PECT PreK-4 // Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests
Science
Module-3
The Scientific Method
Scientific Method Steps
1. Observe
The first step in the scientific process is to make an observation. All scientific investigations start because someone observed something that happened, and it stirred up their curiosity. For example, Isaac Newton observed and experienced an apple falling from its tree. It actually hit him on the head (at least, so the story goes). This observation eventually led him to ask questions.
2. Ask Questions
This leads us to the next step in the scientific process: ask a question. Questions help us hone in on the information that is actually worth investigating. A question Isaac Newton probably asked might have been “why do things always fall to the ground, and not go up?” Naturally, questions beg for an answer, and this takes us to our third step.
3. Make a Hypothesis
Propose an answer by developing a hypothesis. Generally, a hypothesis is defined as predicting an answer based on things that you already know, or an educated guess. With our apple falling from a tree problem, Isaac Newton probably had some experience that allowed him to formulate a hypothesis. Perhaps he had thrown a ball before and picked up on the fact that the ball generally goes in the direction that it is thrown due to the direction of the force. So, when it comes to formulating a hypothesis, you start with what you know.
Using Deductive Reasoning:
When working to formulate your hypothesis, you ought to use deductive reasoning. This generally takes the form of an “if-then“ statement, where you move from a general truth to a specific one. Something that is crucial, and must be noticed about an if-then statement is that 1) it is testable, and 2) it is refutable. Your hypothesis must contain these two qualities, or else it does not follow the scientific method.
4. Conduct Experiments:
The fourth step in the scientific method is to conduct an experiment. This is the step where you test your hypothesis. When testing your hypothesis, the experiment must be controlled. You must control every single variable so that you are able to study a single variable. This is where the terms independent and dependent variables come into play. The independent variables are the variables that are controlled by the researcher or experimenter. The dependent variable is the variable that is left untouched by the experimenter and is observed and measured for any change.
The other thing that is crucial when controlling the experiment is having a control group and an experimental group. This allows the researcher to be sure that his results are consistent, and not based on chance.
5. Draw a Conclusion
The fifth and last step in the scientific method is to observe your data and draw a conclusion. When analyzing the data collected, you will have collected qualitative and quantitative data.
Qualitative data is data that represents information about qualities. For example, the color of a liquid, the smell of a substance, or maybe the softness of the skin. These are all examples of qualitative data.
Quantitative data, on the other hand, is data that can be measured numerically. For example, the number of lashes on your eyelid, the height of a tree, or perhaps the time it takes for you to run a mile. These are all examples of quantitative data or data that can be quantified.
As you analyze your data, you have to decide if the data you collected proves or disproves your hypothesis. This is where you draw your conclusion. The conclusion of your experiment should answer your original question.
Physical Science & Matter:
Physical science is the science of the physical universe surrounding us. Everything in the universe consists of matter or energy.
The three primary states of matter are solid, liquid and gas. Solids preserve their shape even when they are not in a container.
Gas:
Liquid:
Solid:
1. What are the states of matter?
Ans: The current definition of matter describes it as having four states: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
2. Which state of matter is fire?
Ans: Fire is considered plasma.
3. What is the state of matter of the mantle?
Ans: The state of matter of the Earth’s mantle is predominantly solid.
4. Which state of matter has the most kinetic energy?
Ans: Plasma is the state of matter with the most kinetic energy.
Magnetism is the property some objects/substances have of attracting other materials. The form of magnetism most familiar to us is certain materials attracting other iron. Magnets also attract steel, cobalt, and other materials.
Magnetism and electricity are related, and they interact with each other. Generators work by using magnets near conductive wires to produce moving streams of electrons.
Health:
How Cooking and Self-care activities help Develop Fine Motor Skills:
Young children are often fascinated by adults' cooking activities, want to participate, and offer to help. Involving them is not only beneficial to their self-esteem but also develops various skills. Measuring amounts of liquids and solids in different forms develops children's math skills. Mixing stirring and blending ingredients using different parts of their hands develop children's fine motor skills.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that children between the ages of 5 and 17 should engage in a minimum of 1 hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. According to the WHO, exercising for more than one hour daily will confer additional health benefits. The majority of children's physical activity should be aerobic in nature.
Q.1. A third-grade teacher asks teams of students to develop a scientific way for determining what types of materials can become changed with static electricity when rubbed against another material. To produce scientifically valid results from their investigations, it is most important that the student teams:
Ans: keep other variables constant as they test the different materials
Q.2. A second-grade class is beginning a unit on weather. Which of the following activities associated with this unit would be most effective for helping the students develop an understanding of the foundations of scientific inquiry?
Ans: The teacher sets up a simple weather station and has the class keep regular rainfall and temperature records
Q.3. Which of the following provides the best inquiry-based learning activity for a third-grade class studying rocks and minerals?
Ans: performing simple tests on a set of minerals and then using a key to identify them
Q.4. A teacher is planning an activity to introduce the concept of density to the first graders. The teacher would like to get students interested in the topic by using a discrepant event that surprises them with a result they do not expect. Which of the following activities would be most effective for stimulating students' interest in this topic?
Ans: After filling one glass with a saturated salt solution and one glass with tap water, the teacher asks students to predict what will happen when an egg is placed in each of the two glasses.
Q.5. A first-grade teacher is planning a unit on insects with the goal of motivating students to be good scientific observers of the natural world. The most effective way to achieve this goal would be to have the students:
Ans: make drawings of ants from memory to share with the class and then observe real ants and draw them again
Q.6. A third-grade teacher is planning a science unit on human body systems, a topic that has quite a bit of specialized scientific terminology associated with it. In presenting information during the unit, it is most advisable for the teacher to:
Ans: use the appropriate scientific terminology
Q.7. A fourth-grade teacher wants to integrate the arts into the science curriculum. Which of the following student activities would be most appropriate for this age group?
Ans: researching an animal's habitat and creating a diorama
Q.8. A teacher wants to introduce a kindergarten class to the concept of structure and function in living systems. Which of the following activities would provide the most appropriate introduction to the biological concept of structure and function for this age group?
Ans: comparing what different insects look like with how they move
Q.9. As a third grader works on a diagram of the water cycle, the classroom teacher gives her specific feedback on the task while also asking the student to evaluate her own work. The teacher hopes the interaction will help him adapt his teaching approach to the student's learning style and encourage the student to become more involved in her own progress. Which of the following describes this type of interactive assessment?
Ans: formative assessment
Q.10. A second-grade teacher wants to develop an assessment that evaluates student achievement in science over time and involves students in their own evaluations. The teacher could most effectively achieve this by using which of the following assessment strategies?
Ans: having each student maintain a portfolio containing a variety of work samples
Q.11. At the start of a fourth-grade unit on the physical environment, which of the following questions should a teacher ask to promote the idea that the rock cycle and water cycle interact as part of a larger earth system?
Ans: How do rivers change the surface of the land?
Q.12. One of the strongest arguments in favor of using an inquiry approach to teach elementary science is that with the inquiry approach elementary students can:
Ans: expand their innate curiosity about a topic into a more structured science investigation
Q.13. A first-grade teacher is modifying a weather activity to incorporate a mathematics component. The original activity involves reading to the class a children's story about a large storm and then asking the class questions about how the weather has affected their lives. Which of the following student-centered mathematics activities would provide the most age-appropriate link to the first-grade mathematics curriculum?
Ans: developing a histogram showing rainfall for a month based on data collected using a rain gauge
Q.14. A second-grade teacher introduces students to the concept of renewable and nonrenewable resources in a discussion about the environment. A student asks the teacher why water is considered a renewable resource when it disappears after it rains or goes down the drain after a bath. Which of the following facts about water should the teacher cover in order to answer the student's question?
Ans: the role of evaporation, condensation, and stream flow in cycling water between the oceans, atmosphere, and land
Q.15. As part of a school program encouraging recycling, a second-grade teacher and her class decide to examine how their lunch and snack choices affect the trash the class generates. The students begin by setting aside all the plastic packaging materials from their lunches. For this grade level, which of the following activities would best help the students recognize the impact of their lunch choices on the plastic waste the class generates?
Ans: putting all plastic packaging materials in a recycling bin to see how long it takes to fill
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