Science.8.1.B
The student is expected to use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigation and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;
Knowledge and Skills Statement
Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, 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.
Further Explanation
Like scientists, engineers must identify relevant variables, decide how they will be measured, and collect data for analysis. Their investigations help them to identify how effective, efficient, and durable their designs may be under a range of conditions.
Some investigations involve simple observations as scientists try to understand a process or behavior. This type of investigation is called a descriptive investigation.
A comparative investigation involves comparing a process or behavior in two different settings. A correlative investigation attempts to determine how related two variables are.
Another kind of investigation is called an experimental investigation. An experimental investigation involves a test with identified variables. Some variables stay the same throughout the experiment, one variable is manipulated by the scientist, and another variable responds to the manipulated variable. Scientists observe the relationship between the variables during the experiment. This kind of experiment can also be called a controlled experiment.
Engineering practices include using the engineering design process to solve problems. This design process is an instructional method that can be used to teach and apply various concepts in an integrated fashion. Students engage with integrated concepts from multiple disciplines and use design thinking to design a solution to an authentic problem. There are multiple model variations of the engineering design process; however, they all share the basic practices of asking questions or defining problems, brainstorming, planning, creating and testing a design, and improving the design. Throughout the process, students are engaged in problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, and effective communication.
This process is non-linear and iterative. Flexibility within the engineering design process allows a student to return to a step if needed. Analysis and improvement often result in additional questions or problems that can be solved through additional design process iterations.
Supporting Information
Research
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center. Washington: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25216
Summary: "Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center" provides support for teachers and educational leaders in engaging middle and high school students in science and engineering. Through an analysis of evidence and examples, teachers can support students as they make sense of phenomena, analyze data, construct explanations, design solutions, and communicate reasoning.