We are talking about writing this month on our podcast and along with that theme, I wanted to share with you all how to record an experiment or scientific demonstration.
Let's dig in...
During the preschool years, the students are completingscientific demonstrations. They are watching and playing with science, so the record of what they have learned short and sweet.
Their records of the hands-on aspect of science should contain two sections:
At this stage, you will be doing all of the writing. The idea is to create a scrapbook of what they have learned in science that they can enjoy looking over in future years.
During the elementary years, the students are still completing scientific demonstrations but will be moving into do their own experiments. They will begin as observers in the process, so the record of what they have learned will be more simplistic.
Even so, this basic lab report will introduce elementary students to the scientific method. It will serve to prepare them for writing a more detailed report in future years.
Their records of the hands-on aspect of science should include four sections:
In the beginning, you will record their responses. As they grow and their writing abilities increase, you can have them fill out more and more of the sheet on their own.
Middle school students have moved from demonstrations to experiments. These students have shifted from being an observer into performing their laboratory experiments.
Having the students write a record of their experiment at this stage helps them to really grasp the steps of the scientific method.
Their experiment reports should include the following sections:
During these years, you will need to discuss the process with the students before they write. This will help you to verify they understand the science behind the experiment. It will also assist the students in formulating their thoughts before they have to write them down.
To help you get started, here are free templates for each of these reports:
And the following articles will help you dig deeper into some of the concepts suggested in this post:
Hands-on science - what can you use? Why do you have to do this? And how do you actually do experiments at home? Click "Read More" to get the answers.
Writing for homeschool science - what should it look like? And how do you know if you are doing it right? Click "Read More" to learn the answers!
The periodic table visually shows the elements. It is a key concept we need to share with our students, but which table is the right one - click "Read More" to find out.
