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Description
In this activity students use invertebrates they find in a nearby green space to practice making scientific observations and to design and conduct an experiment.
Day One: Making Observations.
- Through discussion and instruction students discover what invertebrates are, why invertebrates are important and the role qualitative and quantitative observations play in learning about them
- Students locate invertebrates in the schoolyard and record as many qualitative and quantitative observations as they can on their study sheets (provided)
- Students compare their observations and confirm that they have distinguished between the 2 types correctly
Day Two: Research Design.
- Through discussion and instruction students learn the necessary elements to include when doing scientific research
- Students identify possible research questions to investigate from the invertebrate observations they made on day one
- Students come up with research designs to answer one of these questions
Day Three: Conducting the Research.
- Through discussion and instruction students learn what should be included in a scientific report
- Students carry out their invertebrate experiments according to their research design from day two
- Students record their questions, methods, results and conclusions on the experiment worksheet (provided)
- Students meet as a group to share the results of their experiments and review these four key parts of an experimental report.
Emphasis and direction is provided on the safe and humane handling of invertebrates. The resource provides all the necessary background for teachers to support student learning and discussion questions to assess successful completion and understanding of each day’s activities are included.
General Assessment
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?
Skills related to conducting research in science (observing, recording, analyzing, drawing conclusions) are taught to and practiced by the students.
Recommendation of how and where to use it
In addition to the curriculum connections identified in this review, the focus on how to carry out or 'do' science makes this resource relevant to other courses and programs that introduce students to the nature of scientific investigation.
Relevant Curriculum Units
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
- Step 1Select a province
- British Columbia
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 5: Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment.
- Manitoba
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 5: Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment.
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Life Systems: Habitats and Communities
- Grade 6
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Life Systems: Biodiversity
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Living Things
- Grade 6
- Step 3Select a subject
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Living Things
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
Themes Addressed
Ecosystems (1)
- Appreciating the Natural World
Science and Technology (1)
- Analysing Conventional Science