Scientific Method Worksheet
Why is teaching the scientific method so challenging? Using these scientific method worksheets in sequence will help improve your student’s understanding.
Why does the sequence matter?
Teaching the scientific method offers several challenges. Using our sequence of scientific method worksheets and other scientific method practice activities your students will deepen their understanding of the scientific method.
Vocabulary is always a struggle for students especially if it is their first exposure to the terms.
Terms like independent variable, dependent variable, control, constant, hypothesis and prediction are terms that are improperly used in everyday language.
How can you fix it?
Identifying student misconceptions is the first step in helping your students be successful in experimental design implementation. Every class could have different misconceptions to address. To fix it, read on.
How to identify misconceptions?
One strategy you can use to identify student misconceptions is to simply ask them to define the terms in their own words. To do this, use one of my favorite strategies that many of my followers are already using. Click here to subscribe.
Use a beach ball(see related post). Write the vocabulary terms on the beach ball using a dry erase marker and toss it around the room.
When the student’s left thumb lands on a term ask them to say what they think the definition of the term is.
Toss the beach ball around the room until you have a good understanding of their background knowledge and misconceptions of the scientific method vocabulary. Use this same technique after students have learned the words. This activity offers great repetition and can fill the last few minutes of class if you finish early.
Scientific Method-Inquiry
In addition, you can allow students to dive right in to designing an experiment using our Paper Folding Scientific Method Worksheet.
The Paper folding scientific method worksheet is the first in our sequence. The activity uses scientific inquiry and will allow you to see a wide range of your student’s ability levels and misconceptions on the first day of class.
After understanding and addressing your student’s misconceptions of the scientific method, you can present the proper terminology to the students.
You can use our Experimental Design Notes. This presentation is part of our Scientific Method Unit (experimental design) that you can access free.
Check out our Full Biology Curriculum
The second scientific method worksheet in our sequence allows students to practice only independent and dependent variables in a variety of scenarios.
Why does this matter?
Focusing only independent and dependent variable this Independent and dependent variable worksheet allows students the opportunity to truly understand the terms and apply them to scenarios without being overwhelmed by other vocabulary terms.
Notice:
The next scientific method worksheet requires students to analyze entire experiments in the Experimental Design Scenarios Worksheet.
In this sequence, your students start off simple and progressively move to more complex tasks.
It Gets Better!
Next, students design there own experiment using mealworms (Super worms are best). Using the scientific method students make observations, research, develop a question, hypothesis, identify variables, write procedures, carry out an investigation, collect and analyze data and share their results in a lab report using our awesome lab report rubric and template that is included in our free scientific method unit!
Get access to our entire scientific method unit and more <click here>
Simple right?
Unfortunately, many teachers fail to use this simple approach because they just to do not have them time to sit down and create or find all of the worksheets they need.
We have them done for you!
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