Chicago Botanic Garden
Recognizing Change (Observation vs. Inference)
What is the difference between making inferences and making observations? Young climatologists refer to a PowerPoint to make observations on each slide. They record their observations in a provided worksheet before drawing a...
Curated OER
Fish Communities in the Hudson
Learning to read data tables is an important skill. Use this resource for your third, fourth, or fifth graders. Learners will will study tables of fish collection data to draw conclusions. The data is based on fish environments in the...
Curated OER
Inference Makes the Difference
Students explore how archaeologists make inferences from artifacts to explore what life was like in the past. In this archaeology lesson, students work in groups and make inferences about an imaginary household based on modern day...
Curated OER
Using MY NASA DATA to Determine Volcanic Activity
Students explore how aerosols are used in science to indicate volcanic activity and how biomass burning affects global aerosol activity. Students access data and import into MS Excel using graphical data to make inferences and draw...
Curated OER
Signs of Change: Tree Rings
Young scholars identify and experiment with dendrochronology (the study of tree rings to answer ecological questions about the recent past) and come up with conclusions as to what possible climatic conditions might affect tree growth in...
Curated OER
The Fabled Maine Winter
Students graph and analyze scientific data. In this research lesson students use the Internet to obtain data then draw conclusions about what they found.
Kenan Fellows
Using Water Chemistry as an Indicator of Stream Health
Will this water source support life? Small groups test the chemistry of the water drawn from two different sources. They then compare the collected data to acceptable levels to draw conclusions about the health of the source. The...
Kenan Fellows
Effects of a Golf Course on Stream Health
Is the golf course causing issues in the stream? Find out with a resource that has groups perform chemical water tests to analyze the effects of a golf course on a stream. Pupils collect water above and below the course and analyze the...
University of Colorado
The Moons of Jupiter
Can you name the three planets with rings in our solar system? Everyone knows Saturn, many know Uranus, but most people are surprised to learn that Jupiter also has a ring. The third in a series of six teaches pupils what is around...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Reading Primary Sources: Darwin and Wallace
Take your classes back in time. Learners read real historical texts from both Darwin and Wallace as well as an announcement of their findings. Using guiding questions, they make inferences and draw conclusions from the information in the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Human Feet Are Strange
Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed activity incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
Curated OER
Are We Alone
Seventh graders collect/analyze data and draw conclusions; support reasoning by using a variety of evidence; construct logical arguments; access information at remote sites using telecommunications; apply the concept of percent;...
Curated OER
Mysterious Footprints
Learners, after observing and responding to two pictures, consider the interaction of two unknown animals by examining the pattern of their footprints. They make observations, draw conclusions and propose possible explanations for the...
Curated OER
SUNSPOTS SPOTTED
Students study sunspots and their motion, from data gathered, they determine the significance of the sunspot data. The data be used to calculate the rotational period of the sun. They draw conclusions as to the sunspot's impact on the...
Curated OER
How Oceans Affect Climate
Young scholars draw conclusions about how the ocean affects temperature. In this weather lesson plan, students use the Internet to gather data to help them come to a conclusion about how the climate in a certain region is directly...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Students compare weather data and draw conclusions. For this climate change lesson plan, students determine whether data collected over a period of ninety years shows a warming trend.
Curated OER
Amazon Adventure: a Case Study in Medical Technology And Bioethics
Students test problem-solving skills, the ability to see connections, and the ability to draw conclusions and inferences from information provided in a case study. Given a case study, they formulate a procedure and draw conclusions.
Curated OER
What Is Viscosity?
Students experiment with the visocosity of corn syrup, mineral oil, vegetable oil, water, and honey. They research viscosity before beginning. Pupils draw the conclusion that the marble sinks more slowly in the liquids with greater...
Curated OER
Theobroma - Food of the Gods
Students discuss the history of cacao and its use in the production of chocolate. They analyze actual cacao pods and record their observations. Finally they create a five minute contour drawing of the cacao pod and seeds.
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Case Study of Memory Loss in Mice
Using a short news article, high school or college biologists examine the scientific method in practice. The article, which focuses on an Alzheimer's experiment performed on rats, has very limited information, so learners must be...
Curated OER
Clay Boats
Seventh graders are given the opportunity to use model-building as a way to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They use both successful and unsuccessful models to make inferences, refine...
Curated OER
Fish Communities in the Hudson
Students use tables of fish collection data to draw conclusions about where fish live in the Hudson Estuary. Given available data they interpret organized observations and measurements and recognize simple patterns, sequences, and...
Curated OER
In Your Own Backyard
Students observe organisms in their habitat and record their observations. They then draw conclusions about the organism's habitat needs and food sources.
Curated OER
Living in the Oak Woodlands: Early People of the Jewett Mine Area
Students examine the archeology and native peoples of the Jewett Mine area of Texas. Using a map, they explain the economic patterns of the native groups and how the geography of the area affected activities. They compare and contrast...