University of California
University of California at Berkeley: Understanding Science: Mystery Tubes
Students collaborate to create a drawing or model of what the inside of a mystery tube looks like. The tube has two ropes attached to a ring inside it. Students must use their powers of observation and deduction to try to understand how...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Scientific Explanations and Interpretations
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students learn about scientific explanations and interpretations through instructional videos, grade-level texts, interactive activities, and quick assessments.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Ideas in Science: Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws
Learning module looking at scientific explanations. Discussion covers theories and how they develop, some well-known theories and their origins, and how theories are revised and refined. Also, covers hypotheses and laws. The three...
Other
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Ctr.: Exploring Energy Transformations in Plants
This set of lessons has students investigate how plants obtain energy from different sources to support their growth and development. Students conduct investigations, make predictions, and construct scientific explanations of the...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Theories
Given laboratory investigation scenarios, students will distinguish between scientific hypotheses and scientific theories.
Rice University
Hyper Stat Online Statistics Textbook: Logic of Hypothesis Testing
High level detailed steps including null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, significance level, statistics, probability value and statistical significance.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Scientific Communication: The How and Why of Scientific Meetings
Explanation of what a scientific meeting is and why they are an integral part of scientific research.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What's the Difference Between a Scientific Law and Theory?
What is the difference between a theory and a law, and is one better? Matt Anticole shows why science needs both laws and theories to understand the whole picture. [5:12]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Science of the Game of Thrones
The popular television show, Game of Thrones, and the novel series it is based on, A Song of Fire and Ice, take place in another world. Joe Hanson explores possible scientific explanations of the phenomena exhibited on the show. [8:01]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Danger of Science Denial
Vaccine-autism claims, "Frankenfood" bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public's growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress....
Philosophy Pages
Philosophy Pages: Scientific Explanation
Understand how inductive reasoning is used as the structure of scientific explanation, and that it is a deductive argument whose conclusion is the event to be explained.
![University of California at Berkeley: How Science Works Flowchart [Pdf] Graphic](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "University of California at Berkeley: How Science Works Flowchart [Pdf] Graphic")
University of California
University of California at Berkeley: How Science Works Flowchart [Pdf]
A flowchart for elementary students outlining how the scientific process works.
Climate Literacy
Clean: Time Series: Uncovering the Hidden Processes in Science
In the following exercise, students will review techniques useful to scientists asthey analyze series of data. Learn about scientific observation and try to recognize a pattern or trend within the data.
Other
College of the Holy Cross: The Logic of Scientific Reasoning [Pdf]
Explore the idea of the logic of scientific reasoning with this discussion of how science, thinking, and reasoning relate to one another.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: I Wonder: Writing Scientific Explanations With Students
Students choose a question to explore, research it using a variety of resources, organize their information on a TCF chart, and then collaboratively write a class scientific explanation.
University of Washington
Washington U: Model for Conducting Scientific Research
This page outlines the scientific method, step by step.
Other
Science Publications: American Journal of Environmental Sciences
Browse through the current issue of an international peer-reviewed journal, which presents original research articles, reviews, and letters in all areas of environmental studies and environmental sciences.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science : Scientific Explanations and Interpretations
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Presents the relationships of facts, explanations, and opinions in science.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Biology: Scientific Theories
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Covers scientific theory and scientific laws.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Biology: Scientific Thinking
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses how scientists think about the natural world.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Law
A quick review which explains the concept of a scientific law, and discussed the impact of such laws in the work of science.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Principle
This lesson introduces the concept of a scientific principle, and explains their importance in science. [1 min, 49 secs]
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Boundless Biology: The Science of Biology
Explore the concept of scientific reasoning, and compare and contrast hypothesis and theories while understanding the difference between deductive and inductive thinking.
Other
Csicop: Field Guide to Critical Thinking
This article, originally published in Skeptical Inquirer, outlines some of the key components of the scientific problem-solving process while addressing the many reasons for the popularity of paranormal beliefs in the U.S. (Published in...