DAY

CONTENT

RESOURCES/
MATERIALS
-posters and
markets

1 (60 minute
period)

-learn how students are

approaching
bio/science in general
-discuss what is and is
not biology
-discuss careers that
involve biology

2 (60 minute
period)

-present ideas of
scientific theories/facts
-discuss limitations

-posters/markers
-laptops for
groups who
want to use
powerpoints

3 (60 minute
period)

-what is the scientific

theory? When/why did
it arise?
-what are the pros/cons
of it?

Big pieces of
paper with steps
of the scientific
method written
on them,
covered up.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1) Gallery walk with big questions
written on posters i.e Biology
is , I like science because.
I dont like science becauseetc.
Scientists look like. etc.
2) Class discussion of what gallery
walk produced, getting a class
temp on bio in general
3) transition into talking about what
is and what is not biology
4) together, brainstorm list of
biology careers. Make sure to
include lesser known ones, i.e not
just doctor, researcher, etc.
5) homework find someone in
family, community, or school who
uses biology in their job, even if its
a tiny part of their job. Write down
their job and how biology is
involved, be prepared to present in
class tomorrow.
1) Share out discoveries about
biology in the community
discussion of what this means/how
it changes ideas of what biologists
look like
2) Brief teacher presentation of
scientific theories vs.facts
3) group brainstorm about what
these might look like in biology,
share a few key examples stress
importance of HOW each step is
classified i.e why is a theory
different than a fact
4) Facts/Theories groupwork
5) Present groupwork, discuss
whether this was hard or easy to do
1) present an phenomenon question
i.e why did an entire row of my
tomatoes die? Ask students how
they might go about answering this
question.
2) steps of the scientific method are
printed on big paper with
illustrations. As students guess at
what they would do, uncover the
relevant piece of paper and allow

4 (60 minute
period)

-what is a hypothesis?
-What makes a
hypothesis good/bad?
-How can it help us
interpret experimental
data, even if its
wrong?
-first stage of
cheesemaking lab

-lab materials
milk, beakers,
wooden stirrers,
Bunsen burners,
vinegar, rennet,
cheesecloth,
plastic pipettes.
Worksheets to
fill out.

5 (130
minute
period)

-intro to controls,
variables, experimental
design
-cheese lab illustrates
this
-final assessment:
committee meeting

Same lab
materials as
before
Letters from
researchers

student to explain further if needed.

3) when whole process is
uncovered, explain its significance
and explain this method is how
most scientists approach problems
to solve them logically
4) brief powerpoint about
HISTORICAL basis for sci method,
what was prevalent thinking before
include discussion of different
cultural beliefs for natural
phenomena.
5) group discussion of limitations,
give a throughout example of
limitations (i.e why might you/I
belive in god?), then move into
Freewrite assignment start in class
and finish for HW
1) hook them with examples of
really bad hypotheses have them
explain why they are bad
2) introduce examples of good
hypotheses why are these better?
3) stress the importance of WRONG
hypotheses with examples
4) introduce a simple cheesemaking
lab as a group, come up with
several possible hypotheses.
5) do first round of cheesemaking
lab (control round, in which nothing
is changed and the experiment
proceeds exactly according to
instructions) and record results
1) Break students into two groups,
and place different experimental
factors in hat. Have group one pick
out ONE factor to change (i.e more
vinegar, no rennet, etc.) Have group
2 pick 2 things to change. (i.e put in
no vinegar AND heat for longer)
2) repeat experiment and record
observations.
3) Clean up and come back together
into big group. Discuss how our
results changed from first round to
second, and WHY they may have
changed.
4) use this discussion to illustrate
the importance of controls and
variables if we dont change only
one thing at a time, we dont know

which change is responsible for the

new results.
5) finish worksheet this way
6) for final 30/40 minutes, complete
committee letter in groups, using
what we just learned about sci
method, controls, variables, and
hypotheses.