Gifted Science Lessons and Activities
Posted by David Wetzel
Scientific Investigations
Are you searching for science lessons and activities designed for gifted students in science?
I have developed several lessons for your gifted students, as well as students in honors science programs, based on the following procedures and steps.
Ideas and Evidence in Science
Gifted students should be taught that it is important to collect evidence by making observations and measurements when trying to solve a problem or answer a question.
Investigative Skills
Gifted students should be taught the following procedures and steps when investigating scientific phenomena.
Plan and Design Investigations
- ask questions [for example, 'How?', 'Why?', 'What will happen if ... ?'] and decide how they might find answers to them
- use first-hand experience and simple information sources to answer questions
- think about what might happen before deciding what to do
- recognize when a test or comparison is unfair
Obtain and Present Evidence
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follow simple instructions to control the risks to themselves and others
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explore using the senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste (when safe) as appropriate to make and record observations and measurements
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communicate what happened in a variety of ways, including using ICT [for example, in speech and writing, by drawings, tables, block graphs and pictograms]
Consider Evidence and Draw Conclusions
- make simple comparisons [for example, hand span, shoe size] and identify simple patterns or associations
- compare what happened with what they expected would happen, and try to explain it, drawing on their knowledge and understanding
- review their work and explain what they did to others
Lessons and Activities
The following lessons adhere to procedures and steps listed above.
Who Killed the Electric Car - Again!
Investigating the Impact of Artificial Reefs
Finding the Density of Liquids
What is the Difference Between mass and Weight?
