Using inquiry skills
This lesson for grade 6 introduces students to important scientific skills such as observation, inference, prediction, classification, and communication. Students practice some of these skills and discuss how they may be used in various careers.
An activity for grade 6 Science
Provided by CareerStart
Learning outcomes
Students will explore careers and learn the science process skills (observing, inferring, predicting, classifying, making models, and communicating) that support the development of reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
Teacher planning
Materials needed
- Student handouts:
- “Think Like a Scientist” student reading (This article is also available as html. The PDF linked from this lesson plan includes student instructions.)
- Student activity pages
- Parent survey
- Paper
- Pencil
Time required for lesson
Approximately 50 minutes of class time.
Additional homework time will be needed.
Advance preparation
- Make copies of student handouts for each student.
- Match students up into pairs to do the activity sheets prior to teaching the lesson.
Procedure
- Pass out and read “Think Like a Scientist.” Have students put their name on their work and pass around a stapler during read-aloud. The teacher will model read-aloud, but stop frequently and ask students to talk (share-pair) with a neighbor sitting nearby about ideas that are important. (15 minutes)
- After reading, assign students a partner for the activity pages.
- Have students follow the procedure on the handout. There are 3 activities for the students to complete. Explain to the students that all work should be done together in the pair but each student must write down his or her own answers to turn in at the end. Otherwise, credit will not be given. During the paired work, move around the room. (25-30 minutes)
- At the end of the designated time, conduct a closing discussion. Students should be ready to speak because the questions for the discussion are listed on their papers.
- Questions for the discussion:
- Explain why you chose to put each career with a specific skill. Give an example.
- How were your answers different from those of your partner?
- List at least one additional skill needed for each career.
- What characteristics were most important to you when you made the groups?
- Send the parent survey home as extra credit/homework.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 6
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
- Explain observations.
- Make inferences and predictions.
- Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
