Copy of TEST

Looking for activities that will have your students thinking and experiencing science? Then this resource is for you!  These activities explore how scientists think by making observations and inferences, building models and finding patterns in the world around them. Already tested by teachers in the classroom, we know these activities are ready to find a home in your class, whether you are teaching science in middle school or the upper level. Many of these activities make excellent additions to the first week of class when you are looking to engage students in thinking tasks that don’t require much prior knowledge.

Activity 1: Inquiry Cubes 

Students make inferences and find patterns by examining a cube that has labels on five of the faces. They predict what could be on the sixth face. The secret to this activity is that there is no “right” answer.

Activity 2: Mystery Containers

Students examine mystery containers that have concealed objects inside. They make observations using tools including magnets, measuring tapes, scales and thermometers. The experience is similar to what scientists do when they build models for things they can’t see like the core of the Earth or atoms.

Activity 3: Extending Our Senses 

Students sort cards to examine how technology can extend and protect human senses. They are given a challenge like building a space probe or developing a medical triscanner. They brainstorm what sorts of technology they will need to complete the challenge.

Activity 4: Finding Patterns

Students sort element cards by finding patterns in their properties. From the patterns they reconstruct the periodic table just like Mendeleev. From there they explore the mechanisms behind the patterns by sorting a new set of cards showing the Bohr-Rutherford model.

Activity 5: Signals from Space

Students use real astronomical data to solve an outstanding mystery in astronomy - what are fast radio bursts? Students use data to rule out possible candidate models and predict which is the most likely explanation for these mysterious signals.

Activity 6: Science in Action 

Include a photo of fact cards and summary sheet in action

In this literacy activity, students collaborate by sharing fact cards to solve different science mysteries. They use the facts to develop an explanation. All of the facts are true, but not all of them are useful. Case studies include: 1) Why do zebras have stripes? 2) Do the northern lights make sounds? 3)  What causes cholera? 4)  Why are sea levels rising?

Mini Activities: Evaluating Scientific Studies

“Studies show…” is a familiar lead-in to scientific claims, but how do you know whether a scientific study is reliable? A series of hands-on mini activities have students explore observer bias, significance, sample size, correlation versus causation and other important factors to consider when evaluating scientific studies.