PTER 1: SCIENTIFIC SKILLS.

• INTRODUCTION TO BASIC AND

INTEGRATED SCIENCE PROCESS
SKILLS AND MANIPULATIVE SKILLS.
 INTRODUCTION TO BASIC AND
INTEGRATED SCIENCE PROCESS
SKILLS
1.  OBSERVING BAS
IC

This is the most basic skill in science.  Observations are made by using the 5
senses.  Good observations are essential in learning the other science process
skills. 

Examples:
The learner will be blind folded and make observations using the sense of
touch.  
The learner will create  observations about a coin using the 5 senses. 
The learner will mix primary colors to create more colors.
“What happens to the paint when you add more water?”
2. CLASSIFYING

 
After making observations it is important to notice similarities, differences,
and group objects according to a purpose.  It is important to create order to
help comprehend the number of objects, events, and living things in the world.
 
Examples: 
The learner will use a magnet to classify objects as magnetic or nonmagnetic.
The learner will use a balance and sort objects according to mass.
The learner will combine different liquids with water to determine which is
more or less dense.
Dump out a junk drawer and organize it. Organize toys and label containers.
3.  MEASURING & USING NUMBERS

Measuring is important in collecting, comparing, and interpreting data.  It

helps us classify and communicate with others.  The metric system should be
used to help understand the scientific world.
 
Examples:
The learner will find the mass of different liquids that have the same volume.
The learner will use technology to find the speed of a toy truck.
The learner will measure the distance a marble travels.
“How long did it take us to drive to school? How far was it?”
4.  COMMUNICATING

 
It is important to be able to share our experiences.  This can be
done with graphs, diagrams, maps, and spoken word. 
 
Examples:
The learner will create a line graph showing the relationship
between speed and the mass of a marble.
The learner will discuss possible errors with other classmates.
5.  INFERRING
 
An inference is an explanation based on an observation.  It is a link
between what is observed and what is already known.
 
Examples: 
The learner will write a conclusion at the end of each investigation.
The learner will create inferences about observations they made about a
mystery object.  I infer it is solid rather than hollow.
“Who do you think is the tallest person in ourfamily? Why do you think
that? How can we find out?”
6.  PREDICTING
 
What do you think will happen?  It is an educated guess based on good
observations and inferences about an observed event or prior knowledge. 
 
Examples:
The learner will predict what is a box based on observations using the sense of
touch. 
The learner will write a hypothesis about the effect of increasing the salt on the
buoyancy of an egg.
“How many of the seeds that we plant in our garden will sprout? How many
days until they sprout? Which will grow faster?”
 INT
EGR
1. USING SPACE-TIME RELATIONSHIP E AT
D
Describing changes in parameter with time
Examples of parameter are location, direction, shape, size, volume,
temperature and mass.

2. INTERPRETING DATA
Organizing and analyzing data that have been obtained by collecting bits of
information about objects and events that illustrate a specific situation,
and drawing conclusions from it by determining apparent patterns or
relationships in the data.
3. DEFINE OPERATIONALLY
Developing statements that present a concrete description of an object or an
event by telling one what to do or observe

4. IDENTIFYING AND CONTROLLING VARIABLES

Ability to identify variables (recognizing the characteristics of objects or
factors in events) that are constant or change under different conditions,
and that can affect an experimental outcome keeping most constant while
manipulating only one (the independent) variable
5. FORMULATING HYPOTHESES
Relating manipulated variable with responding variable.
Stating the expected outcome of an experiment

6. EXPERIMENTING

Testing a hypothesis through the manipulation and control of independent

variables and noting the effects on a dependent variable, interpreting and
presenting results in the form of a report that others can follow to replicate
the experiment
 MANIPULATIVE SKILLS
● Manipulative skills are physical skills that enable practical work to be carried
out in scientific investigations.
● Manipulative skills are psychomotor skills that enable you to carry out the
practical work in science. It involves the development of hand-eye
coordination, such as focusing a microscope, sketching specimens, measuring
angles and cutting glass.

● Pupils must be able to use and handle equipment in order to do investigation

in the science laboratory. You may need to use special equipment in some
investigation. You need to follow certain techniques when handling this special
equipment. Therefore, it is important to develop manipulative skills in the
laboratory
● Manipulative skills are hands-on skills that you need when you
are doing science activities
1. Using apparatus and science materials correctly
2. Handling specimen correctly
3. Sketch specimen correctly
4. Cleaning apparatus correctly
5. Storing science apparatus correctly
 • THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENTIFIC SKILLS
IN PRACTICAL AND SCIENCE ACTIVITIES.
●Accidents can happen anywhere even in a science laboratory. It can occur due to
negligence, faulty instruments or because pupils have not acquired the necessary
manipulative skills required in a science laboratory. Thus, it is important for pupils to
acquire these manipulative skills.
●Other reasons why it is important for pupils to acquire these skills are as follows:
(a) To ensure the success of the experiment when collecting data for the experiment.
Data collected needs to be accurate and precise.
(b) To achieve accuracy and precision, pupils need to be able to use science apparatus.
For example, if they need to measure the temperature of a solution, but do not know
how to use and handle the thermometer they will not get accurate readings.
(c) To be able to communicate the results or observations of the experiment. Important
details might be missing or misunderstood if diagrams are not labelled properly
(d) Knowing how to clean and store apparatus helps to prolong the shelf-life of the
apparatus especially if it is expensive and sensitive. Careful maintenance also
safeguards the accuracy of the instrument.
(f) Storing chemicals properly also affects the accuracy of readings. pH paper
exposed to air might not be able to show proper results anymore. If chemicals are not
properly stored they could cause fires. If living specimen are not handled properly,
minor injuries or cuts could occur. This could be fatal for someone who has
haemophilia because for this pupil a minor cut could lead to serious injury.
Handling Apparatus or Materials Properly
 Handling apparatus or materials properly means following certain procedures or
considering certain things when using them. Some examples are given below:
(a)When you are using the thermometer in an experiment, you should not hold the
body of the thermometer
(b)You should not use the thermometer to stir anything.
(c)The bulb of the thermometer should not touch the base of the beaker.
(d)When you are heating liquids in a test tube, use a small flame and move test tube
constantly
(e)Always make sure the mouth of the test tube does not point towards anybody when
heating.

(f)When you want to heat a combustible substance, you should not heat it over a direct flame
but in a water-bath.

(g)Pick up materials using forceps or spatula and not with your hands.

(h)Never handle broken glass with your bare hands. Use a brush and dustpan to clean up
broken glass. Place broken glass in the designated glass disposal container.
• THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE ROOMS
/LABORATORIES AND NATURAL LABORATORIES
IN EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE IN SCIENCE.
For many people, the high school or middle school science lab is a core memory.
Whether it was learning the basics of chemistry through the interactions of acids and
bases or dissecting a frog, science labs are a vital part of education.
Science is the study of facts and the way we interact with the world. Learning about
the scientific method teaches children how to ask questions and gather the evidence
needed for the most complete answer. Comprehensive science education lets students
learn how to develop ideas, discover the world around them, and ask challenging
questions about our place in that world.
SCIENCE ROOMS
Students understand the importance of the basic laboratory at the primary school level such
as:
A. Pupils are not allowed to enter the science room without the permission and instructions
of the teacher.
B. Pupils are not allowed to bring school bags, food and drinks into the science room.
C. Students are absolutely prohibited from touching any equipment and materials in the
science room unless instructed by the teacher to do so.
D. Pupils are not allowed to carry out any activity in the science room without the presence,
permission and instruction of the teacher.
E. Pupils are strictly prohibited from playing and running in the science room.
F. Any equipment damage must be reported to the teacher immediately.
G. Excess chemicals cannot be put back into their original bottles.
H. Unwanted liquid chemicals must be disposed of in the sink and rinsed/removed with
water.
LABORATORY
In academic school labs, students are active learners, not just passive recipients of
knowledge. 
Labs provide students with various opportunities to learn and experiment, which
plays a crucial role in the ongoing intellectual development of students at any
academic level. Science labs give students the time, space, and resources to explore
and experiment. 
Elementary Science Lab Learning
An ideal science lab for elementary students has lots of safe equipment. Only the most
basic chemicals are appropriate, like baking soda and vinegar.
Experiments that teach kids about color, light, and sound can help them explore their
world. Doing science experiments benefits these kids by letting them be creative and
not just receive answers, but find answers.
Students in grades 3-5 are just as curious as early elementary students but are better
equipped to ask more articulate questions about their world. They are interested in
exploring the relationships between living things and their environments, which means
that new biological concepts like metamorphosis and the life cycle will start to
resonate with them.
At this stage, it becomes much more feasible and enjoyable to have a separate
classroom as a dedicated science lab space. Doing experiments in a science lab fosters
independent learning, as well as interdependence and peer learning through working
with lab partners. 
NATURE LAB
All Children are Scientists; The World is their Laboratory
Over the past few decades, outdoor settings for children have become increasingly
sanitized spaces devoid of nature’s “loose parts” that invite hands-on discovery that
supports science learning. As children have begun spending more time in front of
screens, their understanding of the world around them is coming more from media
than their own experiences; it’s not uncommon for today’s children to know more
about the rainforest than about the plant and animal life in their own backyard.
Students who have no interest in being a laboratory scientist might be attracted by
the prospect of field research EX ecologists, geologists, oceanographers,
archeologists, limnologists, or behavioral biologists,