Essential Learning Event 1

SEP1: Asking questions and defining problems

SEP3: Planning and carrying out investigations

Note: The levels reflect increasingly sophisticated engagement in the practices and are not grade-level specific. Appendix F in the NGSS provides significantly more detail for each practice that should be integrated as both students and teachers develop greater fluency with each practice.

Asking questions and defining problems (SEP1)

Initial Ideas and Questions about a Phenomenon

• Students make observations of a phenomenon.
• Students ask questions based on observations of a phenomenon.
• Students share initial ideas, perspectives, and previous experiences about a phenomenon.
• Students represent a phenomenon through drawings, words, or sketches.

Identify Questions that can be Investigated

• Students ask and/or identify questions that can be answered by an investigation.
• Students ask questions about what would happen if a variable is changed. [3-5]
• Students identify scientific (testable) and non-scientific (non-testable) questions. [3-5]
• Students predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships. [3-5]

Defining Problems for Engineering

• Students define simple problems that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• Students define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system and includes several criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. [3-5]
• Students define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system and includes several criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. [3-5]

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations (SEP3)

Plan an Investigation

• Students (with guidance) plan and conduct an investigation in collaboration with peers.
• Students plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer a question.
• Students plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered. [3-5]

Carry Out an Investigation and Record Data/Observations

• Students evaluate different ways of observing and/or measuring a phenomenon to determine which way can answer a question.
• Students make observations (firsthand or from media) and/or measurements to collect data that can be used to make comparisons.
• Students evaluate appropriate methods and/or tools for collecting data. [3-5]
• Students make observations (firsthand or from media) and/or measurements of a proposed object or tool or solution to determine if it solves a problem or meets a goal.
• Students make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution. [3-5]
• Students make predictions based on prior experiences.
• Students make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes. [3-5]
• Students test two different models of the same proposed object, tool, or process to determine which meets criteria for success. [3-5]

Note: The levels reflect increasingly sophisticated engagement in the practices and are not grade-level specific. Appendix F in the NGSS provides significantly more detail for each practice that should be integrated as both students and teachers develop greater fluency with each practice.

SEP1: Asking questions and defining problems

Initial Ideas and Questions about a Phenomenon (SEP1)

• Create curiosity and wonder in students. Carefully construct the initial exposure to the phenomenon in such a way to peak student interest in such a way that they begin asking questions.
• Ask students to carefully observe the phenomenon. Have them talk with a partner and share their observations.
• Have students individually, with a partner, or in a group generate a list of questions that come to mind as they observe the phenomenon.
• Have students observe the phenomenon several times. The first time, have them only observe. The second time have students observe and record or talk with a partner about what they are observing. The third time, have them generate wonderings or questions.
• When possible, have students physically observe the phenomenon through a hands-on experience or teacher demonstration. If this is not possible, use media (video or audio) to allow students to carefully make observations and identify questions.
• Have students share their previous experiences or initial perspectives with the phenomenon.

Identify Questions that can be Investigated (SEP1)

• Ask students to share ideas of scientific questions about the phenomena they have observed. Emphasize that scientific questions should be questions that can be answered using observations and data from investigations.1
• Provide examples and nonexamples of scientific questions. Ask students to work in groups to sort the questions.1
• Model the writing of scientific questions. Demonstrate that since scientific questions can be answered using data from investigations the question should contain two variables.1
• Have students identify the variables in scientific questions (i.e. underline the independent variable, circle the dependent variable). Scaffold if necessary by doing several as a whole class and then having students practice with their own (or peers’) scientific questions.1
• Provide opportunities for students to work together to write scientific questions that will be used for in-class investigations. Encourage students to critique each other’s ideas and pose questions to each other as part of the discussion.1

SEP3: Planning and carrying out investigations

Plan an Investigation (SEP3)

• Decide whether the investigation will be conducted individually, collaboratively, or as a whole class.
• Identify what tools are available for students.
• If different groups of students have developed investigation plans, facilitate a class discussion argument to choose one investigation to conduct.
• Provide students with a graphic organizer to record the variables (independent, dependent, constants), procedure, materials, and data table.
• Show students several procedures for investigations that have varying numbers of trials, materials, or types of data tables. Ask students to critique the procedures based on the scientific question being explored.
• Show students several procedures for investigations in which only one variable changes while the others alter multiple variables at the same time. Ask students to critique the procedures to discuss the idea of a fair test and only changing one variable at a time.
• Provide a choice of 3-4 scientific questions to explore about a specific topic. Have small groups of students select their question and design an investigation to answer that question.
• Provide a general experimental procedure but allow student choice in terms of variables to be manipulated (e.g. materials to test, length of time).
• Have students vote on their prediction for the outcome of an experiment. Record predictions on the board. Ask students to revisit their predictions after they have gathered data.

Carry Out an Investigation and Record Data/Observations (SEP3)

• Assign students in small groups to complete investigations. Consider student needs, backgrounds, and language when configuring student groups.
• Assign each student a job to do during the investigation or have students self-select roles. Model the job responsibilities before beginning the investigation so students understand what is expected of them while performing the investigation.
• Assign groups to specific spaces in the classroom to conduct their investigations. This helps ensure each group has sufficient space to conduct their investigation and that the groups will not disturb each other.
• When appropriate, have students post their data on a class data chart.
• Demonstrate the appropriate use of laboratory tools and safety procedures.
• Share any modifications to the written procedure, if necessary.
• Check in with student groups often to monitor progress, probe student thinking, and formatively assess student learning.
• Scaffold support for students in collecting data and following experimental procedures. Partner groups with another group to share and discuss data collection methods.
• Have groups of students compare and contrast their data tables. If differences exist in the data, ask student hypothesize about why these differences exist. Have students make a plan to reduce sources of error in future iterations of the investigation (i.e.dropping a ball from the same height, having the same students operate a stopwatch through the investigation, etc.).
• Provide written steps for students to follow to scaffold analyzing complex data tables. For example, students might be asked to first state how many trials were conducted, then asked what pattern they see in the first column of the data table. As student’s capability with finding the patterns in data improves through the school year, slowly remove the scaffold.

SEP 1: Asking questions and defining problems

Initial Ideas and Questions about a Phenomenon (SEP1)

• How would you describe what you are observing?
• How might you sketch or draw what you are observing?
• What experience have you had with this phenomenon?
• What do you wonder about as you observe this phenomenon?
• What questions come to mind as you observe this phenomenon?

Identify Questions that can be Investigated (SEP1)

• Provide fill-in-the-blank questions for students. (Example: How does the ___________ affect __________?)1
• What questions can we ask about this phenomenon?
• How would you go about answering a scientific question?1
• What variables might we investigate to learn more about this phenomenon?
• How might we test a question about a phenomenon?

SEP3: Planning and carrying out investigations

Plan an Investigation (SEP3)

• What question are you trying to answer? What problem are you trying to solve?
• How will the investigation you are planning answer your question about the phenomenon?
• What data will you be collecting? How will it be collected?
• How will you report that data?
• Describe the experimental procedure you will follow.
• How will the procedure help to collect reliable data?
• What safety considerations have you considered?
• What possible outcomes might you predict for this experiment? Why do you think this?
• What questions do you have about the experimental procedure?

Carry Out an Investigation and Record Data/Observations (SEP3)

• What changes are you having to make to the procedure as you are working and why?
• How might we translate our observations into a data table or other organizational structure?
• What data have you collected?
• How are you organizing the data? Is this organizational structure working and if not, what might you consider?
• What patterns does the data you have organized show? (CCC Patterns)
• Why did you organize the data the way you did?
• How might you modify the experiment to produce more accurate and precise data?
• What new questions are you thinking about as you are conducting this experiment? (SEP1)
• How do the data and observations help you think about the phenomena we are studying?