Science and Engineering Practices 3-4 - Mariana Garcia-Serrato | Library

Note from the author:

This is the second in a series of 3 formatives aimed at explaining/introducing the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices to students. The goal is to make students aware of what they are, when they are using them in class and why. Once students have gone through the series, and to promote metacognition, I have them write a weekly reflection where they identify the practice that helped them most in our class that particular week.

SP3: Planning and carrying out investigations

Scientific investigations may be conducted in the field or in the laboratory. A major practice of scientists is planning and carrying out systematic investigations that require clarifying what counts as data and in experiments identifying variables.

List two ways you use the scientific method in your own life.

Which 2 steps of the Scientific Process are happening continually?

Which of the following senses do you use to OBSERVE?

Which types of information should you avoid when conducting scientific research?

recent scientific journals

blogs

outdated textbooks

online sources that can be cross-referenced and provide sources for their information

popular online magazines or databases without authors or dates of publication

What are some key things to look for in a hypothesis?

the change that you are testing (this means the variable that you are testing; usually in the form of an If statement)

the impact you expect the change will have (i.e. the results you expect; usually in the form of a then statement)

the variables that will be kept the same (usually in the form of a then statement)

a time frame (i.e. how long will it take until you see the impact)

a way to measure the impact

a proceedure for the experiment

Which of the following are independent variables?

A scientist measures how tall a plant grows

A scientist changes the amount of sunlight a plant receives in an experimant

The vet measures the weight of the puppies after one week.

The amount of dog food given to puppies is decreased by a vet.

Mrs. Garcia thinks his hot pepper plants will grow faster if he gives them more fertilizer.  He sets up an experiment in which 4 groups of plants will receive a different amount of miracle grow fertilizer and one group will get no fertilizer.  Which group is the control?

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group with no fertilizer

SP4: Analyzing and interpreting data

Scientific investigations produce data that must be analyzed in order to derive meaning. Because data usually do not speak for themselves, scientists use a range of tools—including tables, graphs, drawings, and statistical analysis—to identify the significant features and patterns in the data.

How would you represent the data shown in the video? Why?

If you are done, take a breather... You are halway there.