High Impact Indicators:
A Focus for Social Studies
and Science
Information, Resources, and
Strategies for the Classroom
July 27-29, 2016
Bonnie Goonen – [email protected]
Susan Pittman – [email protected]
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Table of Contents
Overview of Social Studies Themes and Example Content ......................................................................... 3
Social Studies Practices ................................................................................................................................ 4
Social Studies High Impact Indicators .......................................................................................................... 5
Sample Primary Sources .............................................................................................................................. 6
The Federalist No. 51 .................................................................................................................................... 6
FEDERALIST NO. 51 (1788) ........................................................................................................................ 8
Primary Source Analysis Tool from the Library of Congress ...................................................................... 10
Reading Like a Historian (Stanford History Education Group) http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh ....................... 11
The Way Station .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources .................................................................................................. 14
Social Studies Resources from the World Wide Web ................................................................................. 15
“The Nature of Science” – What Is Scientific Inquiry? ................................................................................ 16
Overview of Science Themes and Example Content ................................................................................. 18
Science Practices ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Science High Impact Indicators .................................................................................................................. 20
Sample Questions for Guiding Scientific Thinking ...................................................................................... 21
Inquiry Method Recording Sheet ................................................................................................................ 22
Science Lesson Planning Strategies – The 5 Es ........................................................................................ 23
Lesson Plan: Erosion, Transportation, Deposition ...................................................................................... 25
Experiments for the Classroom – Getting Started ...................................................................................... 27
Oil Spill! Clean It Up ............................................................................................................................ 27
Friction ................................................................................................................................................. 27
Spontaneous Problems and the Scientific Method – An Inquiry Lab .................................................. 28
Gummy Bear Absorption: A Scientific Method Investigation .............................................................. 29
Understanding the Components of an Experiment ............................................................................. 31
Raw or Cooked? ................................................................................................................................. 32
Which Paper Towel Absorbs the Most Water ..................................................................................... 32
How Long Does It Take?..................................................................................................................... 33
Science Resources from the World Wide Web ........................................................................................... 34
Stay in Touch! ............................................................................................................................................. 35
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Overview of Social Studies Themes and Example Content
Social Studies Example Topics
Civics & Gov’t
(50%)
Development
of Modern
Liberties and
Democracy
• Types of
modern and
historical
governments
• Principles that
have
contributed to
development
of American
constitutional
democracy
Focusing Themes
• Structure and
design of U.S.
government
US History
(20%)
Economics
(15%)
• Key historical
documents that
have shaped
American
constitutional
government
• Key economic
events that
shape American
government and
policies
• Revolutionary
and Early
Republic Periods
Geography &
the World
(15%)
• Development of
classical
civilizations
• Relationship
between political
and economic
freedoms
• Civil War and
Reconstruction
• Civil Rights
Movement
• Individual
rights and civic
responsibilities
Dynamic
Responses
in Societal
Systems
• Political
parties,
campaigns,
and elections
in American
politics
• Contemporary
public policy
• European
population of the
Americas
• Fundamental
economic
concepts
• World War I & II
• Microeconomics
and
macroeconomics
• Cold War
• American foreign
policy since 9/11
• Consumer
economics
• Economic
causes and
impacts of war
• Relationships
between the
environment and
societal
development
• Borders
between
peoples and
nations
• Human
migration
• Economic
drivers of
exploration and
colonization
• Scientific and
Industrial
Revolutions
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Social Studies Practices
SSP.1 Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences
a. Determine the details of what is explicitly stated in primary and secondary sources and
make logical inferences or validate claims based on evidence.
b. Cite or identify specific evidence to support inferences or analyses or primary and
secondary sources, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions of a
process, event, or concept.
SSP.2 Determining Central Ideas, Hypotheses and Conclusions
a. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source document,
corroborating or challenging conclusions with evidence.
b. Describe people, places, environments, processes, and events, and the connections
between and among them.
SSP.3 Analyzing Events and Ideas
a. Identify the chronological structure of historical narrative and sequence steps in a
process.
b. Analyze in detail how events, processes, and ideas develop and interact in a written
document; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
c. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including action by
individuals, natural and societal processes, and the influence of ideas.
d. Compare differing sets of ideas related to political, historical, economic, geographic, or
societal contexts; evaluate the assumptions and implications inherent in differing
positions.
SSP.4 Interpreting Meaning of Symbols, Words and Phrases
a. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in context, including
vocabulary that describes historical, political, social, geographic, and economic aspects
of social studies.
SSP.5 Analyzing Purpose and Point of View
a. Identify aspects of a historical document that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose
(e.g. loaded language, inclusions or avoidance of particular facts).
b. Identify instances of bias or propagandizing.
c. Analyze how a historical context shapes an author’s point of view.
d. Evaluate the credibility of an author in historical and contemporary political discourse.
SSP.6 Integrating Content Presented in Different Ways
a. Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative
analyses in print or digital text.
b. Analyze information presented in a variety of maps, graphic organizers, tables, and
charts and in a variety of visual sources such as artifacts, photographs, political
cartoons.
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Social Studies High Impact Indicators
Indicator
SSP.2.a Determine the central
ideas or information of a primary
or secondary source document,
corroborating or challenging
conclusions with evidence.
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SSP.2.b Describe people,
places, environments,
processes, and events, and the
connections between and among
them.

SSP.3.c Analyze cause-andeffect relationships and multiple
causation, including action by
individuals, natural and societal
processes, and the influence of
ideas.
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SSP.5.c Analyze how a historical
context shapes an author's point
of view.
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SSP.8.a Compare treatments of
the same social studies topic in
various primary and secondary
sources, noting discrepancies
between and among the sources.
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What to look for in student work:
Students’ work shows they have . . .
differentiated between the concepts of topic and main idea.
identified the topic and/or main idea of a piece of text.
identified supporting details for a given main idea.
summarized a piece of text.
fully explained relevant details in the text that support the
main idea.
located a single piece of evidence in the text.
located multiple pieces of evidence in a text.
differentiated between relevant and irrelevant evidence.
used evidenced to support or challenge an author’s
conclusion.
described pertinent elements in the text, including: people,
places, environments, processes, and events.
identified relationships among multiple elements (listed
above) in the text.
fully explained relationships among the elements.
identified (potential or actual) causes for given effects.
identified (potential or actual) effects for a given cause.
identified examples of cause-effect relationships in texts.
fully explained how or why one event or set of
circumstances in a cause-effect relationship caused
another.
fully explained a sequence of causes leading to a given
effect.
identified multiple causes of a given event or set of
circumstances.
identified the author’s point of view in a primary source text.
identified the major eras in U.S. history relevant to a specific
text and identify influential events, figures, and ideas
therein.
identified context (events, figures, ideas) relevant to the
given text.
fully explained how the historical context directly relates to
the author’s point of view.
identified a common topic in multiple sources.
described commonalities in treatment of a topic across
multiple sources.
identified differences in the way the sources treat the topic.
fully explained how a given difference in treatment is
meaningful to the understanding of the topic itself.
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Sample Primary Sources
The Federalist No. 51
Publius (James Madison)
February 6, 1788
To the People of the State of New York:
TO WHAT expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of
power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be
given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by
so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their
mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places. Without presuming to
undertake a full development of this important idea, I will hazard a few general observations, which may
perhaps place it in a clearer light, and enable us to form a more correct judgment of the principles and
structure of the government planned by the convention.
In order to lay a due foundation for that separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of
government, which to a certain extent is admitted on all hands to be essential to the preservation of
liberty, it is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so
constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the
members of the others. Were this principle rigorously adhered to, it would require that all the
appointments for the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn from the
same fountain of authority, the people, through channels having no communication whatever with one
another. Perhaps such a plan of constructing the several departments would be less difficult in practice
than it may in contemplation appear. Some difficulties, however, and some additional expense would
attend the execution of it. Some deviations, therefore, from the principle must be admitted. In the
constitution of the judiciary department in particular, it might be inexpedient to insist rigorously on the
principle: first, because peculiar qualifications being essential in the members, the primary consideration
ought to be to select that mode of choice which best secures these qualifications; secondly, because the
permanent tenure by which the appointments are held in that department, must soon destroy all sense of
dependence on the authority conferring them.
It is equally evident, that the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on
those of the others, for the emoluments annexed to their offices. Were the executive magistrate, or the
judges, not independent of the legislature in this particular, their independence in every other would be
merely nominal. But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same
department consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional
means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in
this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to
counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place.
It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of
government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men
were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor
internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be
administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to
control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.
A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has
taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. This policy of supplying, by opposite and rival
interests, the defect of better motives, might be traced through the whole system of human affairs, private
as well as public. We see it particularly displayed in all the subordinate distributions of power, where the
constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check
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on the other that the private interest of every individual may be a sentinel over the public rights. These
inventions of prudence cannot be less requisite in the distribution of the supreme powers of the State. But
it is not possible to give to each department an equal power of self-defense. In republican government,
the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the
legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different
principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their
common dependence on the society will admit. It may even be necessary to guard against dangerous
encroachments by still further precautions. As the weight of the legislative authority requires that it should
be thus divided, the weakness of the executive may require, on the other hand, that it should be fortified.
An absolute negative on the legislature appears, at first view, to be the natural defense with which the
executive magistrate should be armed. But perhaps it would be neither altogether safe nor alone
sufficient. On ordinary occasions it might not be exerted with the requisite firmness, and on extraordinary
occasions it might be perfidiously abused. May not this defect of an absolute negative be supplied by
some qualified connection between this weaker department and the weaker branch of the stronger
department, by which the latter may be led to support the constitutional rights of the former, without being
too much detached from the rights of its own department? If the principles on which these observations
are founded be just, as I persuade myself they are, and they be applied as a criterion to the several State
constitutions, and to the federal Constitution it will be found that if the latter does not perfectly correspond
with them, the former are infinitely less able to bear such a test.
There are, moreover, two considerations particularly applicable to the federal system of America, which
place that system in a very interesting point of view. First. In a single republic, all the power surrendered
by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded
against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic
of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and
then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double
security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same
time that each will be controlled by itself. Second. It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard
the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of
the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by
a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure.
There are but two methods of providing against this evil: the one by creating a will in the community
independent of the majority that is, of the society itself; the other, by comprehending in the society so
many separate descriptions of citizens as will render an unjust combination of a majority of the whole very
improbable, if not impracticable. The first method prevails in all governments possessing an hereditary or
self-appointed authority. This, at best, is but a precarious security; because a power independent of the
society may as well espouse the unjust views of the major, as the rightful interests of the minor party, and
may possibly be turned against both parties. The second method will be exemplified in the federal
republic of the United States. Whilst all authority in it will be derived from and dependent on the society,
the society itself will be broken into so many parts, interests, and classes of citizens, that the rights of
individuals, or of the minority, will be in little danger from interested combinations of the majority.
In a free government the security for civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights. It consists in
the one case in the multiplicity of interests, and in the other in the multiplicity of sects. The degree of
security in both cases will depend on the number of interests and sects; and this may be presumed to
depend on the extent of country and number of people comprehended under the same government. This
view of the subject must particularly recommend a proper federal system to all the sincere and
considerate friends of republican government, since it shows that in exact proportion as the territory of the
Union may be formed into more circumscribed Confederacies, or States oppressive combinations of a
majority will be facilitated: the best security, under the republican forms, for the rights of every class of
citizens, will be diminished: and consequently the stability and independence of some member of the
government, the only other security, must be proportionately increased. Justice is the end of government.
It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be
lost in the pursuit. In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress
the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign as in a state of nature, where the weaker individual is
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not secured against the violence of the stronger; and as, in the latter state, even the stronger individuals
are prompted, by the uncertainty of their condition, to submit to a government which may protect the weak
as well as themselves; so, in the former state, will the more powerful factions or parties be gradually
induced, by a like motive, to wish for a government which will protect all parties, the weaker as well as the
more powerful.
It can be little doubted that if the State of Rhode Island was separated from the Confederacy and left to
itself, the insecurity of rights under the popular form of government within such narrow limits would be
displayed by such reiterated oppressions of factious majorities that some power altogether independent
of the people would soon be called for by the voice of the very factions whose misrule had proved the
necessity of it. In the extended republic of the United States, and among the great variety of interests,
parties, and sects which it embraces, a coalition of a majority of the whole society could seldom take
place on any other principles than those of justice and the general good; whilst there being thus less
danger to a minor from the will of a major party, there must be less pretext, also, to provide for the
security of the former, by introducing into the government a will not dependent on the latter, or, in other
words, a will independent of the society itself. It is no less certain than it is important, notwithstanding the
contrary opinions which have been entertained, that the larger the society, provided it lie within a practical
sphere, the more duly capable it will be of self-government. And happily for the REPUBLICAN CAUSE,
the practicable sphere may be carried to a very great extent, by a judicious modification and mixture of
the FEDERAL PRINCIPLE.
PUBLIUS.
The original text of the Federalist Papers (also known as The Federalist) was obtained by the Library of
Congress from the e-text archives of Project Gutenberg
FEDERALIST NO. 51 (1788)
Excerpt
“It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices [checks and balances] should be
necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all
reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels
were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In
framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this:
you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to
control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but
experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”
“. . . [I]n the federal republic of the United States… all authority in it will be derived from and
dependent on the society, the society itself will be broken into so many parts, interests, and classes
of citizens, that the rights of individuals, or of the minority, will be in little danger from interested
combinations of the majority.” All of the Constitution’s checks and balances, Madison concludes,
serve to preserve liberty by ensuring justice. Madison explained, “Justice is the end of government. It
is the end of civil society.”
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Primary Source Analysis Tool from the Library of Congress
Name of Document ______________________________________________________________
Observe
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
Describe what you see.
What do you notice first?
How much of the text can you read?
What does it say?
Describe anything that you see on
the page besides words, such as
images.
How is the text and information
arranged?
Describe anything about this text
that looks unfamiliar.
What other details can you see?
Reflect
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What the purpose of this text?
Who created it?
Who do you think was its audience?
Can you tell anything about what
was important at the time it was
written?
Why do you think this document is
important?
What can you learn from examining
this?
If someone wrote this today, what
would be different?
Question
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What do you wonder – who?
What do you wonder – what?
What do you wonder – where?
What do you wonder – why?
What do you wonder – when?
What do you wonder – how?
Further Investigation
What more do you want to know, and how can you find out?
Follow-up activities
Select a section of the text and put it in your own words. Look for clues to the points of view of the person, or people, who created
this document. Discuss what someone with an opposing or differing point of view might say about the issues or events described.
How would the information be presented differently?
Examine a section of the text. Think about what you already know about this period in history. How does the text support or
contradict your current understanding of this period? Can you see any clues to the point of view of the person who created this
document?
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Primary Source Analysis Tool from the Library of Congress
Name of Document ______________________________________________________________
Observe
Reflect
Question
Further Investigation
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Reading Like a Historian (Stanford History Education Group) http://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh
Historical Reading
Skills
Sourcing (Before
reading document)
Contextualization
Questions
Students should be able to . . .
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Who authored the document?
What is the author’s point of view?
Why was it written?
When was it written?
Where was it written?
Is this source believable? Why? Why
not?
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
What else was going on at the time this
was written?
What was it like to be alive at this time?
What things were different back then?
What things were the same?
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Close Reading
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Corroboration
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What claims does the author make?
What evidence does the author use to
support those claims?
What words or phrases does the author
use to convince me that he/she is right?
What information does the author leave
out?
How does this document make me feel?
What do other pieces of evidence say?
Am I finding different versions of the
story? Why or why not?
What pieces of evidence are most
believable?
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Prompts
Identify author’s position
Identify and evaluate author's
purpose in producing document
Predict what author will say BEFORE
reading document
Evaluate source's
believability/trustworthiness by
considering genre, audience, and
author's purpose
Use context/background information
to draw more meaning from document
Infer historical context from
document(s)
Recognize that document reflects one
moment in changing past
Understand that words must be
understood in a larger context
Identify author’s claims about event
Evaluate evidence/reasoning author
uses to support claims
Evaluate author’s word choice;
understand that language is used
deliberately
This author probably believes…
Establish what is true by comparing
documents to each other
Recognize disparities between two
accounts
This author agrees/ disagrees
with…
I think the audience is…
Based on the sourcing information, I
predict this author will…
I do/don’t trust this document
because…
I already know that ____ is
happening at this time…
From this document I would guess
that people at this time were
feeling…
This document might not give me
the whole picture because …
I think the author chose these
words because they make me
feel…
The author is trying to convince
me… (by using/saying…)
This document was written
earlier/later than the other, so…
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Read Like a Historian
Document Name ______________________________________________
Examine: What do you see? What topic does it address? What
details do you notice in this source? What is interesting? Is
there something that you don’t understand?
Question: What other information
do you need to understand this
source? What questions do you
have for further research?
Think: What are some guesses you
can make about this document?
Who do you think made it? When?
Why did they make it? Is it neutral
or biased?
Draw conclusions: Base on your background knowledge and
the details in this document, what conclusions can you draw
about the historical period and the meaning of the document?
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The Way Station
Each evening, the stage announces its approach to a way station by the driver blowing a bugle.
The way station offers sparse comfort.
"The station buildings were long, low huts, made of sun-dried, mud-colored bricks, laid up
without mortar (adobes the Spaniards call these bricks, and Americans shorten it to 'dobies.)The
roofs, which had no slant to them worth speaking of, were thatched and then sodded or covered
with a thick layer of earth, and from this sprang a pretty rank growth of weeds and grass. It was
the first time we had ever seen a man's front yard on top of his house. The buildings consisted
of barns, stable-room for twelve or fifteen horses, and a hut for an eating room for passengers.
This latter had bunks in it for the station-keeper and a hostler or two. You could rest your elbow
on its eaves, and you had to bend in order to get in at the door. In place of a window there was
a square hole about large enough for a man to crawl through, but this had no glass in it. There
was no flooring, but the ground was packed hard. There was no stove, but fire-place served all
needful purposes. There were no shelves, no cupboards, no closets. In a corner stood an open
sack of flour, and nestling against its base were a couple of black and venerable tin coffee-pots,
a tin teapot, a little bag of salt, and a side of bacon.
By the door of the station keeper's den, outside, was a tin wash-basin, on the ground. Near it
was a pail of water and a piece of yellow soap, and from the eves hung a hoary blue woolen
shirt, significantly - but this latter was the station-keeper's private towel, and only two persons in
all the party might venture to use it - the stage-driver and the conductor.“
Mark Twain, Roughing It (1872)
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Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources
1. Who created the source and why? Was it created through a spur-of-the-moment
act, a routine transaction, or a thoughtful, deliberate process?
2. Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event? Or, did the recorder
report what others saw and heard?
3. Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the creator have opinions or interests
that might have influenced what was recorded?
4. Did the recorder produce the source for personal use, for one or more
individuals, or for a large audience?
5. Was the source meant to be public or private?
6. Did the recorder wish to inform or persuade others? (Check the words in the
source. The words may tell you whether the recorder was trying to be objective
or persuasive.) Did the recorder have reasons to be honest or dishonest?
7. Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after the event, or
after some lapse of time? How large a lapse of time?
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Social Studies Resources from the World Wide Web
An Outline of American History. An overview of history and government developed as part of The
American Revolution—an HTML Project. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/
Annenberg Classroom. Great course for civics education. http://www.annenbergclassroom.org
Digital History. An interactive, multimedia history of the United States from the Revolution to the
present. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
DocsTeach – This site includes links to primary sources, lesson plans, activity ideas, and template
to build your own lessons. http://docsteach.org/
Library of Congress. Classroom and professional development materials to help teachers
effectively use primary sources. To get started, try these quick starting points:
 Browse by Topic - Easy browsing for primary sources across all the digital collections of the
Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/topics/
 Primary Source Sets - Each set collects primary sources on a specific topic.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/
 Using Primary Sources in the Classroom http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/
50 Core Documents. Teaching American History. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/50docs/
Four Reads: Learning to Read Primary Documents. Take a step-by-step process for reading
primary documents. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/25690
National Archives and Records Administration. The website of the National Archives. All types of
educational units and copies of national documents are available from this governmental site.
http://www.archives.gov
Newsela. A site with nonfiction articles available in 4-5 different Lexile Levels with many of them
providing a quiz that is aligned to a specific anchor standard. It is necessary to sign up for the free
account to see the different level of articles. https://newsela.com/
Our Documents. http://www.ourdocuments.gov/index.php?flash=true&
Reading Like a Historian. Stanford History Education Group. Information on how to teach students
to closely read primary sources. http://sheg.stanford.edu/?q=node/21
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. The resources are a great addition for your
classroom. http://chnm.gmu.edu/teaching-and-learning/

Live Binders. http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/573792
Teaching History – National History Clearinghouse. This site has a lot of materials to assist in the
teaching of history. http://teachinghistory.org
The History Channel. The History Channel provides both historic and current topics, readings,
audio and video recordings, and lessons for the classroom. http://www.history.com/
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15
“The Nature of Science” – What Is Scientific Inquiry?
Introduction: The purpose of this activity is to get the students to think about the nature of science,
and also, to show the importance of being an active participant in the learning process. This activity
supports the abilities necessary to understand and engage in scientific inquiry.
Materials:
Print the following pattern on cardstock paper and cut out the individual pieces. Make enough for
each student to work individually.
Procedure: Hand out all the pieces except the small square marked X. Each piece represents
current scientific data. Once the students are given the pieces, provide no further instruction. Most
students will begin to arrange the pieces on their own. In a short amount of time, the students will
put the pieces together to make a square as seen below in Figure 2.
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Once all the students have arranged the pieces to produce figure 2, hand out the small square
marked X to each student and explain that a new scientific discovery has been made. Students
must somehow incorporate this new information to their puzzle.
Encourage students to work individually at first, and then, to work in groups if the frustration level
rises. There may be some degree of collaboration (looking at other student’s progress). If one
student gets the correct arrangement, have that student cover up the answer so that other students
will persevere.
Hint: You may help students get started by having them make the “Superman” logo shape first.
Follow-Up Questions: Once all or most of the students have arranged the pieces correctly, have
them brainstorm and share how this activity is similar to “doing” science.
Similarities may include the following ideas:
1. Assume that the pieces fit together – nature is a puzzle that we have not yet solved
2. Trial and error is an essential ingredient to science
3. New information may require the old theory to be modified or discarded
4. Current information may be incomplete and therefore, theories are incorrect
5. Sometimes, a person gets lucky and finds the right answer
6. Collaboration may be helpful
7. Once the answer is arrived at, it makes perfect sense
Share with students that scientific design (the scientific method) requires the same types of thinking
as the puzzle. Questions, such as, Why, Why Not, and How are important when determining
whether the outcomes of an experiment make sense or not. This type of activity also provides the
understanding that try, try again is an important part of science.
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Overview of Science Themes and Example Content
Science Example Content Topics
Life Science
(40%)
• Human body and
health
Focusing Themes
Human
Health
and
Living
Systems
• Organization of
life
Physical Science
(40%)
• Chemical properties
and reactions related
to human systems
Earth & Space Science
(20%)
• Interactions between
Earth’s systems and
living things
• Conservation,
transformation, and
flow of energy
• Earth and its system
components
• Molecular basis
for heredity
• Evolution
• Relationships
between life
functions and
energy intake
Energy
and
Related
Systems
• Energy flows in
ecologic networks
(ecosystems)
®
• Work, motion, and
forces
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• Structure and
organization of the
cosmos
18
Science Practices
SP.1 Comprehending Scientific Presentations
SP.1.a Understand and explain textual scientific presentations
SP.1.b Determine the meaning of symbols, terms and phrases as they are used in
scientific presentations
SP.1.c Understand and explain a non-textual scientific presentation
SP.2 Investigation Design (Experimental and Observational)
SP.2.a Identify possible sources or error and alter the design of an investigation to
ameliorate that error
SP.2.b Identify and refine hypotheses for scientific investigations
SP.2.c Identify the strength and weaknesses of one or more scientific investigation (i.e.
experimental or observational) designs
SP.2.d Design a scientific investigation
SP.2.e Identify and interpret independent and dependent variables in scientific
investigations
SP.3 Reasoning from Data
SP.3.a Cite specific textual evidence to support a finding or conclusion
SP.3.b Reason from data or evidence to a conclusion
SP.3.c Make a prediction based upon data or evidence
SP.3.d Use sampling techniques to answer scientific questions
SP.4 Evaluating Conclusions with Evidence
SP.4.1 Evaluate whether a conclusion or theory is supported or challenged by particular
data or evidence
SP.5 Working with Findings
SP.5.a Reconcile multiple findings, conclusions or theories
SP.6 Expressing Scientific Information
SP.6.a Express scientific information or findings visually
SP.6.b Express scientific information or findings numerically or symbolically
SP.6.c Express scientific information or findings verbally
SP.7 Scientific Theories
SP.7.a Understand and apply scientific models, theories and processes
SP.7.b Apply formulas from scientific theories
SP.8 Probability & Statistics
SP.8.a Describe data set statistically
SP.8.b Use counting and permutations to solve scientific problems.
SP.8.c Determine the probability of events
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Science High Impact Indicators
Indicator
What to look for in student work:
Students’ work shows they have . . .


SP.2.b: Identify
and refine
hypotheses for
scientific
investigations.






SP.2.e: Identify
and interpret
independent and
dependent
variables in
scientific
investigations.
SP.4.a: Evaluate
whether a
conclusion or
theory is
supported or
challenged by
particular data or
evidence.








SP.6.a: Express
scientific
information or
findings visually.






SP.7: Apply
formulas from
scientific theories.


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identified a hypothesis for a given scientific investigation.
differentiated between an appropriate hypothesis and a poorly conceived
hypothesis.
used a hypothesis to support or challenge a given conclusion.
identified a hypothesis for a given data set.
refined a hypothesis to more appropriately suit a scientific experiment.
identified the independent variable in a given investigation.
identified the dependent variable in a given investigation.
fully explained the relationship between the independent and dependent
variables in a given experiment.
identified and explained why the evidence supports the proposed claim or
solution.
identified and explained which piece of data supports or contradicts the
given hypothesis.
identified multiple reasons a piece of evidence supports a theory or
hypothesis and compare those reasons to each other.
identified which scientific model would be weakened or strengthen by
particular evidence.
fully explained why given evidence supports a scientific theory.
fully explained why given evidence challenges a scientific theory.
translated information presented verbally or numerically into a visual format
integrated information presented verbally and numerically into a visual
format
identified relationships among graphs or diagrams
identified visual representations of scientific processes explained in a given
text
completed diagrams to demonstrate understanding of relationships among
variables, scientific concepts, or processes
solved for a variable within a scientific equation
balanced an equation.
identified what changes will result if a variable within a scientific equation
increases or decreases.
identified relationships between variables in a scientific formula.
interpreted symbolic representations of information and scientific data.
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Sample Questions for Guiding Scientific Thinking
Question Type
Sample Question Starters
Recalling
Who, what, when, where, how ____?
Comparing
How is _____ similar to/different from_____?
Identifying Attributes and
Components
What are the characteristics/parts of _____?
Classifying
How might we organize _____ into categories?
Ordering
Arrange _____ into sequence according to _____.
Identifying Relationships
and Patterns
Develop an outline/diagram/web of _____.
Representing
In what other ways might we show/illustrate _____?
Identifying Main Ideas
What is the key concept/issue in _____?
Retell the main idea of _____ in your own words.
Identifying Errors
What is wrong with _____?
Inferring
What might we infer from _____?
What conclusions might be drawn from _____?
Predicting
What might happen if _____?
Elaborating
What ideas/details can you add to _____?
Give an example of _____.
Summarizing
Can you summarize _____?
Establishing Criteria
What criteria would you use to judge/evaluate _____?
Verifying
What evidence supports _____?
How might we prove/confirm _____?
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Inquiry Method Recording Sheet
Step 1 – Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
Observations
Questions
Hypothesis
If . . .
Then . . .
Step 2 – Scientific Testing
Investigation & Data
Step 3 – Analysis and Conclusion
Discuss data & draw conclusion
Step 4 - Communication
We communicated our results by
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22
Science Lesson Planning Strategies – The 5 Es
The 5E Instructional Model provides a format for lessons that builds on what students already
know. The 5Es sequence the learning experience so that the learners construct their
understanding of a concept across time. Each phase of the learning sequence can be described
using five words that begin with "E": engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate.
Engage
Begin each unit or topic with a lesson or activity that engages students with an activity or
question as they are introduced to the concept. Students should make connections to prior
knowledge and what is to be studied. During this phase, teachers ask questions of students and
engage them in the guided inquiry lessons. They use strategies such as KWL or ABC
Brainstorm that make connections between the past and present learning experience.
Explore
Have students carry out hands-on activities in which they explore the concept or skill. This
phase allows students to acquire a common set of experiences that they can use to help each
other make sense of the new concept or skill. Teachers should set up the investigation and
guide students in inquiry, asking probing questions to clarify understanding.
Explain
After students have explored the concept or skill, the teacher provides the concepts and terms
used by the students to develop explanations for the phenomenon they have experienced. The
significant aspect of this phase is that explanation follows experience. Teachers should ask
probing questions that encourage students to look for additional information.
Elaborate
Students expand their learning, practice skills and behavior, and make connections or
applications to related concepts and in the world around them. Teachers provide learning
opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and to gain a deeper understanding.
Activities can include reading articles and books, writing, designing other experiments, and
exploring related topics on the Internet. Provide opportunities for students to apply what they
have learned to new situations. It is important for students to discuss and compare their ideas
with each other during this phase.
Evaluate
The final phase provides an opportunity for students to review and reflect on their own learning
and new understandings and skills. This is the phase where students provide evidence for
changes to their understandings, beliefs, and skills. Teachers should assess students
understanding through both formative and summative activities.
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An Overview of the 5Es
Purpose
Role of Teacher
Engage
Phase
Create interest and
stimulate curiosity.
Set learning within a
meaningful context.
Raise questions for inquiry.
Reveal students’ ideas and
beliefs, compare students’
ideas.
Explore
Provide experience of the
phenomenon or concept.
Explore and inquire into
students’ questions and
test their ideas.
Investigate and solve
problems.
Explain
Introduce conceptual tools
that can be used to
interpret the evidence and
construct explanations of
the phenomenon.
Construct multi-modal
explanations and justify
claims in terms of the
evidence gathered.
Compare explanations
generated by different
students/groups.
Activity or multi-modal text used to set context and establish
topicality and relevance.
Motivating/discrepant experience to create interest and raise
questions.
Open questions, individual student writing, drawing, acting
out understandings, and discussion to reveal students’
existing ideas and beliefs so that teachers are aware of
current conceptions and can plan to extend and challenge as
appropriate – a form of diagnostic assessment.
Open investigations to experience the phenomenon, collect
evidence through observation and measurement, test ideas
and try to answer questions.
Investigation of text-based materials (e.g. newspaper articles,
web-based articles) with consideration given to aspects of
critical literacy, including making judgments about the
reliability of the sources or the scientific claims made in the
texts.
Student reading or teacher explanation to access concepts
and terms that will be useful in interpreting evidence and
explaining the phenomenon.
Small group discussion to generate explanations, compare
ideas and relate evidence to explanations.
Individual writing, drawing and mapping to clarify ideas and
explanations.
Formative assessment to provide feedback to teacher and
students about development of investigation skills and
conceptual understandings.
Small group writing/design to generate a communication
product (e.g. poster, oral report, formal written report or
PowerPoint presentation, cartoon strip, drama presentation,
letter) with attention to form of argumentation, genre
form/function and audience, and with integration of different
modes for representing science ideas and findings.
Further investigations, exercises, problems or design tasks to
provide an opportunity to apply, clarify, extend and
consolidate new conceptual understandings and skills.
Further reading, individual and group writing may be used to
introduce additional concepts and clarify meanings through
writing.
A communication product may be produced to re-represent
ideas using and integrating diverse representational modes
and genres consolidating and extending science
understandings and literacy practices.
Elaborate Use and apply concepts
and explanations in new
(extend)
Evaluate
contexts to test their
general applicability.
Reconstruct and extend
explanations and
understandings using and
integrating different modes,
such as written language,
diagrammatic and graphic
modes, and mathematics.
Provide an opportunity for
students to review and
reflect on their own
learning and new
understandings and skills.
Provide evidence for
changes to students’
understandings, beliefs and
skills.
®
Discussion of open questions or writing and diagrammatic
responses to open questions – may use same/similar
questions to those used in Engage phase to generate
additional evidence of the extent to which the learning
outcomes have been achieved.
Reflections on changes to explanations generated in Engage
and Evaluation phases to help students be more
metacognitively aware of their learning.
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Lesson Plan: Erosion, Transportation, Deposition
Objective: Students will observe and describe the processes of erosion, transportation, and
deposition by creating a physical model and implementing the scientific method.
Materials
 paint tray (the kind used for a paint roller)
 pieces of sod (enough for each group)
 potting soil
 heavy clay like soil
 rainmaker (paper cup with about ten tiny holes poked in the bottom)
 water
Process Using the 5Es Model
Engagement
Take students on a walk outside of the school building and note where the soil is
worn away or seems to have collected. Have students make a list of the sites.
Ask students:
• Do you notice anything different about these areas?
• What do you think caused these changes?
Exploration
Have students construct a model to investigate how these changes may have
occurred. Provide students with materials so that they can construct their own
model of a landscape. It should include a piece of sod, fine potting soil, and a
heavy clay-like soil. Have them use a paint roller tray as the base of their model.
Share with students that they should not put any landscape materials in the
bottom well. Once students have constructed their models, have them diagram
and label their models and make a prediction as to what will happen if it “rains”
on their landscape.
Have students put a full glass of water into their rainmaker and slowly move the
rainmaker over their model. Students should hold the rainmaker about 4 inches
above the upper end of the landscape and slowly move it back and forth so the
water “rains” down on the model landscape.
Have students observe what happens to their landscape when rain occurs. When
it is finished raining, have the students observe the final effects of the rain on
their landscape. Have students go back to their predictions and record what
actually happened.
Explain
Ask students:
• What were your predictions before it rained on your landscape?
• What happened to your landscape when it rained?
• How is your landscape different after the rain than before the rain?
• What happened to the soil? Where did it go? Why did this happen?
Explain erosion, transportation, and deposition. Discuss that water was used
during this experiment to simulate erosion, transportation, and deposition, but
erosion can also be caused by wind, people, animals, etc.
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Elaborate
(extend)
Have groups of students plan a method to decrease or eliminate erosion. Have
them design another landscape using the same roller pan and resources as a
base for their landscape. Students should draw a diagram of the model planned
and label the materials used in their landscape. Have students write an
explanation for why they think their plan will work to curb erosion. Have students
experiment with their new landscape and describe whether or not their plan
worked.
Debrief by having students identify a real-world situation of erosion, what
occurred, and what is being done to restore the environment.
Evaluate
Provide students with photographs representing different landscapes. Have
students evaluate whether or not each landscape would be effective in
preventing erosion. Have students define the terms erosion, transportation, and
deposition and provide real-world examples of each.
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26
Experiments for the Classroom – Getting Started
Oil Spill! Clean It Up
When oil tankers accidentally spill their cargo of oil into the ocean they cause a huge environmental
danger. Oil is extremely hard to remove from the water and the beaches, and the whole environment
is damaged. In this experiment, you can see how hard it is to remove oil from sand.
You will need:
 Large plastic cup
 Sand
 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
(This experiment can be messy, so you might want to do it outdoors.)
Step 1 – Observe - Fill a plastic cup with sand and oil and mix well. Observe the problem that you
have.
Step 2 – Hypothesize - Based on your observations, make a guess at what tools you could use to
get the oil off the sand.
Step 3 – Test the Hypothesis - Conduct an experiment. Use a spoon, a straw, paper towel, an old
toothbrush, a sponge – anything that you can think of to get the oil off the sand and help save the
environment!
Friction
Which is easier to spin – a smoother ball or a less smooth ball? For this experiment, you will need:
 A bowl of water
 Smooth rubber ball
 Tennis ball
Step 1 – Observe the two types of balls.
Step 2 – Hypothesize - Based on your observations, make a guess as to which ball will spin the
longest and why.
Step 3 – Test the Hypothesis - Try spinning the rubber ball in the water. Next spin the tennis ball in
the water. Which one is easier to spin? The smoother ball is easier to spin because the smooth
surface causes less friction with the water.
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Spontaneous Problems and the Scientific Method – An Inquiry Lab
Background:
This is a quick and easy inquiry lab on the scientific method. Students explore how the scientific
method can be used to solve a problem or meet a challenge. You may choose to have your students
design and construct their model, test it, revise it, and then write it up according to the scientific
method, or write it up as they go along.
Materials Per Group:
1 cup
1 marble
20 straws
12 inches of tape
6 rubber bands
4 mailing labels
10 paper clips
1 ruler
2 index cards
10 nails
1- 1-inch ball of Playdoh
Student Directions: Using the materials listed below, you are to build a structure which will
transport a marble into a cup. The structure must be at least 14 inches tall and must transport the
marble a distance of no less than 24 horizontal inches (parallel to the floor). Once the marble is
released it may not be touched until the trial is over. In order to accomplish the problem, the marble
must remain in the cup when the trial is over. The marble must start on the structure and must
remain on the structure for two seconds.
You may use only the following materials:
1 cup
1 marble
20 straws
12 inches of tape
6 rubber bands
4 mailing labels
10 paper clips
1 ruler
2 index cards
10 nails
1- 1-inch ball of Playdoh




Describe your solution in terms of the scientific method. Did you use all of the steps?
Did you run a controlled experiment? What would be the benefits of using a control with this
problem?
Do all solutions to problems follow the scientific method?
How could the scientific method have helped you to achieve your solution?
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Gummy Bear Absorption: A Scientific Method Investigation
Background information:
 Gummy bears are made from a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, food coloring, citric
acid (vitamin C), gelatin and added flavoring.
 Gelatin absorbs water to a certain extent. There is a limit to how much water a certain
amount of gelatin can hold.
 Salt is a solute and draws water towards it. Water moves toward the direction where there is
more salt and less water.
 Vinegar is an acid and is corrosive. It can cause various substances to break down.
Problem: How will a gummy bear be affected by water, salt water, sugar water and vinegar?
Hypothesis: I think each of the following will affect a gummy bear in the following way:
 Water: _________________________________________________
 Salt water: ______________________________________________
 Vinegar: ________________________________________________
 Sugar water: ____________________________________________
Materials:
 Gummy Bears
 Triple Beam Balance
 Metric Ruler
 Plastic Cups
 Water
 Salt
 Vinegar
 Sugar
Procedure:
1. Collect materials.
2. Prepare cups and label: water, salt water, vinegar, and sugar water
3. Measure length, width, height and mass of each gummy bear. Record in data table.
4. Place one gummy bear in each solution.
5. Record observations after one and five minutes.
6. Leave overnight.
7. The following day, record observations of each gummy bear and measure length, width,
height and mass of each gummy bear.
8. Find the percent increase in dimensions.
9. Draw a conclusion
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Recording Charts
Water
Length
Before
After
% Increase
Before
After
% Increase
Before
After
% Increase
Before
After
% Increase
After 1 minute
After 5 minutes
After 1 day
Width
Height
Mass
Salt Water
Length
Width
Height
Mass
Sugar Water
Length
Width
Height
Mass
Vinegar
Length
Width
Height
Mass
Observations
Water
Salt Water
Sugar Water
Vinegar
Conclusion:
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Understanding the Components of an Experiment
Directions: After completing the following table, read the passage (“The Experiment”) below and show
your understanding of the different components of an experiment by providing examples and explanations
in the table on the reverse side of this paper.
Component
Hypothesis
Definition/Description
Quantitative Data
Qualitative Data
Repeated Trials
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Control
Constants
The Experiment
A shopping mall wanted to determine whether the more expensive “Tough Stuff” floor wax was
better than the cheaper “Steel Seal” floor wax at protecting its floor tiles against scratches. One
gallon or each type of floor wax was applied to each of the five test sections of the main hall of
the mall. The test sections were all the same size and were covered with the same kind of tiles.
Five (5) other test sections received no wax. After 3 weeks, the number of scratches in each of
the test sections were counted.
Component
Example from
“The Experiment”
Reasoning
Hypothesis
Quantitative Data
Qualitative Data
Repeated Trials
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Control
Constants
Adapted from Cothron, Julia, et al. Students and Research.
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Raw or Cooked?
Find out which spins the longest, a raw egg or a cooked egg. For this experiment, you will need:
 1 cooked egg
 1 raw egg
 1 plate
Step 1 – Observe the two eggs.
Step 2 – Hypothesize - Based on your observations, make a guess as to which egg will spin the
longest and why.
Step 3 – Test the Hypothesis - Spin each egg in turn on a plate. The egg that continues to spin for
a longer time is the cooked one. Now spin the eggs again, and then quickly stop both of them. Then
let go of both eggs. You will see that the cooked egg stays still but the raw one starts spinning again.
Why does this happen? The contents of the egg have more inertia when they are raw, because they
are in the form of a liquid. This inertia slows down the raw egg and that is why it stopped spinning
before the cooked egg. In step 2, the liquid in the raw egg was still moving when you stopped both
eggs, so that movement made the raw egg begin to spin again.
Which Paper Towel Absorbs the Most Water
Have students divide into small groups of three to four students. Provide each student with different
rolls of paper towels (different brands and quality) and cups of water. Have them predict which towel
will absorb the most water and why. Have them conduct the experiment and develop a short oneminute commercial that delivers their findings.
Hypothesis: Which paper towel will absorb the most water? Why?
Observations
Paper Towel A
Paper Towel B
Paper Towel C
What results can be drawn from the experiment?
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How Long Does It Take?
Observation/Problem: Does the color of a Tootsie Pop change the number of licks that it takes to
get to the chocolate center?
Materials:


One bag of Tootsie Pops with at least 3 of each color. Make sure that none have been
broken.
Paper and pencil
Procedure:
1. Identify the independent variable in this question. (the different colors/flavors)
2. Identify the dependent variable in this question. (same person doing the experiment for each
color and ensure that the same amount of pressure and the same location on each pop is
used)
3. Identify at least 3 constants (controls) for this question. (same person doing the experiment,
lollipops that are the same size, same pressure used for each lick, same direction used for
each lick such as from bottom to top, etc.)
4. State a hypothesis for this question. This is a prediction about how the independent variable
will affect the dependent variable. The orange lollipop will take less time to get to the middle
because it is a lighter and clearer color.
5. Write a procedure to test this hypothesis.
 What materials will you need to conduct this investigation?
 How many times will you replicate the experiment?
6. Design a data table to collect and display your results. What will you need to record?
7. Conduct the experiment. How many times will you replicate the experiment to prove or
disprove your hypothesis? Why?
8. Determine the results and whether or not the hypothesis was supported by the data.
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Science Resources from the World Wide Web
ABC Science. News, video clips, games, and lots of activities for the science classroom from the
American Broadcasting Company. http://www.abc.net.au/science/
Annenberg Foundation. Great science materials and courses from The Habitable Planet to Force
and Motion. Courses, lesson plans, and interactives will keep students engage in science. The
Habitable Planet is a multimedia course for high school teachers and adult learners interested in
studying environmental science. http://www.learner.org/resources/discipline-science.html
Discovery Education. The website provides lesson plans on earth and space science.
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/search/page/-/-/lesson-plan/earth%20science/index.cfm
How Stuff Works. Ever wondered why a cd works? How about the ten myths about the brain? How
about what would happen if you put sugar in your gas tank? An interesting science site filled with
real-world information. http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Interactive Websites for Teaching Science. Just click on one of the topics and explore the myriad
of resources on the World Wide Web. http://interactivesites.weebly.com/science.html
Mythbusters. From the Discovery Channel comes great videos that use the scientific method to
explore different questions in science. http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/
National Science Teachers Association. Freebies for Teachers. All kinds of curriculum guides,
lesson plans, experiments, and resources for the classroom.
http://www.nsta.org/publications/freebies.aspx
NEWSELA. This website is an innovative way to build reading comprehension with nonfiction
through daily news articles. https://newsela.com/
Newton’s Apple. NEWTON'S APPLE is a production of Twin Cities Public Television from a grant
from the 3M Foundation. The site is filled with free videos for use in many different areas.
http://www.newtonsapple.tv/
Nye Labs.com This is indeed “Bill Nye, the science guy” with lots of activities and applications for
science. http://www.billnye.com
Steve Spangler. This site has lots of free experiments and videos for use in the classroom.
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab
Surrounded by Science Infographic. The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 established
the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation. Lots of materials to use in the
classroom. https://www.neefusa.org/resource/surrounded-science-infographic
Teachers Try Science. This site provides free and engaging lessons, along with teaching
strategies and resources. http://www.tryscience.org/
Ted Ed Lessons. This website has great videos and lesson plans in all areas of science.
http://ed.ted.com/lessons
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