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Video Lessons

Scientific Method: How Do Scientists Make Discoveries?

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Summary

Grade Range
3rd-8th
Group Size
2 students
Area of Science
Zoology
Key Concepts
Scientific Method, Natural Selection, Camouflage
Credits
Svenja Lohner, PhD, Science Buddies Alumni
Video narration by Jennifer E Paz
Pricing
Free for a limited time thanks to individual donors
Video Lesson
Get Student Link

Overview

This lesson will introduce students to the scientific method using a fun, hands-on activity about the role of animal camouflage in evolution. During the activity, students will practice each step of the scientific method including doing background research, making a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. By going through this process, students will also learn how camouflage helps animals survive.

Learning Objectives

Materials

Per student or group:

Prep Work

  • You can either buy paper shred or make your own from green construction paper. Make sure the color of the paper matches the color of the green matchsticks or toothpicks. To make your own paper shred, cut the paper into approximately 5"x5" squares. Put the squares through a shredder. Collect the shredded paper in a plastic bag. Once you have shredded all your paper, give the paper a three-dimensional structure by crunching it while it is in the bag.
  • Print out and distribute a worksheet and background reading packet to each student.
  • Place all the materials for each student group in a separate container or bag. When it is time, provide the students with the materials they need for their experiment.

Engage (10 minutes)

In this video, students will discuss how scientists make discoveries and be introduced to the steps of the scientific method.

Explore (95 minutes)

In this video, students will practice each step of the scientific method by exploring why some animals use camouflage. Step-by-step instructions will guide students through their background research, variable selection, data collection and data analysis. Through their experiments students will learn how variation of traits and natural selection contribute to evolution.

Reflect (8 minutes)

This video summarizes what students have learned about natural selection and evolution and reflects on how scientists use the scientific method for exploring their questions and making new discoveries.

NGSS Alignment

This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
  • 3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.
  • 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
  • MS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
  • MS-LS4-6. Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
This lesson focuses on these aspects of NGSS Three Dimensional Learning:

Science & Engineering Practices
3rd Grade

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. Use evidence (e.g., observations, patterns) to construct an explanation. (3-LS4-2)

Engaging in Argument from Evidence. Construct an argument with evidence. (3-LS4-3)

Middle School

Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings. (MS-LS4-1)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking. Use mathematical representations to support scientific conclusions and design solutions. (MS-LS4-6)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for real-world phenomena, examples, or events. (MS-LS4-2)

Construct an explanation that includes qualitative or quantitative relationships between variables that describe phenomena. (MS-LS4-4)

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information. Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication and methods used, and describe how they are supported or not supported by evidence. (MS-LS4-5)
Disciplinary Core Ideas
3rd Grade

LS4.B: Natural Selection. Sometimes the differences in characteristics between individuals of the same species provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. (3-LS4-2)

LS4.C: Adaptation. For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. (3-LS4-3)

Middle School

LS4.B: Natural Selection. Natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others. (MS-LS4-4)

LS4.C: Adaptation. Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, the distribution of traits in a population changes. (MS-LS4-6)
Crosscutting Concepts
3rd Grade

Cause and Effect. Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change. (3-LS4-2), (3-LS4-3)

Middle School

Cause and Effect. Phenomena may have more than one cause, and some cause and effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability. (MS-LS4-4), (MS-LS4-5), (MS-LS4-6)

Assess

The student worksheet can be used to evaluate students' understanding of the activity and basic concepts.

Extensions

Project Guide

Steps of the Scientific Method
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Project Resource
What is the Scientific Method? The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Do all scientists follow the scientific method exactly? No. Some areas of science can be more easily tested than others. For example, scientists studying how stars change as they age or how dinosaurs digested their food cannot fast-forward a star's life by a million years or run medical exams on feeding dinosaurs to test their hypotheses.… Read more

Blog

Four Ways to Teach the Scientific Method
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Blog Post
Teaching students about the scientific method helps prepare them to do science experiments and to design and execute their own science fair projects to explore science questions. These four free plug-and-play resources help you approach the scientific method with tools and learning aids that suit the needs of your classroom. Teaching Steps of the Scientific Method Whether preparing students to do classroom science experiments and science fair projects… Read more

Careers

Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist
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Career Profile
There is so much animal and plant life to explore on our planet. Zoologists and wildlife biologists study every aspect of animals to find out how they behave, where they live, or what they eat. They do research to understand the specific needs of different animal's or to find out what impact a habitat change can have on a specific animal or plant. Read more
Environmental Scientist
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Career Profile
Environmental Scientists use their knowledge about nature to protect the environment. For example, they study how human activities such as pollution or construction affect the habitats of different animal species. This helps conserve habitats and protects endangered animals and plants from extinction. There are many other types of scientists who use the scientific method to explore the natural world. You can read about them on Science Buddies' science careers page. Read more
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