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

Identify and learn how to use natural resources and materials, including conservation and reuse or recycling of paper, plastic, and metals

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 using pictures, numbers, and words; and

Communicate observations and provide reasons for explanations using student generated data from 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 and propose a solution;

Make predictions based on observable patterns; and

Describe what scientists do.

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

Collect, record, and compare information using tools, including computers, hand lenses, primary balances, cups, bowls, magnets, collecting nets, notebooks, and safety goggles or chemical splash goggles, as appropriate; timing devices; non-standard measuring items; weather instruments such as demonstration thermometers and wind socks; and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such as aquariums and terrariums; and

Measure and compare organisms and objects using non-standard units.