PRIME SCIENCE Teacher’s Guide
Overarching Understanding*
Scientists use a variety of tools to measure, observe,
record, and communicate information.
The Tools of Scientists
Science Objectives
•U
nderstand how scientists use tools to measure,
observe, record, and communicate data
• Identify the correct tools for a scientific
investigation
Hands-On Science Inquiry
• Finding the Right Tool for the Job, page 16
• Pond Water Investigation, page 30
Metacognitive Strategies
• Use fix-up strategies: retelling, rephrasing
• Determine text importance
Comprehension Strategy
• Summarize Information
Content Vocabulary
• Glossary, page 46
Vocabulary Strategy**
•U
se direct definitions to define unfamiliar
vocabulary
Word Study
• Prefixes
• Word origins
• Word maps
Language Forms and Functions
Level V/60
• Verb-preposition combinations
Writing Connection
• How to Write a Table, pages 44–45
Graphic Features Focus
• Tables and diagrams
Related Resources
•T
he Tools of Scientists Interactive
Whiteboard Edition
• Comprehension Strategy Assessments
• Comprehension Question Card
• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart
• ExC-ELL Vocabulary Strategies Card**
*Essential Questions for each chapter drive the unit of study. These questions encourage students
to think critically about the big ideas, or essential understandings, and to formulate further
questions for inquiry. Students who have read the text with comprehension should be able to
demonstrate their understanding through discussion and through the “Putting It All Together”
activities at the end of each chapter.
Level Q/40
**If you are using this text with ExC-ELL students, please refer to the ExC-ELL Vocabulary
Strategies Card.
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Introduce the Book
Make Connections/Build Background
Write a Table
Build Science Concepts and Vocabulary
Introduce and Plan
•O
pen discussion. Use the “Prime Questions” on the
inside front cover of The Tools of Scientists to initiate a
discussion about the tools people and scientists use every
day. Say: Tools and technology allow us to observe,
measure, and better understand the world around us.
Imagine, for a moment, what life would be like without
the invention of the thermometer, the microscope, and
the telescope. We all use tools of various types to do a
wide variety of things. Some tools are instruments, some
are devices, some are systems (such as measurement
systems), and some are processes to follow to get certain
results. What are some tools that you use every day?
What are some tools that scientists might use in their
experiments and observations?
• Think/pair/share. Have students work in pairs to
brainstorm tools they use and tools scientists use.
Have them decide whether the tools they think of are
instruments, devices, systems, or processes. Then bring
students together to share their ideas.
•C
reate a scientific tools anchor chart. Create a fourcolumn chart with the headings Instruments, Devices,
Systems, and Processes. As students share the kinds of
tools, have them help you list each tool under the correct
heading on the chart. Tell students they will be adding to
the chart as they read this book.
•H
ave students turn to pages 44–45. Read how to create a
table and the notes together.
•S
ay: A table is a tool for recording and communicating
data. You’ll be creating a table as a way to record
and share information. Tables are one way of easily
communicating information that has been collected
through observations or experiments. Before starting your
table, you will need to think of a topic that you would
like to investigate or research. You will need to keep good
notes about your investigation and then summarize and
organize your information into appropriate categories.
Your table can have as many columns as necessary to
record your categories of information. Each column will
have its own title. You may also add pictures or diagrams
to your table if it’s appropriate.
•G
enerate ideas and conduct research. Ask students
to think of a topic they would like to investigate. Discuss
research options that they might use to find information
about their topic. For example: science books and journals,
magazines, newspapers, and the Internet.
• Ask students to use the Table Planning Guide (BLM 1) to
record the information from their investigations.
• Confer with individual students to support their research.
Are they collecting information that fits the categories
they have chosen for their tables? Is their information
thorough and complete?
Preview the Book
• Invite students to flip through the book and view photos,
or project the whiteboard version of the text and preview
the pages together.
• Have students turn to the Table of Contents and read the
chapter heads and essential questions for each chapter.
• Invite students to read the book description and the
“About the Author” blurb on the back cover of the book.
Ask: How do these features help you figure out what
you’ll learn about in this book?
•T
hink/pair/write/share. Ask students to work in pairs
and preview the Table of Contents. Have them generate
a list of questions they have about the tools scientists use.
Invite a few students to share their questions with the
whole group.
Read Aloud the Book Introduction
•A
sk: If you were going to go on a deep-sea research
expedition, what might you expect to see? Think about
the deep-ocean environment. What kinds of tools would
you need to do your research?
• Have students turn to pages 4–5, or display it on the
whiteboard. Ask students to discuss the heading.
• Read aloud pages 4–5, or listen and follow along with the
talking e-book in the whiteboard edition.
• Ask students to discuss the discoveries made by the
scientists on the expedition. Have students name the tools
the scientists used in their work and observations. Add
any new tools mentioned to the Scientific Tools chart
created earlier.
2
Table Title:
Choose a title that summarizes the information in the table.
Categories of Information:
What categories will you need to organize the information.
How many columns and rows will you need? List the
headings for each row and column.
Sources of Information:
What sources will you use? Will you use results from an
experiment or research books and other written sources?
List your sources here.
Sources of Illustrations:
Where will you find illustrations to put in your table?
the tools of scientists
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole
or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-61672-226-5
Chapter 1: Tools for Measuring
Before Reading
Make It Comprehensible for ELs
Use the following strategies to help ELs understand
concepts and acquire academic language.
• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images
from the book or from the image bank on the interactive
whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.
• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group
or partner discussions and activities.
• Model the use of academic sentence frames to support
ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)
Discuss the Essential Question: What tools are used for
measuring in science?
•A
sk students to turn to page 6. Read the Essential
Question together.
•O
pen discussion: We use a wide variety of tools every
day from the time we get up until the time we go to bed.
Scientists also use a wide variety of tools depending on
what they are observing or what experiments they are
doing.
•G
enerate predictions. Ask: What tools would you
predict that a scientist might use to measure or weigh
something? What system of measurement might scientists
use? Do you want to add any ideas based on what you
see in the pictures in this chapter?
• As students make predictions about which scientific tools
they will read about, add them to the Scientific Tools
chart that you began earlier in the lesson.
• Tell students they will continue to add to the chart as
they read.
Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Context Clues
(Descriptions and Examples) to Determine Word Meanings
• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 7.
•A
sk: What do you already know about each of these
words? Take a moment to jot down what you know in
your science journal.
• Have students draw a graphic organizer like the one
below in their journals to evaluate their knowledge of the
essential vocabulary words.
• Invite students to share and discuss their graphic
organizers with a partner or the whole group.
Words I Know
Words I Think
I Know
Words I
Don’t Know
•M
odel using descriptions and examples. Say: Authors
often provide descriptions along with new vocabulary
words to help readers understand the new words. These
descriptions might be details about the word. They
might use adjectives to give a fuller sense of the word.
Sometimes, authors also include examples to help you
better understand a word’s meaning. On page 10, the
author has given a descriptive detail about the word
kilogram, saying that a kilogram is the only base unit in
the International System of Units (SI) that has a prefix.
The author then provides an example by saying that a
guinea pig has the mass of about one kilogram.
•T
hink/pair/share. Have students work in pairs to find
each essential vocabulary word in Chapter 1. Have them
write these in their individual science journals, along with
a brief definition for each word. Have them note if the
author used descriptions and/or examples to define each
word. Then ask for a volunteer for each word to share
what he or she found.
• Reinforce the importance of using examples and/or
descriptions in context to help determine word meanings.
Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary
If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the
cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware,
however, that students may not understand the meaning of
all of these science words in their first language, either.
Celsius/Celsius (page 18), density/la densidad (page
17), kilogram/kilogramo (page 10), liter/el litro (page
13), mass/la masa (page 11), meniscus/el menisco (page
13), meter/el metro (page 9), metric system/el sistema
métrico, (page 8), volume/el volumen (page 13)
Preview Text and Graphic Features: Tables
•A
sk students to turn to page 8. Point out the table at the
bottom of the page.
• Ask: What is this feature? (Allow responses.)
• If necessary, say: This is a table. As we’ve discussed, tables
are features that help scientists and writers record and
communicate information collected from research or
experiments. Tables are organized into as many vertical
columns and horizontal rows as necessary to categorize
information effectively. Tables always have a title. Each
column in a table also has a title, or heading, to help sort
and organize the information presented.
•A
sk: Why do you think this graphic feature is included
here? How can it help you as a reader? (Allow responses.)
•S
ay: Look at the first table on page 8. This table shows
metric prefixes and the meaning of each prefix. Notice
that this table has only two columns, while the author
needed three columns to present the information in the
table on the bottom.
Activate Metacognitive Strategies: Determine Text
Importance
•R
emind students that good readers use many strategies to
determine the important parts of a text.
•S
ay: When you are determining the important
information in a text, you need to decide which details,
vocabulary words, and graphics to focus on. You can start
by focusing on topic sentences, important phrases, and
boldfaced words that you see.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
the tools of scientists
3
Chapter 1 (continued)
•M
odel. Read aloud page 8. Say: The first two sentences
provide some general information. In the third sentence I
see the key words metric system. Since these words are
also used for the section heading, I suspect this sentence
is important. The phrase in that sentence that says the
metric system is “one of the most important tools” also
lets me know that this is a part of the text I need to pay
attention to. The next two paragraphs tell me why having
a standardized system of measurement is important and
why it was developed. As I continue reading, I then see
what the SI or International System of Units measures.
I think the last sentence above the second table is also
important to remember.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•S
ay: As you are reading, you’ll be using an anticipation
guide to help you determine what you know about
each chapter before reading it. After you have read the
chapter, you will check your initial understanding against
what you learned while reading.
• Distribute the Anticipation Guide (BLM 2). Have students
complete the “Me” section for Chapter 1 to identify what
they already know and to set a purpose for reading.
Read the Chapter
Choose the option below that meets the needs of your
students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive strategy
of determining text importance to help them identify the
main ideas in the chapter.
•R
ead with a teacher. Meet with small groups of
students to focus on content-comprehension strategies
as you read the text together. Students can read silently,
or you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Use the
Anticipation Guide to focus on key concepts.
•R
ead with a partner. Have students read the chapter
with a partner and complete the “Author” column of the
Anticipation Guide together.
•R
ead independently. Assign students the chapter to
read on their own before the next class period. Students
should complete the “Author” column of the Anticipation
Guide for the chapter.
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames
• Before reading I thought __________.
• After reading I learned __________.
After Reading
Choose from the activities below to extend students’ science
and content-literacy skills.
Discuss Key Concepts
Ask students to share their Anticipation Guides. Which key
statements did students successfully predict before reading?
What new understandings did they gain from reading this
chapter?
Model Comprehension Strategies: Summarize Information
•E
xplain: When you read, it’s important to summarize the
important points about what you just read. Summarizing
means to make a brief statement of only a few sentences
that contains the main points and key terms from your
reading. Summaries can be created either in your head as
4
The tools of scientists
you read or in writing after you read. You should put a
summary in your own words.
•M
odel summarizing. Read aloud pages 14–15. Say: As I
read these pages, I noticed the boldfaced phrase. I know
these are important to include in my summary. I also
saw a formula for how to determine volume. This part
of the text is comparing rectangular and irregular solids.
My summary might be: “Rectangular solids are measured
using length times width times height to determine the
volume. Irregular solids don’t always have lengths, widths,
or heights, so their volumes can’t be determined using the
same method. A water displacement method can be used
to measure this kind of solid.”
•S
ay: As you are reading, remember to stop every so often
to summarize what you have just read. Then summarize
again at the end of each chapter.
Vocabulary/Word Study: Prefixes
•E
xplain. Tell students that prefixes are attached to the
beginnings of words and modify or change the meaning
of the stem or base word. Explain that many of the
prefixes we use have Greek origins.
•S
ay: Look at the first table on page 8. This shows several
prefixes that are used with metric measurements and
what each prefix means.
• Write the following stem words on the board; meter,
gram, liter. Tell students to write each stem word in their
science journals and then add as many of the prefixes
from the table as they can to create new words that
relate to metric measurements. For example kilo + gram
= kilogram. Tell students they can look through Chapter
1 to help them find metric measurement words using the
three stem words.
• Bring students together to share their lists of metric
measurement words.
• Create a class list of the words students found.
Language Forms and Functions: Verb-Preposition
Combinations
•
•
Read the following sentence from page 15.
On Level: Think of objects such as stones and shells.
Bridges: Think of a rock or shell.
E
xplain: Look at the words think of in this sentence.
These words form a verb-preposition combination. This
means that the preposition of is closely connected to the
verb think. Verb-prepositions are often used informally
in speech and in some writing. Sentences with verbpreposition combinations have a word or phrase that
follows and completes the meaning of the verb. In this
example, think of is an informal way to say picture or
visualize.
• Have students work in pairs to find or generate other
examples of verb-preposition combinations. (for example,
get to, make up, based on, divided into, sink in,
belong to, agree with) Create a verb-preposition chart
with students to refer to as they read the book.
Hands-On Science Inquiry
Ask students to work in small groups to conduct the
experiment on page 16 (Finding the Right Tool for
the Job).
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Chapter 2: Tools for Observing
Differentiated Collaborative Learning
Invite partners or small groups to complete one of
the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 19
to demonstrate their understanding of the essential
information. Note that the activity choices accommodate
learners with a range of learning styles.
Share the Cartoonist’s Notebook
•H
ave students read the Cartoonist’s Notebook on pages
20–21 independently, with partners, or as a whole group.
(You may wish to project the spread on your whiteboard.)
•O
pen discussion. Ask students to think about and discuss
the following questions.
• Why did Archimedes decide to investigate the crown?
•W
hat process did he use to see if his crown was real
gold?
•H
ow might his discovery prove useful for measuring
other irregular solids?
• What do you think the results of his test were?
Write a Table: Draft
•T
ell students they will be using their Table Planning
Guides to begin drafting the information for their tables.
•D
iscuss organization. Remind students that when they
develop a table, it needs to be well organized. They can
organize their information by sorting it into categories
that relate to the topic they are investigating. Explain that
tables are divided into labeled columns and rows, which
make it easier to sort and organize their information.
Review how to create a table on pages 44–45.
• Conference with students as they complete their drafts.
Use the Table Checklist (BLM 3) to draw students’
attention to characteristics they need to include, noting
that some rules of good writing, such as always using
complete sentences, may be relaxed in a table because
there is limited space. Emphasize that the style of the
entries should be consistent. Focus on how students have
organized their ideas. Did they choose useful categories
for organizing their information? Did they summarize
and record their information within their tables? Were
they able to sort and organize the information in the
appropriate categories? Did they label each column to
help them identify and communicate the information on
their tables?
• Pair students for peer conferencing.
Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing
In their science journals, have students answer the textdependent comprehension questions for Chapter 1 on
Comprehension Questions (BLM 4). These questions, at
four text-dependent comprehension levels, help prepare
students for the questions they will encounter on
standardized content-area reading assessments. To model
strategies for answering text-dependent comprehension
questions, use the information and prompts provided on
the Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart. Answers for each
question on BLM 4, along with additional questions, can be
found on the Comprehension Question Card.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Before Reading
Make It Comprehensible for ELs
Use the following strategies to help ELs understand
concepts and acquire academic language.
• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images
from the book or from the image bank on the interactive
whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.
• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group
or partner discussions and activities.
• Model the use of academic sentence frames to support
ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)
Discuss the Essential Question: What tools do scientists
use to observe and identify objects?
•A
sk students to turn to page 22. Read the Essential
Question together.
•P
artner discussion. Have each student work with a
partner to discuss the essential question. Encourage
students to make predictions about the tools scientists
use to observe and identify objects. Have them list their
ideas.
•S
hare ideas. Bring students together to share their
predictions about tools scientists use.
• Have students help you record the tools they came up
with under the correct heading on the Scientific Tools
chart you created earlier.
Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Context Clues
(Direct Definitions and Synonyms) to Determine Word
Meanings
• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 23.
•S
ay: Authors often use direct definitions to help readers
understand a word’s meaning. Direct definitions tell
directly what a word means. On page 31, the author
defines sonar as “a tool that uses sound to detect, locate,
and measure distances of underwater objects.”
•A
uthors also use synonyms to clarify a word’s meaning.
In “The Fathers of Microscopy” on page 28, the author
tells about early microscopes with only one lens. You
may or may not know the word lens, but the author also
says that these microscopes with one lens were really just
powerful magnifying glasses. This may help you if you
know the meaning of magnifying glasses. And in fact,
magnifying glass is also a good synonym for the phrase
hand lens on page 27. The picture shows a hand lens,
but again you might be more familiar with the synonym
magnifying glass. Synonyms help you understand what
a word means.
• Have students write each essential vocabulary word
in their science journals. Have them find the words in
Chapter 2 and note how each word is defined. Ask them
to note if direct definitions and/or synonyms were used to
define each word.
• Bring students together to share their lists.
the tools of scientists
5
Chapter 2 (continued)
Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary
If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the
cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware,
however, that students may not understand the meaning of
all of these science words in their first language either.
binoculars/los binoculares (page 26), microscope/
los microscopios (page 27), sonar/el sonar (page 31),
telescopes/los telescopios (page 24)
Preview Text and Graphic Features: Diagrams
•A
sk students to turn to page 29. Point out the diagram of
the microscope.
•A
sk: What do we call this graphic feature and why do you
think the author included it? (Allow responses.)
•S
ay: Diagrams are drawings or visual representations.
They illustrate what something looks like, features of an
object, or how something works.
• Ask students to find the other diagrams in Chapter 2
(pages 25 and 31) and explain their meanings.
Activate Metacognitive Strategies: Determine Text
Importance/Use Fix-Up Strategies: Retelling and
Rephrasing
•R
eview. Remind students that when they read Chapter 1,
they used several strategies to determine text importance.
Say: Determining text importance requires you to look at
headings, key words, topic sentences, and graphic features
to determine which key concepts to focus on. It also
means that you use your judgment about what the most
important information is in a text.
•E
xplain. Explain to students that the fix-up strategies of
retelling and rephrasing are also useful comprehension
strategies. Say: Retelling a portion of the text allows you
to restate what you have just read. When you rephrase a
portion of the text, you put the information you just read
into your own words. Retelling and rephrasing both help
you remember and understand the text.
•M
odel. Read aloud page 32. After reading this page, I can
retell or rephrase it in my own words by saying, “Rovers
or ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) allow scientists to
get information from places they can’t go themselves.
These ROVs carry tools and cameras and have been used
to explore Mars. They’re also used deep in the ocean to
study temperatures and collect samples.”
•A
sk: How will retelling and rephrasing help you as you
read? Why are these important reading strategies?
•S
ay: As you read Chapter 2, remember to determine the
important text and to also retell and/or rephrase portions
of the text as you are reading.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•H
ave students continue to use the Anticipation Guide
(BLM 2) to identify the main ideas they already know and
to set a purpose for reading.
Read the Chapter
Choose one of the following options that meets the needs
of your students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive
strategy of determining text importance and retelling and
rephrasing to help them identify the main ideas in the
chapter.
6
The tools of scientists
•R
ead with a teacher. Meet with small groups of
students to focus on content-comprehension strategies
as you read the text together. Students can read silently,
or you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Use the
Anticipation Guide to focus on key concepts.
•R
ead with a partner. Have students read the chapter
with a partner and complete the “Author” column of the
Anticipation Guide together.
•R
ead independently. Assign students the chapter to
read on their own before the next class period. Students
should complete the “Author” column of the Anticipation
Guide for the chapter.
After Reading
Choose from the activities below to extend students’
science and content-literacy skills.
Discuss Key Concepts
Have students share their Anticipation Guides (BLM 2) with
the class. Which concepts did students successfully predict
prior to reading? What new knowledge did they gain about
tools scientists use?
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames
• Before reading I believed that _________.
• After reading I now understand that __________.
Practice Comprehension Strategies: Summarize
Information
•A
sk: Why is it important to summarize information in the
text you just read?
•G
uide practice: Look at page 24. Why might it be useful
to summarize the information about telescopes?
• If necessary, model: There’s a lot of information here
about the two types of telescopes. If I summarize
this page, it will help me remember what it says and
also understand it better. My summary might be,
“Telescopes help us to see objects that are far away.
Refracting telescopes have a convex lens at the end and
a magnifying lens in the eyepiece. Their images can be
fuzzy and unclear around the edges. Reflecting telescopes
use mirrors at both ends. The images are clearer, so these
are used most often. Today scientists use computerized
telescopes with cameras that record the images. The
Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most powerful.”
•S
ay: As you are reading, remember to stop and
summarize what you’ve just read to help you comprehend
the text.
Vocabulary/Word Study: Word Origins (Greek Roots),
Acronyms
•T
ell students that knowing the Greek roots of words will
help them to understand what a word means.
• Write the words microscope and telescope on chart
paper or on the whiteboard and circle the Greek roots
micro and tele. Explain that micro means “small” and tele
means “far off.” Ask students how the definitions of the
Greek roots help them to understand the meanings of
microscope and telescope.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Chapter 3: Tools for Recording
and Communicating
•N
ext, have students turn to page 31. Say: The author has
used an acronym for the word sonar. An acronym is a new
word that’s formed from the first letter of several words or
from parts of several words. Acronyms are frequently used
to make a long term easier to remember. The word sonar
is from the first letters in SOund Navigation And Ranging.
Sonar is much easier to remember than the long technical
name.
• Have students turn to page 32. Ask: What acronym is used
repeatedly on this page? Why is it used?
Language Forms and Functions: Verb-Preposition
Combinations
•R
ead the following sentence from the caption on page 26:
This image taken from the Hubble shows two galaxies
colliding.
•S
ay: In this sentence, the verb taken is followed by the
preposition from. Taken from is a verb-preposition
combination. Verb-preposition combinations contain a
preposition or phrase that follows the verb to complete
the meaning of the verb.
• Have students work with a partner and look through
Chapter 2 to find other examples of verb-preposition
combinations. Ask students to add the verb-prepositions
they found to the chart created in Chapter 1.
Differentiated Collaborative Learning
Invite partners or small groups of students to complete
one of the “Putting It All Together” activities on page
33 to demonstrate their understanding of the essential
information.
Hands-On Science Inquiry
Ask students to work in small groups to conduct the
experiment on page 30 (Pond Water Investigation).
Write a Table: Edit and Revise
•B
ased on your observations of students’ writing, conduct
appropriate mini-lessons to help them improve.
•S
ay: When you are creating your table, you need to
consider the voice you’re using to record the information
on your table. Are you writing in simple terms that a
scientist would use to record information? Is your writing
formal or informal? As you edit your table, think about
how you might compose observations based on this table.
• Ask students if they:
• wrote a title for their table and for each column
• summarized their research and observation notes
(if applicable)
• created an appropriate number of columns to record
the information
• organized their information in the correct columns
• correctly wrote their observations on their table
(if applicable)
Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing
In their science journals, have students answer the textdependent comprehension questions for Chapter 2 on
BLM 4.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Before Reading
Make It Comprehensible for ELs
Use the following strategies to help ELs understand
concepts and acquire academic language.
• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images
from the book or from the image bank on the interactive
whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.
• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group
or partner discussions and activities.
• Model the use of academic sentences frames to support
ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)
Discuss the Essential Question: What tools are used to
record and communicate information?
•P
ose a question. Ask students to turn to page 34.
Read the Essential Question together. Say: We’ve been
learning about the different types of tools scientists
use for measuring and observing. What tools might a
scientist use to record information they gather from their
observations? What might they use to communicate their
information to others?
•A
nswer independently. Ask students to work
independently to list tools scientists might use to record
and communicate information.
• Bring students together to share their lists. Add students’
suggestions to the Scientific Tools chart created earlier.
Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Context Clues to
Determine Word Meanings
• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 35.
• Remind students that they have used direct definitions,
descriptions, and examples to determine word meanings.
•A
sk: What clues in the text do you look for to know if a
word is being defined by a direct definition? What clues
help you to know when descriptions are used to define a
word? How can you recognize when examples are used?
•M
odel: On page 40, the author has used all three types
of context clues to define what a diagram is. The text
directly states that:
On Level: Diagrams are visuals that explain complex
information or show relationships among things.
Bridges: Diagrams are visual models.
A good clue that it’s a definition is the word are. After
the definition, the author gives the examples of how
a water cycle diagram works and also how a food web
diagram works. The final two paragraphs provide more
descriptions and examples—they describe how certain
diagrams work to illustrate things and give examples of
some of those things. After reading this page, I have a
good understanding of the word diagram.
• Ask students to scan Chapter 3 and jot down the context
clues that help them understand the essential vocabulary.
Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary
If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the
cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware,
however, that students may not understand the meaning of
all of these science words in their first language, either.
bar graph/graph = la gráfica de barras (page 39),
diagrams/los diagramas (page 40), model/el modelo
(page 35)
The tools of scientists
7
Chapter 3 (continued)
Preview Text and Graphic Features: Models, Tables,
Graphs, Pie Charts
•A
sk students to scan Chapter 3 and point out examples
of models, tables, graphs, and pie charts in this chapter
(pages 36, 38–39).
•A
sk: What graphic features do you see on these pages?
How is each of these used to record information? How are
they used to communicate information to others? (Allow
responses.)
Review and Discuss Metacognitive Strategies: Use Fix-Up
Strategies: Retelling and Rephrasing/Determine Text
Importance
•S
ay: You’ve been using the reading strategies of retelling
and rephrasing and also determining text importance.
What is the purpose of retelling and rephrasing? When
should you retell or rephrase the text? Why is this an
important strategy to use? (Allow responses.)
•A
sk: When you determine text importance, what do you
look for in the text? What clues help you recognize when
something is important? (Allow responses.)
Set a Purpose for Reading
• S et a purpose for reading by having students continue
using their Anticipation Guides (BLM 2). Remind them to
mark the “Me” column to indicate which statements they
agree or disagree with for the Chapter 3 entries.
Read the Chapter
Choose the option below that meets the needs of your
students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive
strategies of retelling and rephrasing as well as determining
text importance to help them identify the main ideas in the
chapter.
•R
ead with a teacher. Meet with small groups of
students to focus on content-comprehension strategies
as you read the text together. Students can read silently,
or you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Use the
Anticipation Guide to focus on key concepts.
•R
ead with a partner. Have students read the chapter
with a partner and complete the “Author” column of the
Anticipation Guide together.
•R
ead independently. Assign students the chapter to
read on their own before the next class period. Students
should complete the “Author” column of the Anticipation
Guide for the chapter.
After Reading
Choose from the activities below to extend students’ science
and content-literacy skills.
Discuss Key Concepts
Have students share their Anticipation Guides. Were
students able to identify correct statements and then
change any incorrect statements to reflect their learning?
Review and Discuss Comprehension Strategies: Summarize
Information
•A
sk: What does it mean to summarize your reading? How
does summarizing help you understand the text? How
does it help you become a better reader?
•S
ay: When you summarize something, you are making a
brief statement about the important ideas in a portion of
the text. You can also summarize chapters or the whole
book. The purpose is to put into your own words what
8
The tools of scientists
the text was mainly about so that you can remember it
better. When you retell or rephrase part of the text, you
are also using your summarizing skills.
• Have students work in pairs and take turns reading one
or two paragraphs from Chapter 3 and then summarizing
what they read.
Vocabulary/Word Study: Word Map
•E
xplain to students that a word map is a visual way to
demonstrate a word’s meaning by adding details that
help define the word.
•S
ay: We can use word maps to help us define and
remember some of the terms in this chapter. (Write the
word model in a circle on the whiteboard or on chart
paper. On branch lines write What is it? What is it like?
and What are some examples?) What words can you use
to define what a model is? What is a model like? What
are some examples of a model? (Allow responses and
write students’ responses on the word map.)
• Have students work in small groups. Assign each group
one of the essential vocabulary words and have them
create a word map for their word.
• Bring students together to share their word maps. Post
the word maps for future reference.
Language Forms and Functions: Verb-Preposition
Combinations
• Read the following sentence from page 43.
On Level: The scientists were able to identify new species
of deep-sea animals and find out more about this unusual
area in the ocean.
Bridges: The scientists also found out a great deal about
the ocean.
•S
ay: The verb in this sentence is find/found. It’s followed
by the preposition out and forms the verb-preposition
combination find out/found out. This prepositional
phrase means “to discover or learn about something.”
• Have students look through Chapter 3 to find other
examples of verb-preposition combinations. Add these to
the chart created earlier.
Differentiated Collaborative Learning
Invite partners or small groups to complete one of
the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 41
to demonstrate their understanding of the essential
information.
Write a Table: Create Final Draft and Illustrations
• Have students either rewrite or type their final tables.
• Make sure students used an appropriate organization
system in their tables and included the information they
needed to include.
• Make sure students used an appropriate number of
columns and titles to present their information.
• Check that students at least considered including
Illustrations within their tables. If they did include
illustrations, check that the presentation of these
illustrations is consistent within the tables.
• Conference with students about their publishing plans
and deadlines.
Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing
In their science journals, have students answer the textdependent comprehension questions for Chapter 3 on
BLM 4.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Conclusion
Summarize and Synthesize
Use the suggestions below to synthesize the information
from the text and to evaluate and extend students’ content
knowledge, comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge.
Read Aloud and Discuss the Conclusion
Read aloud the conclusion on pages 42–43 and invite
students to summarize the key concepts and conclusions
they can draw from the text. Encourage students to use the
key vocabulary terms they have learned.
Assess Science and Content-Literacy
Skills
Text-Dependent Comprehension Assessment
•R
eview students’ answers to the text-dependent questions
on BLM 4. If necessary, support their text-dependent
comprehension strategies by answering additional
questions from the Comprehension Question Card as a
group.
Performance-Based Assessment
• Invite students to complete the “Prime Investigations”
activity shown on the inside back cover of the book.
This activity provides an opportunity for students to
demonstrate their understanding of tools that scientists
use that were developed in the text.
Vocabulary Challenge
•W
rite each vocabulary word on an index card. Write the
meaning for each word on a separate index card. Then
hand out either a word card or a definition card to each
student.
• Tell students they are going to play Find Your Partner. Tell
them they will need to find the person with the word or
definition card that matches their card.
• As time permits, gather and reassign the cards and have
students play the vocabulary game again.
Write a Table: Publish and Share
•E
xplain: Tables are one way that scientists and other
people can communicate information in a brief, easy-toread format. Your tables need to have a title and each
column of your table also needs a title. Make sure that
you’ve summarized and organized your information in the
appropriate categories and recorded information correctly
in the columns in your table.
• Use one or more of the following ideas to share students’
tables.
• Have students share and explain their tables with the
class.
• Display students’ tables for others to read.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Assessment
Closed-Book Science Content Assessment
•H
ave students complete the formal content assessment
on BLMs 5 and 6. This assessment helps you evaluate
students’ understanding of the standards-based
concepts developed in this text. There are three test
items for each “chunk” of the text as divided in this
Teacher’s Guide. For each chapter, there are three
types of questions, representing the different kinds
of questions students will encounter on standardized
content assessments.
Question Types and Explanations
•R
ecall. Students answer questions based on content
concepts learned from the text. Students are not
allowed to look in the book for answers.
•A
pplication. Students must transfer their
understanding of concepts learned in the book to
new, real-life situations.
•T
hink about it. Students must read and interpret this
question carefully. They must consider information
provided in the question and information from the
book to formulate an answer.
•W
rite a passage. Students demonstrate their content
knowledge by constructing a short text using a bank
of academic vocabulary words provided. Students are
scored using the rubric provided below.
Rating Characteristics
Scale
4
Student demonstrates mastery of key concepts.
Content is well organized around a clear unifying
concept, and all Essential Vocabulary is used
appropriately and effectively.
3
Student demonstrates mastery of most concepts.
Content has a clear organization, and most
Essential Vocabulary is used appropriately.
2
Student demonstrates partial understanding of
some concepts and vocabulary. Content is not well
organized, and there are some errors in content
knowledge.
1
Student does not demonstrate knowledge of key
concepts and vocabulary. Content organization is
lacking.
The tools of scientists
9
Answer Key: Anticipation Guide
9.(Answers may vary.) an example of a physical model
is the model of an atom; for example, a diagram can
illustrate the structure and operation of a telescope,
camera, or microscope.
Answer Key: Content Assessment
1. to create a standardized system of measurement
2. about 3 miles; 5 km x 0.62 = 3.1 miles
3.kilograms—it is easier to keep track of larger weights
in these units, and a person is much heavier than a
guinea pig
4. an ROV (remotely operated vehicle)
5.compound microscope, because it is more powerful
than a hand lens or regular microscope
Answer Key: Comprehension
Questions
1. the metric system is based on the number ten (page 8)
2.Micro- is the smallest opposite of mega-. Clues/
evidence: Micro- is 1/1,000,000. Mega- is 1,000,000
3. before that time
6.A refracting telescope has a convex lens and
magnifying lens. Images can have a fuzzy rainbow
halo at the edges. A reflecting telescope is the one
most commonly used. It has mirrors to collect the light
and doesn’t distort images—which would help if you
were scanning the sky looking for something.
7.A scientific model is a tool that presents information
in some visual form. The models can be diagrams,
computer-generated images, drawings, or
mathematical equations.
8.
4. Sound travels more slowly through cold water than
warm water. (page 31)
5.A microscope has many different parts that work
together to magnify the image of an object. Clues/
evidence: high-power lens: magnifies the image
40X; low-power lens: magnifies the image 10X;
scanning lens: the smallest of objective lenses on
the nosepiece, it magnifies the image 4X; eyepiece:
contains the lens that you look through; it usually
magnifies the image by 10X or 15X. (pages 28–29)
6. tools and description
7. Computers are used for many different jobs.
8.Recording and communicating tools are used for
different purposes. Clues/evidence: For example, a
scientist that is tracking the growth of three different
types of plants can use a table to record the results.
The pie chart shows the percentages of different
gases that make up Earth’s atmosphere. The graph
below shows data collected by scientists at the
National Snow and Ice Data Center. It shows how
the extent of sea ice has changed in the Arctic
Ocean over a period of months as well as years. The
bar graph below shows the average temperature
in Death Valley, California, over the period of a
year. A diagram of the water cycle illustrates how
water is constantly moving between the oceans, the
atmosphere, the land, and living things. (pages 38–40)
10
The tools of scientists
9. ( Answers may vary.) Line graphs are the most effective
way of showing changes in value over time; bar graphs
are also useful for comparing amounts; tables are
good for recording, but not as effective a display tool
as line graphs or bar graphs. Pie charts would be the
least effective way to show spending over time, but
they could be useful for showing what you spend your
total amount of money on.
10.Sample passage: My friend and I wanted to see how
many different types of birds we could see in one
square kilometer of the city park over the course of
the summer. First we used a map of the park and
a metric ruler to measure the section of park we
would birdwatch in. We used binoculars to make
observations within 50 meters. We used a reflecting
telescope to make observations at greater distances.
We recorded our observations using a table each
day. When the summer was over, we made a line
graph to show the number of each type of bird we
saw each week.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Table Planning Guide
Directions: Use this worksheet to help plan and create your table.
Table Title:
Choose a title that
summarizes the
information in the
table.
Categories of
Information:
What categories
will you need
to organize the
information. How
many columns and
rows will you need?
List the headings
for each row and
column.
Sources of
Information:
What sources will
you use? Will you
use results from
an experiment or
research books
and other written
sources? List your
sources here.
Sources of
Illustrations:
Where will you find
illustrations to put in
your table?
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
BLM 1
The tools of scientists
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Anticipation Guide
Before-Reading Directions: Review each statement for the chapter you are reading. Place
a check mark in the “Me” column if you agree with the statement. Place a minus sign if you
disagree with the statement.
After-Reading Directions: Reread each statement. Place a check mark or a minus sign in the
“Author” column. Compare your initial understanding with what you learned from the chapter.
Change all the statements that have a minus sign in the “Author” column so that they reflect the
information in the chapter. Write the page number where you found the correct information.
Me
Author Chapter
1
1
Statements
Page
People use tools to measure quantities such as
length, mass, weight, temperature, and time.
A meter is longer than a kilometer.
The metric system is only used by scientists.
1
1
Length, temperature, mass, volume, and time
can be measured using the metric system.
2
Images seen through reflecting telescopes are
not as clear as those seen through refracting
telescopes.
2
Electron microscopes use beams of electrons to
increase their magnification.
2
Binoculars work in the same way that a
microscope does.
2
Sonar is an acronym for Sound Navigation And
Ranging.
3
Scientists use tables to record and communicate
information.
3
3
The tools of scientists
The computer microchip was invented in 1990.
Line graphs and bar graphs are two tools
scientists use to compare information.
BLM 2
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Table Checklist
Features of a Table
YES
NO
1.I wrote a title for my table.
❍
❍
2. I summarized the information from my observation.
❍
❍
3. I used an appropriate number of columns to
record my information.
❍
❍
4. I labeled each column on my table.
❍
❍
5. I organized my information in the appropriate columns. ❍
❍
6. I wrote the information in a voice that a scientist would use.
❍
❍
7. I accurately recorded the information using sentence
structures that worked best for my table.
❍
❍
8. I added pictures or diagrams if they were appropriate.
❍
❍
Read and Revise
YES
NO
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
I looked for and corrected . . .
• run-on sentences
• sentence fragments
• subject-verb agreement
• correct verb tense • punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling
The tools of scientists
BLM 3
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
with an
Name _______________________________________________________
Date ______________________________
The Tools of Scientists: Comprehension Questions
Directions: Reread the text to answer each question. Provide clues and evidence
from the text to support your answers. Indicate the page(s) where you found your
clues and evidence.
Chapter 1
1. It is easy to convert the metric system from one unit to another because . . .
2. W
hat can you tell about the difference between micro- and mega- from the chart
on page 8?
3. What signal words does the author use to indicate time on page 8?
Chapter 2
4. Scientists can use sonar to measure water temperature because _____________.
(Use the cause-and-effect chart to answer this question.)
Cause
Effect
Scientists can use sonar to
measure water temperature.
5. What can you tell about microscopes from the diagram on page 29?
6. How is this chapter organized?
Chapter 3
7. What is the stated main idea for page 37?
8. What can you conclude about reporting and communicating tools?
9. The author uses examples in this chapter. Identify two.
The tools of scientists
­B LM 4
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
The Tools of Scientists: Content Assessment
Directions: Use what you have learned about the tools of scientists to answer the
questions below.
Chapter 1
1. For what purpose was the International System of Units (SI) metric system developed?
2. S ince 1 kilometer is equal to 0.62 mile, about how many miles would you run if you
ran in a 5-km race?
3. O
ne gram is equal to 1/1,000 of a kilogram and 1 milligram is 1/1,000 of a gram or
1/1,000,000 of a kilogram. Keeping in mind that a guinea pig is about the weight
of 1 kilogram, would you use a gram, a kilogram, or a milligram to determine how
much you weigh? Explain your answer.
Chapter 2
4. O
f the tools you read about, which was most effective for gathering data about
the ocean floor? 5. I f you wanted to examine a hair follicle in very close detail, which tool from the
book might be best to use? Explain why that tool would be the best choice. 6. T he two basic types of telescopes are the refracting telescope and the reflecting
telescope. Both collect light and focus more light so the human eye can see distant
objects. Why might you use a reflecting telescope for scanning large areas of the
sky looking for birds?
Chapter 3
7. What is a scientific model? What are some examples?
The tools of scientists
BLM 5
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date ______________________________
8. S uzanne is 150 cm tall, Josh is 130 cm tall, Manny is 160 cm tall, and Carla is 165 cm
tall. Create a bar graph below to illustrate each person’s height. Be sure to include
labels for each axis, units of measurement, and names of each student.
9. I f you wanted to track and display your spending over time, which type of graph,
table, or chart would be most effective? Which would be least effective? Why?
10. U
se the following Essential Vocabulary words to write a short passage: binoculars,
kilometer, line graph, meter, metric ruler, reflecting telescope. Through your
writing, show how the words are related.
The tools of scientists
BLM 6
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC