Science Concepts

Science Concepts 

Background Info:  You may have asked yourself the question, "Is science relevant to 'real life'?"  My answer to you is, "YES!"  Without the ability to perform even the most simple science concepts you could miss out on much of "real life."  This lesson will concentrate on 9 science concepts.  They are: observation, recording & organizing, meaurement, prediction, hypothesizing, inference, estimation, classification, and analyzing.  You will need to define each term and come up with your own "real life" use for the concept.

Created by: Kristal Pride
Saddleback Valley Unified School District

URL: https://www.can-do.com/uci-webquests/1999-webquests

Materials:

1.  Computer with internet access
2.  Activity sheet

Procedure:  Follow the instructions below to complete the assignment.  BE SURE TO READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE GOING TO ANY LINK.  Record your data on the activity sheet.

PART A:  OBSERVE

1.  Ask yourself this question: What does it mean to observe?  Record your answer on your activity sheet.  Think about this: can blind or deaf people make observations?  Do you need to revise your definition?  If  so, record your new definition.  Watch the movie clip.  Click on movie gallery.  Click on VaderQT.

2.  How many shots were fired?  Record your answer on your activity sheet.

3.  Did the white Storm Troopers appear before or after the shots were fired?  Record your answer on your activity sheet.

4.  When might you need to use your observational skills in "real life?"  Describe a situation on your activity sheet. 

PART B:  RECORD &ORGANIZE

1.  Sometimes you will receive large quantities of information that you will need to record and organize into a more understandable format.  You may choose to organize the information you recorded into a table or a graph. 

2.  Pretend you are considering moving somewhere outside of California.  You are going to base your decision to move solely on weather.  Go to the weather link and record the information for the cities listed on your answer sheet.  Then organize it into a table.  Based on your table decide where you would want to live.

PART C: MEASURE

1.  Borrow a meter stick from your teacher.  Measure the length and width of the classroom to determine its area.  Record your data on your answer sheet.

2.  Consider a time in "real life" that your would need to accurately determine the area of something.  Record the situation and how you would find the measurements on your answer sheet.

PART D:  PREDICT

1.  Define the word predict on your answer sheet.

2. In the next section you will make a prediction as to how fast you and your partner can react to a 90 mph fastball.  Record your predictions and data on your answer sheet.  Go to the baseball link.

PART E:  HYPOTHESIZE

1.  What does it mean to make a hypothesis?  That's right!  It's an educated guess. 

2.  Go to the roller coaster link and design your own roller coaster according to their instructions.  You will need to hypothesize about your success with each decision you make.  Did you successfully create a safe roller coaster?  If not, repeat the process until you receive a "thumbs up" for safety.

PART F:  INFER

1.  When you infer something you are sort of combining observing and hypothesizing.  You make an assumption based on prior observations.  In other words, you think you know what is happening because of something you have seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted in the past. 

2.  What can you infer about the picture to the right?  Why?  Be specific.  Record your inference and reason on your answer sheet.

PART G:  ESTIMATE

1.  What does it mean to estimate?  Record your definition on your answer sheet.

2.  You will make estimations for how much certain groceries cost now on your answer sheet.  Tonight for homework you will need to verify the price of the given items and record them on your answer sheet. 

3.  Go to the estimation site.  You will need to find out how much wall paper it would take to re-paper your classroom.  Record the amount on your answer sheet.

PART H: CLASSIFY

1.  What does it mean to classify?  Record your definition on your answer sheet.

2.  You will classify our nine planets using the following links: nine planets and solar system info.  (When visiting solar system info. click on intermediate button, visit OUR SOLAR SYSTEM  and PLANETARY SYSTEMS, and use REFERENCE DATA after choosing planet.)  Remember as you reference your materials to keep in mind how YOU would classify the planets in a new way using a feature that you decide on. 

 You should record information on:

1.  Its orbit in relation to the Earth - Inside or Outside
2.  Make-up of its surface - Rocky (Terrestrial) or Gas (Jovian)
3.  Its size or diameter in relation to Earth- Larger or Smaller
4.  Its ability to be seen with our eyes - Classical or Modern

3.  Begin with recording the order of the planets from the sun.  Record all other classification information on your answer sheet.

PART I:  ANALYZE

1.  What does it mean to form an analysis of something?  Analysis is one of the most difficult tasks to master.  You need to examine information in detail and draw conclusions based on those careful examinations.

2.  Return to the weather link.  Use your answer sheet to guide you through an analysis of the data to answer the questions.

A Few Internet Resources:

Email: pridek@svusd.k12.ca.us

Created August 21, 1999
Last Revised May 19, 2001

Teacher Notes

Suggested Grade Level: 6 - 9

Science Content Standards:

S.C.O.R.E. Lessons Standards Search by Grade and Subject
S.C.O.R.E.  Standards and Framework
California Content Standards Grades K-12
California Content Standards Grades K-12 - Science -PDF Format

Grade 6: Investigation and Experimentation (7a, b)
Grade 7: Investigation and Experimentation (8a, b, c)
Grade 8: Investigation and Experimentation (9a)
Grade 9: Investigation and Experimentation (1a, b, d, f)

Background:  

To successfully complete this lesson, computers must be equipped with the ability to read video.  Real Player or Quick Time will work.  A sample student answer sheet can be seen at conceptsheet. This lesson will easily take multiple days to complete.  Breaking it down into multiple parts for different days will also work.

Skills: 

computer skills, necessary science concepts (observation, inference, prediction, analysis, hypothesizing, classification, recording & organizing, measurement, estimation), relating science to "real life."

 Assessment: 

Student answer sheet.
 

Enrichment:  

Students can go on to describe how science concepts are applicable to other "real life" experiences.