S.5.2.A | TEKS Guide

Knowledge and Skills Statement

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.

Further Explanation

The further explanation is designed to be a resource for educators that helps them better understand the topic their students are learning. Further explanations may be written at a more complex level than would be expected for students at the grade level.

All models have strengths and weaknesses; understanding those limitations helps scientists and engineers select the most appropriate model. The advantages of models may include seeing something that would otherwise be too big (the solar system) or too small (bacteria), manipulating the parts to see how they work together, and using less expensive or easier-to-find building materials. Disadvantages of models may include not being completely accurate about the phenomena the model represents.

Teachers may use a Plus, Minus, Delta chart or some other form of graphic organizer to help students think about and discuss strengths and weaknesses of models.

three column chart to capture advantages, disadvantages, and changes — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plus_Minus_Delta_Chart.png

Glossary Support for S.5.2.A

Glossary terms and definitions are consistent across kindergarten through high school in the TEKS Guide. The definitions are intended to give educators a common understanding of the terms regardless of what grade level they teach. Glossary definitions are not intended for use with students.

data

factual information (such as observations, measurements, or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation; often includes both useful and irrelevant or redundant information and must be processed to be meaningful