Using this Scientific Method Activity Booklet, studentsfollow the scientific method when conducting an experiment or proving a hypothesis.
Wonder it, test it, find out!
In second grade, kids learn that scientists answer questions by testing them, and they get to be the scientists. They follow simple steps: ask a question, make a guess (a hypothesis), test it, watch carefully and share what they found. A classic example: "Which melts faster, ice in the sun or ice in the shade?" Kids record their observations with drawings, words and simple charts. The big click is when a prediction turns out wrong and they realize that is still great science, because now they know something new!
Second graders are natural scientists. These moves give their curiosity some structure.
Run one experiment as a whole class first, filling in each step of the scientific method booklet as you go. Kids see what a question, prediction and observation look like before trying their own. Then hand them the booklet for a small-group test.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withScientific Method Activity BookletWorksheetsOpen it →Before every test, each child writes or draws a prediction on a sticky note and sticks it on the board. After the experiment, sort the notes into "right" and "surprised." Talking about surprises builds real scientific thinking.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Give kids a simple observation chart with boxes for before, during and after. They sketch what they see at each stage. Drawing slows kids down so they notice the details that matter.
Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).
Teacher favorites right now: Scientific Method Activity Booklet.
Sink or float, melting ice in different places, growing seeds with and without water, and testing paper airplanes are all easy and use simple supplies. Each one lets kids predict, test and observe.
Yes, in a simple form. Second graders ask a question, make a prediction, test it, observe and share results. A booklet or chart helps them keep track of each step.
A hypothesis is a smart guess about what will happen in an experiment. Kids can say it as "I think ... because ..." so they explain their thinking too.
That is still science! Talk about what happened and why it might have been different from the prediction. Scientists learn from surprises all the time.
Loved by 2 million teachers & families
Printables, songs and games for every subject, Preschool through 6th. Ready to teach today, and kids beg for more.
