Science Inquiry: Explain

Tip: Ask to discover

Provide opportunities for students to make initial observations and discoveries about their data, so they can make simple comparisons, like noticing what happened and comparing it to what they already know. You can show results to the class as a whole and highlight interesting examples or recurring patterns. This could provide a good opportunity to teach extra skills or to review previously learned information in order to benefit students who had found these aspects difficult.

Ask probing questions, for example, use questioning techniques to help get students thinking:

• Display questions elicit a correct answer and help check for understanding. For example, you might ask “what happened to the data from the first to second trial?”

• Referential questions are questions that you may not know the answer to. They elicit a more elaborative response or opinion from the student. For example, you might ask “what other factors could lead to the object sinking?”

• Concept checking questions lead students to understand the target concept. For example, you could ask about the variable at different times, such as: “What happened to the bubbles at room temperature? When the temperature cooled, what happened next? After it cooled even more, what happened?”

• Students return to earlier models to add new ideas and understandings

Tip: Two scientists are better than one

Learners report that their own work improved when they received feedback and gave feedback to others. Students may start making a tentative explanation of their data on their own, but then encourage students to share ideas with peers. You can emphasize the importance of corroborating data with others:

• Share data for the same question

• Support students to discuss and analyze their data

• Support student discussions where students can repeat, add on, or propose new ideas

Tip: Think like a scientist (use your evidence)

Scientists explain phenomena and make claims. They give evidence from data to support or refute their claim. Then, they share the reasoning that justifies the claims or to convince others of the claim. 

To support students in developing their Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER):

• Co-construct the definition of CER using student-friendly language. For example, 

  • The claim answers the question. It makes a statement that addresses the original question. 

  • The evidence supports the claim using data. This data can come from an investigation that students complete or from another source, such as observations or research. 

    • Evidence needs to be appropriate and sufficient to support the claim. In other words, the evidence must be relevant to the question, and there must be enough findings so the data can be repeated. Often, providing sufficient evidence requires using multiple pieces of data. There may be consideration of data that cannot be used.

    • Students could compare and gather data from others in the class to make sure there is sufficient data. If there was an error in the experiment (i.e., the container of soda was never opened), then students recognize that the data will not be used.  

  • The reasoning links the claim and evidence. It shows why the data counts as evidence to support the claim. 

• Share examples that will resonate with students, for example, here is a CER example: 

  • Claim: Air is matter.

  • Evidence: We found that the weight of the ball increased each time we pumped more air into it. 

  • Reasoning: Based on the evidence, air is matter. This is because of its weight, as shown by our data. It also takes up space, as shown by the ball getting larger. Matter has mass and takes up space, and air demonstrates both of these properties. 

• Provide a graphic organizer to support the CER and offer sentence starters.

Tip: Return to original thinking and update based on evidence. Use the science notebook!

Often, students view science as a static set of facts or as if there are only right or wrong answers. They may not realize that scientists construct understandings and knowledge develops over time as new technologies advance and we learn more. 

Encourage students to return to their original model of thinking to connect what they learned in their investigation with what they initially thought. In their science notebooks, encourage them to make sense of the data in relation to the question they were trying to answer:

• Have students add their data and new ideas to their original model

• Encourage students to cross out ideas that no longer make sense and add new ideas based on their data

• Ask students to consider what happened “before and after” 

• Remind students that there may be invisible forces that they may need to think about and that can have an impact on the phenomena

• Unless specific media are critical to the goal (e.g., to write the outcome), encourage a variety of media for expression. This can reduce barriers to communication and increase opportunities for expression