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As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students will develop the abilities to do scientific
inquiry, be able to demonstrate how scientific inquiry is applied, and develop
understandings about scientific inquiry.
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Benchmark 1: The students will demonstrate abilities necessary to do the processes of scientific
inquiry.
Given appropriate curriculum and adequate instruction, students can develop the skills of investigation
and the understanding that scientific inquiry is guided by knowledge, observations, questions, and a
design which identifies and controls variables to gather evidence to formulate an answer to the original
question. Students are to be provided opportunities to engage in full and partial inquiries in order to
develop the skills of inquiry.
Teachers can facilitate success by providing guidelines or boundaries for studying inquiry. Teachers
assist students in choosing interesting questions, monitoring design plans, providing relevant examples of
effective observation and organization strategies, and checking and improving skills in the use of
instruments, technology, and techniques. Students at the middle level need special guidance in using
evidence to build explanations, inferences, and models, guidance to think critically and logically, and to
see the relationships between evidence and explanations.
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The students will:
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7.1. Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Example : Explore properties and phenomena of materials, such as a balloon, string,
straw, and tape. Students explore properties and phenomena and generate
questions to investigate.
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7.2. Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
Example: Students design and conduct an investigation on the question, 'Which
paper towel absorbs the most water?" Materials include different kinds of
paper towels, water, and a measuring cup. Components of the
investigation should include background and hypothesis, identification of
independent variable, dependent variable, constants, list of materials,
procedures, collection and analysis of data, and conclusions.
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7.3. Use appropriate tools, mathematics, technology, and techniques to gather, analyze and
interpret data.
Example: Given an investigative question, students determine what to measure and
how to measure. Students should display their results in a graph or other
appropriate graphic format.
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7.4. Think critically to identify the relationship between evidence and logical conclusions.
Example: Students check data to determine: Was the question answered? Was the
hypothesis supported/not supported? Did this design work? How could
this experiment be improved? What other questions could be
investigated?
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7 5. Apply mathematical reasoning to scientific inquiry.
Examples: Look for patterns from the mean of multiple trials, such as the rate of
dissolving relative to different temperatures. Use observations for
inductive and deductive reasoning, such as explaining a person’s energy
level after a change in eating habits (e.g., use Likert-type scale). State
relationships in data, such as variables, which vary directly or inversely.
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7 6. Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
Example: Present a report of your investigation so that others understand it and can
replicate the design.
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Benchmark 2: The students will apply different kinds of investigations to different kinds of
questions.
Some investigations involve observing and describing objects, organisms or events. Investigations can
also involve collecting specimens, experiments, seeking more information, discovering new objects and
phenomena, and creating models to explain the phenomena. Instructional activities of scientific inquiry
need to engage students in identifying and shaping questions for investigations. Different kinds of
questions suggest different kinds of investigations.
To help focus, students need to frame questions such as "What do we want to find out?" "How can we
make the most accurate observations?" "If we do this, then what do we expect to happen?" Students
need instruction to develop the ability to refine and refocus broad and ill-defined questions.
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The students will:
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7 1. Differentiate between a qualitative and a quantitative investigation.
Example: While observing a decomposing compost pile, how could you collect
quantitative (numerical, measurable) data? How could you collect
qualitative (descriptive) data? What is a quantitative question? (e.g., is
the temperature constant throughout the compost pile?) What is a
qualitative question? (e.g., does the color of the compost pile change
over time?)
Examples: Each student designs a question to investigate. Class analyzes all
questions to classify as qualitative or quantitative.
After reading a science news article, identify variables and write a
qualitative and/or quantitative investigative question related to the topic
of the article.
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10 2. Develop questions and adapt the inquiry process to guide an investigation.
Example: Adapt an existing lab or activity to: write a different question, identify
another variable, and/or adapt the procedure to guide a new investigation.
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Benchmark 3: The students will analyze how science advances through new ideas, scientific
investigations, skepticism, and examining evidence of varied explanations.
Scientific investigations often result in new ideas and phenomena for study. These generate new
investigations in the scientific community. Science advances through legitimate skepticism. Asking
questions and querying other scientists’ explanations is part of scientific inquiry. Scientists evaluate the
proposed explanations by examining and comparing evidence, identifying faulty reasoning, and
suggesting other alternatives.
Much time can be spent asking students to scrutinize evidence and explanations, but to develop critical
thinking skills students must be allowed this time. Data that are carefully recorded and communicated
can be reviewed and revisited frequently providing insights beyond the original investigative period. This
teaching and learning strategy allows students to discuss, debate, question, explain, clarify, compare, and
propose new thinking through social discourse. Students will apply this strategy to their own
investigations and to scientific theories.
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The students will:
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7 1. After doing an investigation, generate alternative methods of investigation and/or further
questions for inquiry.
Example: Ask "What would happen if...?" questions to generate new ideas for
investigation.
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10 2. Determine evidence which supports or contradicts a scientific breakthrough.
Example: Examine and analyze a scientific breakthrough [such as a Hubble
discovery] using multiple, scientific sources. Explain how a reasonable
conclusion is supported.
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10 3. Identify faulty reasoning or conclusions that go beyond evidence and/or are not supported
by data.
Example: Analyze evidence and data which support the theory of continental drift.
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