Look for: understand the ways in which control variable…

3.B. Plan an investigation to investigate how the lid (a structural feature of the cup system) works to slow the temperature change (function) of a substance inside the system.

Students:

understand the ways in which control variables affect how a drink cools down or warms up in the cup system and

can plan an investigation and understand how controlling as many variables as possible enhances the validity of the tests when investigating how changing the independent variable affects the cup system. For example, look for these ideas in the original plans:

lid identified as independent variable

temperature identified as dependent variable

at least 3 controlled variables identified, including amount of water, number of walls, and material of the cup--may also identify starting temperature of water

a carefully planned investigation showing specific steps that may or may not match the class agreed-upon plan

Between Lessons 3 and 4, examine students’ plans for investigating the lid’s role in slowing the warming up or cooling down of liquids. Have students leave their notebooks in the classroom. Students will have written their original investigation plans in one color and their corrections and additions in a different color. Use the two colors to compare how similar or different students’ original plans were to the class agreed-upon plans. If the class’ investigation procedures were very different from the student’s original set, they wrote the class set alongside their original procedures.

It will be important not only to hear or see students’ ideas but also to ask questions to ascertain students’ justifications for including particular features in their experimental design. It is important that students aren’t just including a single independent variable because they talked about it in class, but rather, because they understand why it is important to change only one variable while holding other variables constant. It is not important for students to use terminology like independent variable or control variable until Lesson 4.

Additional Lesson 3 Teacher Guidance

SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN MAKING CONNECTIONS IN ELA

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3: Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

Students are working toward this standard. Students work collaboratively to generate investigation plans, planning how to carry out an experiment and take measurements. They work on these plans in small groups and revise the plans based on class consensus.