Elizabeth Jankowiak

Topic: The Scientific Method

Grade: 3

Objectives: Students will observe relationships between events and develop a hypothesis by writing a tentative
explanation of what they have observed and why they think it happened.
Standards: CCSS1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena
in a continuing, creative process.
CCSS1.3: Develop relationships among observations to construct descriptions of objects and
events and to form their own tentative explanations of what they have observed.
New York
Common Core Curriculum

ANTICIPATORY SET: To get students

interested and engaged in the lesson, the
teachers will create situations that the
students are likely to be able to explain.
This will prepare the students to think
about cause and effect and forming a
hypothesis. Teachers will ask and model
several situations such as, What would
happen if I dropped this book? What
would happen if I left this ice cube in the
sun? What would happen if I put this
marble in this cup of water? The teacher
would proceed by asking, Why? This
will allow students to be able to explain,
based on their observations, why they
formed their hypothesis. Students will be
given whiteboards to write their answers
so that baseline data may be collected for
each student.

Responsibility
Teacher 1

Responsibility
Teacher 2

Ask the questions, take

student responses,
create situations with
the book, ice cube,
marble etc.

Take baseline data to

see which students
have shown a basic
understanding of cause
and effect and
hypothesis. Mark a plus
for a correct
response/reasoning
shared and a minus for
an incorrect
response/reasoning
(based on students
whiteboard answers
and verbal responses in
class).

Present the definition

and explanation of a
hypothesis, perform

Observe while teacher

one is presenting the
definition, explanation

Teaching model used: One teach: one

assist

PROCEDURES: Students will learn the

definition of hypothesis: that it is a
proposed explanation for the relationship

Responsibility
teacher 3 (if
needed) or
teacher aide

between events. The teacher will explain

the think aloud of a
that it is a tentative answer to why
hypothesis
something may occur, which is what the
students had practiced during the
beginning of the lesson. Further, the
teacher will provide concrete examples by
performing a think aloud of forming a
hypothesis by recreating the
demonstrations from the beginning of the
lesson. Now, I may be thinking, I know
the sun is hot. When it is hot, ice melts.
Therefore, I think the ice cube might melt
in the sun. Lets find out! Another think
aloud may sound like this, I know when
I drop something it falls to the ground. I
have heard that gravity is what makes
things fall to the ground. I think gravity
will make the book fall to the ground.
Those final statements would be
explained to students as the hypothesis.
The hypothesis is the statement that
seeks to explain why you observed the
book falling and ice cube melting.
Students will then be divided into two
groups who will head to two different
stations to observe an experiment and
attempt to form a hypothesis. The groups
will switch, so both have an opportunity
to attend each station. At station one,
students will be given a bottle of pop and
a balloon. The students will put the
balloon over the top of the pop bottle and
shake the pop. The balloon should fill.
Students will then attempt to form a
hypothesis for why that happened. At
station two, students will be given a cup
with water, food dye, and a leaf of
cabbage. Students will place a few drops
of food dye in the water and place the
cabbage standing straight up in the water.
Eventually the cabbage should turn the
same color as the water and food dye.
Students will write a hypothesis
attempting to explain why that happened.
After the two stations have been
completed and students have had the
opportunity to finish writing a hypothesis,
we will gather in whole group and share
our ideas. Students will be asked to
explain their reasoning behind their
hypothesis based on what they had

and think aloud of a

hypothesis, set up the
station experiment
materials, run station 2
(the cabbage and water
station)

observed.
Teaching model used: One teach: one
observe; Station teaching
ADAPTATIONS or UDL connections

Provide the option for

students to use
technology to write
their hypothesis or to
assist with reading any
written materials.
Provide large print
handouts. Provide
adjustable seating and
accessible equipment
for any student using a
wheelchair.

CLOSURE: After students finish sharing Summarize the lesson

their hypothesis and explanations with the
whole group teacher one will summarize
that a hypothesis is an attempt to explain
what had been observed and that the next
step is to set up an experiment to test their
hypothesis. By setting up experiments,
students will then be able to see if their
hypothesis was correct or incorrect.
Even if your hypothesis is incorrect, you
still will have learned something. You
will have learned that the cause of what
you observed is not because of what you
thought, and that is still valuable
information to have. Students will be
given an exit slip to write their two
hypothesis on and to answer the question,
What is the purpose of forming a
hypothesis?

Provide the option for

students to use
technology to write
their hypothesis or to
assist with reading any
written materials.
Provide large print
handouts. Provide
adjustable seating and
accessible equipment
for any student using a
wheelchair.
Hand out exit slip,
assist any students with
questions or
clarification needed

Teaching model used: One teach: one

assist
ASSESSMENT of STUDENT
LEARNING: Students will produce two
written hypothesis based on the stations
they had gone to. The hypothesis should
include their observations that brought
them to their conclusion.
Teaching model used: Station teaching

Teacher one will be at

station one to help
students develop their
hypothesis

Teacher two will be at

station two to help
students develop their
hypothesis

MATERIALS: Handouts related to

hypothesis, pop bottles, balloons, glass
cups, food dye, cabbage leafs, exit slip

Will distribute the

proper materials to
students in station one
when it is time to take
part in the station

Will distribute
handouts during
anticipatory set, will set
up both station one and
two with necessary
materials while teacher
one is delivering
instruction, will
distribute exit slips

TECHNOLOGY: Access to computers,

iPads, and any assistive devices necessary
for accomodations

Will provide access to

any technology if
necessary during the
lesson and their station

Will provide access to

any technology if
necessary during the
lesson and their station