Collect Data and Make Observations
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to collect data and make observations using simple equipment such as hand lenses, primary balances, and non-standard measurement tools.
Essential Understanding
The student develops abilities to ask questions and seek answers in classroom and outdoor investigations.
Science Background
Collecting Data: Fulton County (GA) Schools (website) - Collecting data in any experiment involves making observations. You first must decide what type of data you must collect. This article discusses the collection and analysis of different types of data (qualitative and quantitative) during an investigation.
Collecting Data
Fulton County (GA) Schools, www2.fulton.k12.ga.us
The Process of Scientific Inquiry: GEMS (PDF) - Helpful description of the basic outline for any scientific investigation, including the process of collecting and organizing data in graphs and tables.
The Process of Scientific Inquiry
GEMS, facultyfiles.deanza.edu
Signature Lesson
M&M Graphing and Probability: Teachers.net (website) - Students make predictions, collect data, create tables and different types of graphs, analyze data, and make observations related to the number of M&M’s of each color in a sample.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Needs of Plants: BioEd Online (website) - This simple activity teaches the scientific method, and illustrates the needs of plants for survival and growth. Students observe four treatment groups of radish plants and record their observations in a table over the course of 16 days.
Needs of Plants
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Fluid Behavior: Challenger Learning Center (website) - Activities on melting ice
Fluid Behavior
Challenger Learning Center, www.challenger.org
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Graphing the Week’s Temperature: Learn NC (website) - Students collect data, create a graph, and analyze information about the temperatures for a week using Graph Club Software. (If you do not have this software, make a hard copy graph sheet template and cut strips of different colors of construction paper from which students can make their graphs.)
Graphing the Week’s Temperature
Learn NC, www.learnnc.org
A Magnet Project Makes a Great Science Fair Idea! Easy Science Fair Projects (website) - Assess students’ skill with collecting data and making observations as they test various objects to determine if those items are attracted to magnets.
Assessment Ideas
Students have already learned how to collect and present data in graphs and tables. Now, show them pre-made graphs and ask, What do these graphs illustrate about the real world? For example, to complement the signature lesson, create a graph showing the color breakdown of a different kind of candy (Skittles, Starbursts, Dots, etc.) and ask students, How many of each color would you expect to find in a bag of this candy? or How does this candy’s color breakdown differ from M&M’s?
Elementary School Assessments: Education Development Center for Science Education (website) - Information and recommendations for various types of elementary science assessments, including observation, interview/discussion, written assessment, performance assessment, graphic assessment and self-assessment. Some sections are referenced with research-based kits, such as FOSS and STC.
Elementary School Assessments
Education Development Center for Science Education, cse.edc.org
Literature Connections
Glyphs & Math. Guzzetta, Torrie (ISBN-13: 978-1884548802)
Collecting Data in Animal Investigations. Noonan, Diana (ISBN-13: 978-1429652377)
Collecting Data: Pick a Pancake. Burstein, John (ISBN-13: 978-0836838206)
What's Going On? Collecting and Recording Your Data. Burns, K. (ISBN-13: 978-0778751700)
Additional Resources
Organization 1: Look at What I Organized! Science NetLinks (website) - Learn how organizing data makes it easier to retrieve information later.
Organization 1: Look at What I Organized!
www.sciencenetlinks.com
Mathematics Their Way, Graphing: Center for Innovation in Education (PDF) - Graphing is a problem-solving tool used to help young children see relationships. In these activities, students use different kinds graphs to compare groups of two or three objects.
Mathematics Their Way, Graphing
Center for Innovation in Education, www.center.edu
TEKS Navigation
Grade 1
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