Third graders learn how scientists turn a question into an answer, step by step, from a first wondering to a tested conclusion, and put the steps of the scientific method in order.
Students will be able to…
A scientist and a curious kid both start the same way: with a question. How do scientists move from a question to a trustworthy answer, one step at a time?
Project this and put the steps of the scientific method in order — tap each one from asking a question to drawing a conclusion.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
You wonder whether plants grow taller in sunlight or shade. How would a scientist turn that question into an answer?
Students put the scientific method in order.
Students apply the steps to a question.
Students plan a simple investigation.
Students reflect on the method.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some less well, and some cannot survive at all.
Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students choose a question, write out each step of the method, and predict the result, so the steps become a plan they can actually follow. A printable scientific-method worksheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.