Tuesday, September 23, 2014

How would a scientist find out what's in a bag without opening it?

BIG IDEA
Using the senses to make observations.

FOCUS QUESTION
How would a scientist find out what's in a bag without opening it?

PREDICTION/ HYPOTHESIS
If a scientist smells then they can figure out what's in the bag.
If a scientist feels the bag they can figure out what's in the bag.
If a scientist shakes the bag and listens they can figure out what's in the bag. 

PLANNING  
Brown Paper bag with various items in it of different lengths, materials, smell, shape, weight and size. 
Click here to see image in Google Images
First we felt the bag to try to figure out what was in it.
Next we smelled the bag.
Then we shook the bag. 

DATA
Steps
Observations
Felt the bag
Something long and skinny, something heavy, something hard and round.
Smelled the bag
We didn’t smell anything other than the bag
Shook the bag
Heard something that sounded like metal pieces

CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE
Claim
Evidence
There is a straw in the bag
When we felt the bag we felt something long and narrow like a straw.
There is a coin in the bag
When we felt the bag we felt something hard, flat and round in it
There are keys in the bag
When we shook the bag we heard something jingle like keys. When we felt the bag we felt something hard with rough edges like keys.

CONCLUSION/REFLECTION
A scientist would use their senses to make observations about a mystery object they could not see. Using the observations a scientist can make a good guess about what the items might be. 

QUESTIONS:
Why did we miss some of the items completely?
When making observations should you write down what you don't see and what you do see, like no smell?
When do scientists use taste, or do they ever?

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