The Practice of Science Unit and Lesson Plans

The Practice of Science Unit lessons
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The Practice of Science Unit has everything you need to start the year off teaching science. This unit teaches the basics of science which will form the foundation for everything your students will learn in science during the upcoming school year. Students are taught how to complete a lab with step by step instructions and given the reasoning behind each step and component in the scientific process. Included are activities for common core literacy standards for content area reading. They will also become acquainted with some of the different ways in which scientists work besides working in a lab. They will conduct research to answer questions, create models and write about their learning experiences.
Unit Includes:
• 5E model of instruction lesson plans
• Pretest
• Warm-up activity
• Content Reading Instructional Sequence Activity for Reading Passage 1
• Reading Passage 1: “What a Method”
• Vocabulary activity 1
• Hands on Lab: “Achoo!”
• Vocabulary 2 Activity
• Reading Passage 2: “What? No Lab?”
• Note Taking Graphic Organizer Reading for Passage 2
• Extended Learning Activities: A Science Menu
• Extended Learning Activity Lab Sheet
• Post Test
Once this unit is completed the students should be familiar enough with the scientific process to design and conduct their own experiments and complete a science fair project. We suggest using Science Fair Helpers flow chart with easy to follow directions to assist your students with completing their projects.
This flow chart was designed as a response to the confusion my students and their parents had each year when science fair projects were to be completed. I devised this flow chart to be easy to understand. The students fill in the blanks with their information. I had them complete some parts in class such as their problem statement and hypothesis and had other parts turned in to check before having them complete the actual experiment at home. I have used this form successfully with students as young as second grade and as advanced as sixth grade. The response from parents has been positive as well.
A suggested follow up to this unit is the Theories vs. fact: an inquiry lesson to assist students with understanding the difference between theories and facts and how theories change over time as technology changes and evidence changes.
To review and re-teach the scientific method about mid-year we suggest: Santa’s Problem and the Scientific Method a set of 6 mini lessons.