Unit 1

Instructional Planning in
Science
Chapter 1: The Need to Teach about the Processes of
Science
Objectives
The student should be able to:

a. describe the process of science,

b. list and explain the different science process skills; and

c. integrate the science process skills in making activities for a

lesson plan science.
Chapter 1: The Need to Teach about the Processes of Science
Introduction
• What were you curious about the world around
you when you were younger?

• When you were very little, did you explore

your hands, feet, fingers, and toes?

• When you were old enough to run, did you

chase bubbles?

• Did you play with toys?

Chapter 1: The Need to Teach about the Processes of Science
Introduction

• Did you play with a blanket? Were you busy throwing looking at, or
manipulating things? Did you ever wonder how things work? Or how things
are related to each other? What questions did you ask in wonder? Did you
ask questions like: "Why do birds fly?" "Where does rain come from?"
"Why is it hot during summer?" "Why can fish breathe in water?" "Why do
fruits eventually get rotten?" or "Why is the sky blue?"

What questions do you remember making?

Chapter 1: The Need to Teach about the Processes of Science
Introduction

• You were filled with natural curiosity and

inquisitiveness. Perhaps even up to now.
You were wondering about the things
around you, just like the scientists.

• Your future students have also been

wondering about the world around them as
they grew up.
Chapter 1: The Need to Teach about the Processes of Science
Introduction

• When one talks about scientific knowledge, it is very common to think about
teaching basic concepts of "science content."
• However, aside from content, the other two dimensions of scientific
knowledge are the processes by which science is done, known as the
"science process skills," and the attitudes and dispositions of science, also
called "scientific attitude," like being curious, imaginative, inquisitive (love
of asking questions), having a desire to solve problems, and having respect
for scientific methods and values.
• As teachers, we should enhance the learning of all these dimensions of
scientific knowledge among our students.
Lesson 1.1:
The Nature of Science
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
• Science has a particular way of
understanding the world, trying to connect
the past with the present. It is based on the
premise that we can understand things by
receiving accurate information about the
world around us through our senses. When
we do science, we ask ourselves three basic
questions:

(1) What is this? (2) How does it work?, and

(3) How did it become like this?
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Scientific Ways

Science works in specific ways. We have to remember that:

1. Science relies on evidence from the natural world. This evidence is

logically examined and interpreted by scientists using reasoning.
2. Although we must be flexible in our thinking, we should still follow the
scientific process guided by some parameters.
3. Science is embedded within the times, so that as man continuously
develops technology and instruments for discovering the nature of the
world around us, so does our understanding of the world improve.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Scientific Principles
Science has the following principles:

1. Science assumes that we can learn about the world by gathering evidence
using our senses and the extensions of our senses, such as tools or
equipment.
2. Science uses and tests evidence from the natural world in order to explain
science concepts or phenomena substantially.
3. Science is a process of continuously learning about the world around us.
4. Scientific claims are tested and accepted based on observations and
rejected if these fail the test.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
• This is a process where one carefully gathers and examines evidence by
doing experiments, running tests, and exploring observations in an effort to
answer some questions in a logical manner. However, we must remember
that although there is such a process, people must still be flexible and open-
minded in analyzing pieces of evidence.

1. Make an observation - A good observation can help you create great

questions. For example, what if you tried to cook rice in a rice cooker and
plugged it, but your rice is not cooking?
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
2. Ask a question – Once you observe something and are curious about it, you
start asking questions about it. The questions usually start with who, what,
where, when, why, and how. In the case of the rice cooker situation on the
previous page, you may ask "Why is my rice not cooking?"

3. Do some background research - Find out if other people have asked the same
question before. To make sure you do not repeat what has been done and to
avoid making the same mistakes by scientists in the past, you can do some
research about the topic you are curious about.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
4. Make a hypothesis -It refers to an educated guess about how things work.
• This hypothesis may not necessarily be the correct answer, but a potential
explanation or answer that can be tested. in the rice cooker situation, you
might hypothesize: "Perhaps the outlet is broken." You can do one
hypothesis at a time It would not be strange if other people have a different
hypothesis from yours. One might say, "Perhaps the chord is broken."
another might say, "Perhaps forgot to press the ON button.”
• Anyway, each of you could pursue your own hypothesis. Or if you pursued
your first hypothesis and it turned out not to be correct, then, you pursue
another hypothesis.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
5. Make a prediction - You can make a prediction of what might happen if you
do something to the thing you are curious about. We predict what might happen
if we do something.

• In the rice cooker situation, if we hypothesize that, "Perhaps the outlet is

broken”, then we predict that: "If we plug the rice cooker to a different
outlet, then, it would work.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
5. Make a prediction –

• "If, however, your hypothesis was, "Perhaps the chord was broken," then,
your prediction would be: "If change the chord, then, my rice cooker will
cook my rice.

• On the other hand, if your hypothesis was, "Perhaps forgot to press the ON
button," your prediction would be: "Perhaps if I press the ON switch, the
rice cooker will work."
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
6. Do an experiment – This is to test your prediction.

• You start doing the experiment, then collect data, gather measurements, and
analyze the results of your experiment.

• This step can be done as many times as possible until you have the right
hypothesis and test method In the case of the rice cooker situation on the
previous page, you go ahead and plug the rice cooker to a different outlet
and check if it will work.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
7. Analyze the data –You may put the results of your experiment in tables or
graphs to make it easier to analyze.
• The results of your experiment may prove that your hypothesis is correct or
wrong. You may decide to repeat your experiment to make sure your results
are the same. Or someone else might check if he/she can get the same results
if he/she does your experiment also.
• If your rice cooker does cook rice, then, your hypothesis is supported or is
most likely correct. If your rice cooker does not cook rice still, then, your
hypothesis is not supported and is likely wrong. It is time to test another
hypothesis.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
8. Draw your conclusion –After analyzing your data and presenting it in tables,
charts, or graphs, you can state a conclusion based on evidence.
• You cannot conclude that your experimental results are 100% correct all the
time. However, you can gather a lot of evidence that it can be correct.

• In the rice cooker situation, if you tested the outlets, then the chord, and both
did not work, then tested for the ON button and it worked, then, you can
conclude that the rice was not cooking because you forgot to click the ON
button.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
9. Tell people about what you found out –After analyzing your data and
presenting it in tables, charts, or graphs, you can state a conclusion based on
evidence.
• Communicating the results of your experiment in an oral presentation and/or
in written form in a poster or a journal helps other people who are interested in
the same topic to interact with you, so that you can all form a good conversation
about the topic you are curious about. Many of the steps here you may be doing
automatically. So, this list can actually be shortened to: (1) observe and ask
questions, (2) research, (3) formulate a hypothesis and predict, (4) test your
hypothesis, (5) analyze and conclude, and (6) share the results.
Lesson 1.1: The Nature of Science
Steps in the Scientific Method
Many of the steps here you may be doing automatically. So, this list can
actually be shortened to:

(1) observe and ask questions,

(2) research,
(3) formulate a hypothesis and predict,
(4) test your hypothesis,
(5) analyze and conclude, and
(6) share the results.
Sample Problem (Apple Experiment)
1. Make an observation
• The apple slices turn brown after sitting out.

2. Ask a question
• Can I help to stop the slices of apple from turning brown?

3. Form/Propose a hypothesis, or testable explanation

• I believe If I dip the apple slices in a liquid will slow the apple slices from
turning brown.
Sample Problem (Apple Experiment)
4. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis
• I predict the lemon juice, milk or water will keep the apple slices from
turning.

5. Test the prediction

1. Take apple slices from the same apple.

2. Dip one of each slice in lemon juice, milk or water.
3. Observe slices and report data.
Sample Problem (Apple Experiment)
6. Iterate/Conclusion

• Therefore, I concluded that dipping apple slices in ______ (name of liquid)

slows/stopped the apple slice from turning brown.
Lesson 1.2:
Teaching about the Six Basic
Science Process Skills
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
In collecting evidence or data about
things around us, one must have these
basic science process skills:

• Observation
• Communication
• Measurement
• Classification
• Inference
• Prediction
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.1: Observing

• In observing, we use our five senses:

sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing.
This is the most basic skill in science.

• This involves exploring looks (color,

shape, and size), sounds, texture,
temperature, pressure, tastes, and
smells or odors.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.3: Measuring
• When you measure things, you are actually being more precise in observing
and communicating. We measure height, weight, length, volume,
temperature, and density.

• How tall is tall? How heavy is heavy? How far is far? How much is in a
certain container?

• Remember that in measuring, it is important not just to mention the number

that tells us how long, how heavy, how big, how much, or how many, but we
should always include the unit of measure that we used like meters, pounds,
kilos, grams, ounces, cups, spoons, liters, inches, feet, and so on.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.3: Measuring
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.3: Measuring
Isolation of Stimulus
• When teaching very young learners about measurement, it is enough to talk
about "big and small" or "heavy and light."

• However, we should consider using the same material, same object and/or
same color of an object, so that the only thing changing is its size, if we are
comparing "big and small" in the same way, if we are talking about "heavy
and light," everything else should remain the same. This is known as
isolation of stimulus.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.3: Measuring
Unconventional Ways of Measuring
• Children can use unconventional
ways of measuring, also known as
"nonstandard measurement," like
measuring something by using one's
hand, one's feet, or any object such
as coins, paper clips, or a piece of
string for measuring.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.3: Measuring
Conventional Ways of Measuring
• Children can start with using "inch blocks" when learning how to measure
how long an object is as a concrete representation of what "one inch" really
is.
• Older children can start learning about the use of inch rulers. Other units of
measurement can be introduced to children as they get older.
• Other instruments such as metersticks, measuring cups, measuring spoons,
weighing scales, and platform balances can eventually be introduced to
children by doing activities using these instruments that range from simple to
complex, like when measuring ingredients for baking or cooking, or when
measuring shoulder length in order to buy a shirt among others.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.3: Measuring
Conventional Ways of Measuring
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.4: Classifying
• When there are so many objects, events, and living things around us, it
is easier to study these when we classify them based on similarities,
differences, and interrelationships that we observe.

• How about yourself? What classification schemes are you a member

of?
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.4: Classifying
• In a binary classification, one property is mentioned, and the object is
divided into two groups.

• For example. given a basket of fruits, you can classify them as round fruits
(like guava) and fruits that are not round (like banana).

• Another property is fruits with one big seed inside (like mango or avocado)
and fruits with many seeds Inside (like guava and orange). Further along the
way, you can classify the remaining fruits until you identify all fruits in the
basket.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.4: Classifying
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.4: Classifying

• This is similar to classifying

different organisms according to
different kingdoms, or
classifying animals according to
different classes and families.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.5: Inferring
What is the difference between observing and inferring?

• We infer when we try to figure out why and how an event happened, but
were not able to observe the event directly as it happened in the past.
• Just like in a crime investigation, we try to examine evidence or clues that
we find in a crime scene and try to figure out how the crime happened, who
did it, and why.
• When we make inferences, we are trying to offer explanations or
interpretations of what pieces of evidence we see, but we did not really
observe the event as it was happening.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.5: Inferring

• What do you think happened here?

Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.6: Predicting

What do you think would happen if we pour

water on a pile of sand?

• When we predict, we offer our best guess on

what might happen in the future based on
facts or pieces of evidence.

• We are making a forecast of what we might

observe in the future.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.6: Predicting

• For example, meteorologists who predict

weather use maps and data from weather
instruments.

• The meteorologist applies his/her current

knowledge to predict the effect of a
variable, either independent or
dependent.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.6: Predicting
• A prediction is stated in an if/then manner.

If we hypothesize that the amount of water affects

plant growth, we can have a prediction like: "If water
the plants in the garden daily, then they will grow
healthy.”

Or, if our hypothesis is the amount of fertilizer affects

the yield of rice plants, then our prediction can be: "If
I increase the amount of fertilizer I use for rice plants,
then the rice plants will have more yield.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.6: Predicting

• Of course, these statements should be testable. Recall that when we talked

about the scientific method, we create predictions based on the hypothesis.

• If what we find out agrees with our initial guess, then our thinking must be
valid if results turn out to be different from our initial guess, then perhaps we
should change our thinking.
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.6: Predicting
Experience

1. What would happen if you line up some

dominoes end on end, half an inch apart,
and you push the first one down?

2. Before you left the house, you noticed that

the clouds were dark and it was windy.
What can you predict? What should you
do?
Teaching about the Six Basic Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.2.2: Communicating
• Communicating is the process of
letting other people know what we
are doing and thinking.

• We communicatee in science by
speaking, reading, and writing.

• Observing and communicating go

hand in hand. This is because a
person must communicate in order
to share one’s observations.
Lesson 1.3:
Teaching about the Six
Integrated Science Process
Skills
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
The six integrated science process
skills are:

1. identifying and controlling

variables,
2. formulating and testing hypothesis,
3. defining operationally,
4. interpreting data,
5. experimenting; and
6. constructing models.
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.1: Identifying and Controlling Variables
• When making experiments, we try to identify
variables, control variables, and check the
effect of changing certain variables one by
one.

• This way, we will know which one works and

which one does not. We try to brainstorm
ideas about what might affect how something
happens or what could affect some
phenomena, testing factors one by one while
keeping everything else constant.
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.1: Identifying and Controlling Variables
If, for example, someone gets sick, people who care about that sick person
would give advice.

• Someone might advise: "Take this medicine (tablet/pill/capsule).”

• Another person would say, "Take this cough syrup.”
• Another would say, "Use these herbs.”
• Yet another would say, "Drink plenty of water."
• And another person would suggest to "rest in bed."

If the sick person did all of that at the same time and he/she gets well, would
that person know which one really helped him/her get well?
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.1: Identifying and Controlling Variables

• Of course not. The different suggestions given above are like variables that
one tests to check the effect on something.

• So, when we want to know how something affects another thing, we have to
do things systematically. We have to test them one by one.
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.2: Formulating And Testing Hypothesis
• In formulating and testing hypotheses, you must
keep in mind that a hypothesis is only like pieces
of scaffolding, which are put around a building
while it is being constructed. These are taken
away once the building has been completed.

• Formulating a hypothesis means you predict or

make a guess of what might happen if you
manipulate one variable in other words, you might
think ”If I change this, perhaps this might
happen."
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.2: Formulating And Testing Hypothesis
• Then, you test the hypothesis to see if the results would show that your guess
is valid. Your guess is not just a wild guess out of nowhere.

• First, you might observe something around you. Let us say that you had the
experience of tasting a green apple, which happened to be sour.

• If you tasted another green apple, which was also sour, you might ask
yourself if there is a pattern in what you observed.

• Using inductive reasoning, you might make a generalization that all green
apples are sour.
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.2: Formulating And Testing Hypothesis
• Your hypothesis might be. "All green apples are
sour.”

• Using deductive reasoning, when you see another

green apple in another store, you might predict that
that green apple will have a sour taste also.

• Using inductive reasoning, you will test your

hypothesis and start tasting more green apples from
different stores. Using statistical analysis, you either
accept, modify, or reject your hypothesis.
Teaching about the Six IntegratedScience Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.3: Defining Operationally

• When you define variables operationally, you give a precise meaning or a

specific procedure for measuring the variable. This is to make sure that our
investigation is consistent.

• This also makes communicating with other people more accurate. So, before
you make any measurements when you do an experiment, you must decide
how exactly you will measure each variable.
Teaching about the Six IntegtratedScience Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.4: Interpreting Data

• When we interpret data, we give meaning to all the data we collect.

• We first decide how to gather the data we need, organize it in a table, make
charts or graphs about the data we collect, then analyze it to make valid
conclusions.

• When you put data into a graph, it is much easier to interpret data. You can
use line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, or pictographs (especially
for young learners).
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.4: Interpreting Data
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.5: Experimenting

• Do you want to know what affects how fast a seed will sprout? How about
the factors that can affect how fast a person breathes? Do you know what
affects the amount of salt that can be dissolved in water?

We can find out the answers to these questions by doing experiments.

• In this process of experimenting, we try to investigate the effect of changing

one variable on the change of another variable.
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.5: Experimenting

• In experimenting, we use all the processes

that we studied earlier observing, classifying
what we observe, identifying what variables
to study, and controlling variables that we will
keep as constant.

• We also write a hypothesis (or an educated

tentative guess), gather and analyze our data,
infer conclusions, and use all other science
process skills needed.
Teaching about the Six Integrated Science Process Skills
Lesson 1.3.6: Constructing Models

• When we construct a model, we are

trying to make a visual
representation of an object or
concept that may be too small or too
big to observe in the classroom, or
that cannot be measured directly.

• We want to show how something

looks like and/or how something
moves.