Scientific and engineering practices. The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;

use scientific practices to plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;

identify, describe, and demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards;

use tools, including hand lenses, goggles, trays, cups, bowls, sieves or sifters, notebooks, terrariums, aquariums, samples (rocks, sand, soil, loam, gravel, clay, seeds, and plants), windsock, demonstration thermometer, rain gauge, straws, ribbons, non-standard measuring items, blocks or cubes, tuning fork, various flashlights, small paper cups, items that roll, noise makers, hot plate, opaque objects, transparent objects, foil pie pans, foil muffin cups, wax paper, Sun-Moon-Earth model, and plant life cycle model to observe, measure, test, and compare;

collect observations and measurements as evidence;

record and organize data using pictures, numbers, words, symbols, and simple graphs; and

develop and use models to represent phenomena, objects, and processes or design a prototype for a solution to a problem.

Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

identify basic advantages and limitations of models such as their size, properties, and materials;

analyze data by identifying significant features and patterns;