preference or moral values.
• Testable questions do not relate to the supernatural or to
nonmeasurable phenomena.
For classes using the Web-based version:
Verify that the computer lab is reserved for your classes or that
classroom computers are ready to use. Bookmark the student Web site
at http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/inquiry/student.
Make photocopies.
For classes using the print version:
No preparations are needed except for making photocopies and
transparencies.
Procedure
For classes using the Web-based version of Lesson 3:
Activity 1: Unusual Absences
Note to teachers: The following procedure describes how to conduct
the Web-based version of this lesson, the preferred form of instruction.
Instructions for conducting the alternative, print-based version start on
page 71.
Tip from the field test: Consider summarizing the
procedure instructions on the board or on a student
handout. This helps keep the students focused and
reduces the need to give them instructions while they
are working on the computers.
1. Explain to the class that they will carry out a scientific
investigation using materials on the Web. In this investigation,
they will be working as members of an investigative team from
the local community health department.
Throughout this activity, you will act as team supervisor for all the
student teams.
2. Give each student a copy of Master 3.1, Investigative Report Form.
Explain that students will use this form to record the progress
of their investigation.
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Student Lesson 3
Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry
Each day, students will write notes about their investigation on a
separate copy of the Investigative Report Form.
3. Divide the class into teams of three and direct each team to a
computer. Instruct students to proceed to http://science.education
.nih.gov/supplements/inquiry/student and click on “Activity 1—
Unusual Absences.”
This link displays the home page of the intranet site for a fictitious
community health department.
4. Have students click on the link for “You have (1) New Message”
and read the e-mail message from the director of the health
department.
The e-mail contains an attached letter from a principal of a local
school and a link to the school district’s Web site. The principal
states that this past week, an unusual number of students were
absent from the band class. She is concerned that the school may
be facing an outbreak of flu. As members of the investigative team,
Content Standard A:
students first read the letter and write a testable question (Step 5).
Identify questions
Only then do they proceed with their investigation by clicking on
that can be answered
the link to the school district Web site.
through scientific
Note to teachers: The community health department Web site simulates investigations.
an internal (intranet) Web site used by employees of the health
department. As such, it contains information that is not directly relevant to the classroom lesson. If students explore the site, however, they
will find that it provides realistic information about public health and
scientific inquiry.
5. After teams have read the e-mail message from the director and
the attached letter from Principal Parsons, discuss what testable
questions they can ask as they begin their investigations to
determine whether a health problem exists.
Students should record their testable questions on their Investigative Report Form (Master 3.1) and be prepared to share them with the
class. Circulate among the teams as they work to develop their
testable questions. Remind students of the aspects of testable
questions listed on the board.
Content Standard A:
Different kinds
Students should ask questions that will help them determine
of questions
whether the school absences indicate a health problem. Ideally, they
suggest different
should be able to answer their questions by examining the school
kinds of scientific
attendance data provided at the school district’s Web site. Examples
investigations.
of testable questions they might ask include
• Is the number of absences in the last week more than in
previous weeks?
60
• Are more students absent from one type of class than the others?
• Are there more absences in one school than the others?
6. After the teams have developed their testable questions, have
them return to the director’s e-mail message and click on the
link to the school district’s Web site. At this site, they can access
attendance data for the community’s four middle schools.
The only active link on the school district’s Web site is the
“Attendance Data” link.
7. Once students have viewed the attendance data, explain that
they need to export the data to the health department’s Web
site, where the data can be displayed in graphic form. To export
the data to the health department’s Web site, students click on
the “Export Data” button and type “cohd.org” into the “Export
Content Standard A:
Destination” box.
Use appropriate tools
and techniques to
Students now have access to the “Data Analysis” section of the health
gather, analyze, and
department’s Web site. If students click on “View Data,” they can
see the same data tables that are on the school district’s Web site. If
interpret data.
students click on “Create Graphs,” they are given a menu of 16 graphs
from which to choose. Students can view from one to four graphs at a
time. After they have made their selections, students click on “Display
Graphs” to view them. Students may also print the graphs either
individually (to fill the page) or in groups of up to four at a time.
Tip from the field test: Write the export destination,
“cohd.org,” on the board.
Note to teachers: Students may have difficulty deciding which graphs to display. Suggest that they view four graphs at once. Students should
select graphs that will help them make comparisons and answer their
Content Standard A:
testable questions. They can choose from 16 graphs. Each school has
four graphs of the number of absences plotted against time (in days):
Use mathematics in
total absences for the seventh grade, physical education (PE) absences,
all aspects of scientific
art absences, and band absences. Point out to students that the scales on
inquiry.
the graphs are not always the same.
Content Standard E:
8. Instruct teams to use the graphs and data sheets to analyze the
Science and
attendance data. Students should record their findings on their
Investigative Report Form. Explain that they will share their technology are
results with the class later.
reciprocal. Science
helps drive technology.
The graphs and data sheets provide evidence that teams will
Technology is essential
use to propose explanations for the student absences. Students
to science.
should look for sudden increases in absences that might indicate a
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Student Lesson 3
Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry
health problem and for comparisons that help them answer their
testable questions. They should note the patterns they observe in
the attendance data for each school. Students should observe the
following:
• There was an unusually high number of absences during the
last week among students in band classes at both Truman and
Jackson middle schools.
• Absences among students in art and PE classes, as well as for the
entire seventh grade, were not higher during the last week for
both Truman and Jackson middle schools.
• Roosevelt and Kennedy middle schools had fairly constant
numbers of absences throughout the last month in every
category.
Tip from the field test: Remind students to record
their evidence as they review the data and graphs. Help
students develop their explanations. Ask, “How can you
explain the evidence you have collected?”
9. Instruct teams to exit the Web site after they have completed
their analyses and recorded their findings.
10. Acting as team supervisor, facilitate a class discussion to
summarize the findings from all the teams. Consider which
steps the investigation should take next. Guide the discussion
Content Standard A:
to focus on the following questions:
Develop descriptions,
• What is the reason for the higher number of absences
explanations,
among students in band classes at Truman and Jackson
predictions, and
middle schools?
models using
• If these absences are due to an illness, do band members
evidence.
from the two affected schools share the same symptoms?
• Have band members from the two schools been in recent
contact with each other?
Students should have recorded the testable question for their team on
their Investigative Report Form. When filling out the form, students
should write down under “Evidence Collected” anything that they
feel may have a bearing on their investigation now or in the future.
The summary of findings should be included in the “Analysis and
Explanation of Evidence” space. The next steps for the investigation
should be phrased as a question and entered into the space on the form
labeled “Next Questions.”
Activity 2: What’s the Cause?
Tip from the field test: As in the first activity, consider
summarizing the procedures on the board or on a student
handout. This helps keep the students focused and reduces
the need to give them instructions while they are working.
62
Note to teachers: Make sure that students have available their
Investigative Report Forms from the previous activity. This helps them
recall the progress of their investigation.
1. Explain to the class that they will continue their investigation
into the school absences among band members at Truman and
Jackson middle schools. Specifically, they will answer the
testable questions that were developed at the conclusion of
Activity 1:
Content Standard A:
• What is the reason for the higher number of absences among
Think critically and
students in band classes at Truman and Jackson middle
logically to make
schools?
relationships between
• If these absences are due to an illness, do band members
from the two affected schools share the same symptoms?
evidence and
• Have band members from the two schools been in recent
explanations.
contact with each other?
2. Give each student one copy of Master 3.1, Investigative Report
Form. Instruct students to write the testable questions developed at the end of the previous activity in the “Testable Question”
space on their form.
3. Reconvene students in their teams from Activity 1. Direct each
team to a computer and instruct students to proceed to http://
science.education.nih.gov/supplements/inquiry/student and click on
“Activity 2: What’s the Cause?”
As in the beginning of Activity 1, the teams are alerted that they
have a new e-mail message to read.
4. After reading the new e-mail from the director, the teams click
on the link to the tables that list results of interviews.
Information in the tables was obtained from interviews with the
students’ parents. The table for Truman Middle School shows that
there were 10 students from band class absent during the past week.
One student was away on a family vacation. The other nine students
all have an illness that displays stomach-related symptoms. The table
for Jackson Middle School lists eight absent students. One student
has a broken leg. The remaining seven students have an illness that
presents stomach-related symptoms.
5. Have the teams read portions of the interviews with the
parents on the Web site and record their conclusions on their
Investigative Report Form. They should be prepared to share
their findings with the rest of the class.
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Student Lesson 3
Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry
The parents report the same symptoms listed in the tables. Some
parents volunteer reasons for the illnesses, such as food poisoning or
the flu. These conflicting reasons may confuse some students. You
may point out that the reasons given by the parents are opinions and
Content Standard A:
not diagnoses from a doctor, which are based on medical evidence.
Recognize and
analyze alternative
6. After the teams have examined the results of the interviews and
read portions of the parent interviews, have them click on the
explanations and
link to the calendars of school events.
predictions.
Circulate among the teams as they look at the school calendars.
Remind students that they are looking for evidence that will help
them develop better explanations about the cause of the health
problem. Make sure that students understand why they are looking
at the school calendars. An illness is involved. If there are contacts
between the students from the two schools, then such contacts may
help explain how an illness was contracted or passed from student
to student. A healthcare worker makes a subtle but important point
during one of the parent interviews. The worker mentions that
with food poisoning, a person becomes ill in a day or two, while
a stomach virus takes about five days before the illness strikes.
Students should use this information to help decide what type of
illness may be associated with which activities of the band members.
7. Have students compare the two school calendars and write down
their conclusions.
A comparison of the Truman and Jackson middle school calendars
reveals that the seventh-grade bands from both schools were
together three times in the past month:
• On May 5, both bands performed at a May Day parade. Students
Content Standard A:
should note that May 5 was likely too long ago to be associated
Think critically and
with the current illness. It is interesting that the band from
logically to make
Roosevelt Middle School was also at the parade and yet its band
the relationships
members did not become ill.
between evidence and
• Students from the two bands were together on May 15 for a
explanations.
planning meeting about the upcoming Battle of the Bands.
• The bands competed at the Battle of the Bands event on May 19.
Tip from the field test: Remind students to review their
evidence and explanations from the previous activity.
8. Instruct teams to exit the Web site after they have completed
their analyses and recorded their findings.
64
9. Acting as team supervisor, facilitate a class discussion to
summarize the findings from all the teams. Think ahead to
the next steps for the investigation. Guide the discussion to
focus on the following questions:
• Is there a common reason for the absences of the band
Content Standard A:
students at Truman and Jackson middle schools?
Develop descriptions,
• What are possible causes for the student illnesses?
explanations,
• How could students from both bands be exposed to a
predictions, and
disease-causing organism at the same time?
models using
• Assuming that the students from the two bands are suffering
evidence.
from the same illness, when were they most likely exposed to
the disease-causing organism?
Encourage students to ask questions about the activities the band
members might have participated in during the planning meeting and
at the Battle of the Bands. Students should be concerned about activities
the sick band members have in common. If not brought out by a student,
call attention to the fact that people become sick about five days after
being exposed to a stomach virus, while they become sick within
Assessment:
a day or two after eating contaminated food. At this point, we can
Making a quick
speculate that students were either exposed to a stomach virus during
the planning meeting or to food poisoning at the Battle of the Bands.
visual scan of the
Students will be provided with details about band activities in Activity 3. Investigative Report Forms offers a brief
Activity 3: What’s the Source?
formative assessment
of students’ progress
Note to teachers: Make sure that students have available their
to this point.
Investigative Report Forms from the previous two activities. This helps them recall the progress of their investigation.
1. Explain to the class that they will continue their investigation
into the school absences among band members at Truman
and Jackson middle schools. Specifically, they will explore the
activities students engaged in during the Battle of the Bands
event to see whether they can pinpoint how the students
became ill.
2. Give each student one copy of Master 3.1, Investigative Report
Form. Instruct them to write the testable questions developed at the end of the previous activity in the “Testable Question” space
on their form.
3. Reconvene students in the same teams as before. Direct each
team to a computer, and instruct students to proceed to http://
science.education.nih.gov/supplements/inquiry/student and click on “Activity 3—What’s the Source?”
65
Student Lesson 3
Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry
As in the beginning of the previous activities, the teams are alerted
that they have a new e-mail message to read. The memo informs
the teams that a nearby community has reported that its water
supply may be contaminated by bacteria that cause a stomach-
related illness.
4. After reading the latest e-mail from the director, the teams click
on the “Activity Tables” link that provides information about the
activities that took place on the day of the Battle of the Bands
event.
The activity tables provide information about the activities that band
members from both schools participated in on the day of the Battle
of the Bands event. The tables include information about activity
participation by band members who became ill and those who did
Content Standard C:
not become ill. This page also contains a menu that allows students
Some diseases are
to select maps that indicate the locations of each activity.
the result of intrinsic
failures of the system.
Tip from the field test: The students’ knowledge
about disease transmission is limited. Make sure that
Others are the result
they understand that food poisoning and illness from
of damage by infection
contaminated water are not contagious. However, a
by other organisms.
stomach virus can be passed from one person to another.
5. As the teams examine the activity tables, remind them also to
examine the maps that depict where the activities took place.
Encourage students to use the tables to compare the activities of
the students who did an