A: Scientific inquiry is a multifaceted activity; The processes of science include the formulation of scientifically investigable questions, construction of investigations into those questions, the collection of appropriate data, the evaluation of the meaning of those data, and the communication of this evaluation.
B: The processes of science frequently do not correspond to the traditional portrayal of "the scientific method."
C: Scientific argumentation is a necessary part of scientific inquiry and plays an important role in the generation and validation of scientific knowledge.
D: Scientific knowledge is based on observation and inference; it is important to recognize that these are very different things. Not only does science require creativity in its methods and processes, but also in its questions and explanations.
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STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
Cleaning Up Your Act Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) provides students with a real world engineering problem in which they must work as a team to design a procedure to select the best material for cleaning up an oil spill. The main focus of this MEA is to recognize the consequences of a catastrophic event, and understand the environmental and economical impact based on data analysis. Students will conduct individual and team investigations in order to arrive at a scientifically sound solution to the problem.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
In this MEA students work collaboratively to analyze concrete and cement formulas based on research collected. Students are required to apply knowledge of chemical composition and determine which formula would be best to use in a given situation. In the first letter, students are asked to rank different concrete mixtures. In the second letter, students are asked to analyze a series of cement mixtures. Then, the students must determine which cement mixture is the most appropriate for rebuilding a coastal area. Students must also investigate hurricane building standards to make the most appropriate choices.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
In this MEA students compare data from different commercial floral preservatives. Students are asked to choose which is the best preservative for a certain floral arrangement.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades 9-12
Learn how to test scientific claims and judge competing hypotheses by understanding how they can be tested against one another in this interactive tutorial.
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Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to test scientific claims and judge competing hypotheses by understanding how they can be tested against one another in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
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It is often difficult, sometimes impossible, to get a definitive answer to some of life's most enduring questions. Scientific processes provide alternative explanations for a wide variety of phenomena by piecing together all the available information. This interactive activity on the Evolution website explores four possible hypotheses to explain what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, inviting the viewer to consider the evidence and come to their own decision.
Type: Presentation/Slideshow