Mini-Lesson

Scientific Method

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will identify steps of the scientific method in a news story.

1. Tell students that on Thursday, NASA scientists found out the answer to the question: Is there water on Mars? Explain that scientists use the scientific method to solve mysteries like this one. The first step is to identify a mystery, or a question. The next is to come up with a hypothesis, or a smart guess for what the answer could be. Then, the scientist must find a way to test that hypothesis.

2. Pass out the timeforkids.com story, An Icy Surprise. As students read, have them identify the scientists' hypothesis and the way in which the researchers tested it. Then, challenge students to summarize the steps of the procedure in their own words.

3. Discuss the implications of this discovery. Ask: Why were the scientists interested in finding water on Mars? What might this discovery tell us about the past? What could it mean for the future?

Extend learning: Teach students about the history of U.S. space exploration. Use the worksheet The U.S. Explores Space.