LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

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.

Resources aligned to this objective

Wheelin' fun
In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 3.6
In this lesson for grade seven, students participate in a car-racing lab, and make observations about how design affects speed. Students discuss how the lab applies to careers in motor sports.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Science)
By Emma Couch.Adapted by Michelle Arias.
Salt trading in Asia
In this interdisciplinary lesson, students explore the mineral salt from a variety of perspectives — scientific, geographic, and cultural. The lesson incorporates images of salt production in Nepal and Vietnam, and may be used with grade 4 or grade 7.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 7 Science and Social Studies)
By Edie McDowell.
Investigating evaporation
Students will investigate evaporation as a cooling process. They will witness that temperature is affected by moisture content and the process of evaporation. Next, they will explore websites related to the processes of evaporation and condensation. Students will apply gained knowledge to real-life situations, and will share their new knowledge with a person outside the classroom.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Science)
By Jessica Bohn.

Resources on the web

Young blood
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about how young blood can help old muscles heal faster. An experiment found that blood from younger mice stimulated stem cells in the muscles and livers of older mice. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Word associations
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about research into how the brain learns and remembers. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 7 and 9 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Why civilizations fall
In this lesson, part of a two-lesson series from Science NetLinks, students find out about the social changes that caused the collapse of important ancient civilizations in Central America, Mesopotamia, the southwestern United States, and western Africa. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Science and Social Studies)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
When natural hazards become human disasters
In this Xpeditions lesson, students gain a better understanding of natural events and consider the dangers that natural hazards and natural disasters pose to humans. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: National Geographic
Wheelchairs
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about an organization that counts on some of the world's poorest countries to develop some of the most innovative new ideas in wheelchair design and manufacturing. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
What's my hypothesis?
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students explore how descriptive epidemiological clues can be used to make educated guesses as to what might be the cause of a disease. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Tree core models
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students make models of three tree core samples using data collected from trees that grew in the same general area of Alaska. They analyze their models and make predictions about the trees' growing conditions based on their... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Time flies
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about why people feel like time flies when engaging in stimulating activities. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Thought-controlled robotics
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about research into the development of robotic limbs that can be controlled by thought alone. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
T. Rex bully
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about research into whether T. rex was a hunter or a scavenger. Science Updates are audio interviews with scientists and are accompanied by a set of questions as well as links to related science... (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Squirrel hoarding
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about how the loss of gray squirrels is affecting forests. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sports rankings
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear how mathematicians at the Rochester Institute of Technology are suggesting changes to the ranking systems in sports. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Snow goggles
The aim of this lesson, from Science NetLinks, is to illustrate how the scientific method can be used to solve different kinds of problems. As part of this lesson, students build snow goggles similar to those used by the Inuit peoples. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Smelling diseases
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about how doctors are developing a kind of sniff test to screen for diseases. (Learn more)
Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Skull diversity
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students explore the similarities and differences of animal skulls. The students examine skulls that are part of an online exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Skin as an organ
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students examine the skin and how it functions as an organ and as part of a larger body system. In order to complete this lesson, students should be aware of other organ systems and have knowledge about the anatomy of the human... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sister storms: children of the tropical seas
In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about different kinds of tropical storms throughout the world. They learn about how the storms are different, how they are similar, and how they are distributed throughout the world. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Science)
Provided by: National Geographic