The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

The Scientific Process

The Scientific Process

A 8-12 Grade STEM Lesson

Cynthia Bujanda

July 2023

Notes for Teachers

This lesson is about students understanding the scientific process through a Community Maze game. Students experience the importance of observation, collaboration, discovery, feedback to achieve a common goal by playing a game. The instructor relates this learning to the scientific process. Then they will be prompted to create scientific questions that are testable and specific. This lesson can be used as a starter point to initiate the practice of asking scientific questions, and can be a starting point to an independent research project.

List of Materials

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• A 10x10 tarp
• Colorful tape, painters tape
• Measuring tape
• Notebooks
• Pens and pencils
• Fake money

Standards

Science and Engineering Practices:

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• Asking Questions and Defining Problems
• Planning Out and Carrying Investigations
• Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence
• Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information

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Core Ideas for Using Science:

U1: Scientists explain phenomena using evidence obtained from observations and or scientific investigations. Evidence may lead to developing models and or theories to make sense of phenomena. As new evidence is discovered, models and theories can be revised.

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Cross Cutting Concepts:

• Patterns
• Cause and effect
• Systems and system models

Objective(s):

• Identify habits and practices that are utilized in the scientific process.
• Create a scientific question.

Agenda (lesson time)

This lesson can be delivered in a 50 minute class period.

15 min - Community Maze Game

5 min - Discussion

6 min - Brain dump

10 min - Scientific Questions

4 min - Assessment

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Community Maze

• Divide class in two big groups. These groups will be facing each other to find a path to the other side. The tarp needs to be prepped before hand.
• Instructions:
• Community Maze

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Community Maze Discussion

Discussion Questions:

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How do these strategies relate to the scientific process?

https://undsci.berkeley.edu/lessons/pdfs/complex_flow_handout.pdf

How do we start a science or engineering project?

Brain Dump

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In your notebooks write down the prompt, and then do a brain dump writing down everything that comes to mind, including questions and ideas.

Prompts:

1. What are real world challenges that affect you in your everyday?
2. What is the biggest environmental issue that you are concerned about?

Wonderings can be turned to scientific questions

What is the diversity of plants in the area?

Why is there a saguaro really separate from other plants?

Why is there such a clear sky but all those clouds far away?

Why are there no animals in the picture?

How can these plants survive in really hot climates?

Scientific Questions Must Be:

1. Specific and well defined
2. Testable

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The elements must be:

1. Measurable
2. Controllable

Formula for writing scientific questions:

How does _______________ affect _________________?

change

influence

modify

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Turn your wonderings into scientific questions!

How does the sun exposure affect the distribution of plants?

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How does the temperature affect the vegetation?

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Assessment

3-2-1

• 3 things you didn’t know before
• 2 things that surprised you about the topic
• 1 thing you want to start doing with what you’ve learned

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Differentiation

The practice of creating scientific questions can and should be done several times to get in the habit of this science process.

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Provide key vocabulary with images.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

From this exercise students can pursue a scientific question and develop a research project. Testing their question to answer a hypothesis.