Asking Scientific Questions

Resource Type
Description
This activity allows students to formulate and analyze scientific questions.
The activity begins with students observing different organisms or phenomena and developing questions based on their observations. They then sort their questions into those that can and cannot be answered using the methods of science. Students practice writing scientific questions, designing experiments to address scientific questions, developing questions that involve cause and effect, and understanding the importance of cause and effect questions in scientific research. At the end of the activity, students determine the research questions being asked from reading journal article titles and parts of a published paper or other reported results. Several possible extension activities are provided for continuing the investigation and research of phenomena.
The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.
Student Learning Targets
- Compare and contrast questions that can be analyzed using the methods of science and those that are outside of science.
- Develop novel, testable scientific questions that are inspired by student observations and interests.
- Explain the importance of cause-and-effect research in the processes of science.
- Analyze titles of scientific papers to identify the goals of the research study and, when appropriate, causes and effects in the study.
- Identify, evaluate, and predict the scientific questions that drove research, based on data or figures from the scientific literature.
Estimated Time
Key Terms
cause and effect, scientific methodology, scientific process, scientific questions
Terms of Use
Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS (2013)
SEP1, SEP3, SEP6, SEP8
AP Biology (2019)
SP1, SP3
Common Core (2010)
ELA.RST.9-12.3, ELA.WHST.9-12.2
Vision and Change (2009)
DP1
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