Experimental Design
TEKS Objective
Describe, plan, and implement simple experimental investigations testing one variable.
Essential Understanding
The student uses scientific methods during laboratory and outdoor investigations.
Science Background
The Scientific Method: Visionlearning (website) - Background information about the scientific method, with supporting learning modules that include interactive animations, glossary definitions, current news and research written by professional educators and scientists.
The Scientific Method
by Anthony Carpi and Anne E. Egger, Visionlearning, www.visionlearning.com
Research Methods, Experimentation: Visionlearning (website) - Detailed information on the history and applications of experimental methods, along with references for further reading and additional learning modules on research methods.
What is Inquiry Science Teaching? BioEd Online (video) - Strategies for using questions and investigations to guide your students’ science learning.
What is Inquiry Science Teaching?
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Signature Lesson
Introduction to Physical Science: BioEd Online (website) - Introduce physical science as students describe, plan and implement a simple experiment featuring an easy-to-make paper flyer.
Introduction to Physical Science
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
View Accompanying “Paper Flyer” Video Here
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
A Penny for Your Thoughts: BioEd Online (PDF) - Students learn about experimental design as they describe, plan and implement and investigation that uses a penny to teach prediction, patterns and measures of central tendency.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Buoyant Boats: Science NetLinks (website) - Considering factors such as buoyancy, properties of materials and design constraints, students plan, construct and test a model boat to learn about scientific laws and the experimental process.
Buoyant Boats
Science NetLinks, www.sciencenetlinks.com
Alex’s Paper Airplanes: PaperAirplanes.co.uk (website) - Learn about the experimental process while making and testing paper airplanes of many different designs.
Alex’s Paper Airplanes
by Alex Schultz, www.paperairplanes.co.uk
Do Plants Need Light? BioEd Online (website) - Students describe, plan and implement an experiment that investigates the importance of light to plants.
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Experiments in Space: BioEd Online (website) - Students use photographs taken aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to compare butterflies, spiders or plants growing in the classroom to ones housed on the ISS. Multiple teacher guides are available to download free-of-charge.
Experiments in Space
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Ready, Aim, Marshmallows! Education.com (website) - Experience the experimental design process by building and testing a catapult to learn about projectile motion and potential energy.
Ready, Aim, Marshmallows!
by Sue BradfordEdwards, Education.com
Joseph Palmer's Paper Airplanes: JosephPalmer.com (website) - Teach experimental design with four paper airplane models that require no cutting and no weights, and are made from a single sheet of ordinary copier paper.
Joseph Palmer's Paper Airplanes
by Joseph Palmer, www.josephpalmer.com
Design a Cell Phone: EdHeads (video) - Help engineering director Elena design and manufacture a cell phone to help senior citizens get the most out of new technology.
Assessment Ideas
Science Rubrics: Teacher Planet (website) - Sample science rubrics and assessments for elementary students.
Science Rubrics
Teacher Planet, Rubrics for Teachers, www.rubrics4teachers.com
Literature Connections
How to Build a Better Mousetrap Car and Other Experimental Science Fun. Renner, Al G. (ISBN-13: 978-0396074199)
What’s the Plan? Designing Your Experiment. Hyde, Natalie (ISBN-13: 978-0778751540)
Solving Science Questions: A Book About the Scientific Process. Chappell, Rachel M. (ISBN-13: 978-1600445422)
Additional Resources
Elementary School Design Packet: NASA eClips (PDF) - Introduction to a formal process for designing and testing a product or a conducting experiment to solve a given scientific problem.
Elementary School Design Packet
NASA eClips, www.nasa.gov
10 Science Teaching Tips for Elementary School: Suite (website) - Strategies for engaging students in their science studies by incorporating questioning, critical thinking, inquiry, investigations, hypothesizing, technology, and more into your lessons.
10 Science Teaching Tips for Elementary School
Suite.io
Successful Science Fair Projects: Neuroscience for Kids (website) - Ideas and suggestions for designing, organizing and producing an interesting, strong science fair project.
Successful Science Fair Projects
Neuroscience for Kids, faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html
TEKS Navigation
Grade 5
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