to apply their learned
concepts on a worksheet that reinforces the
scientific process via academic language.

Student Resources

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Science Fusion: How do Scientists Think

(Lesson 4) teacher and student editions and
accompanying listed materials.

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