Scientific investigation and reasoning

The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following home and school safety procedures and uses environmentally appropriate and responsible practices. The student is expected to:

Identify, discuss, and demonstrate safe and healthy practices as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles or chemical splash goggles, as appropriate, washing hands, and using materials appropriately; and

Demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conserving water and reusing or recycling paper, plastic, and metal.

The student develops abilities to ask questions and seek answers in classroom and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:

Ask questions about organisms, objects, and events observed in the natural world;

Plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations;

Collect data and make observations using simple tools;

Record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, and words; and

Communicate observations about simple descriptive investigations.

The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in scientific problem solving. The student is expected to:

Identify and explain a problem such as the impact of littering and propose a solution;

Make predictions based on observable patterns in nature; and

Explore that scientists investigate different things in the natural world and use tools to help in their investigations.

The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to investigate the natural world. The student is expected to:

Collect information using tools, including computing devices, hand lenses, primary balances, cups, bowls, magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks; timing devices; non-standard measuring items; weather instruments such as demonstration thermometers; and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums; and

Use the senses as a tool of observation to identify properties and patterns of organisms, objects, and events in the environment.