Scientific Inquiry Basics

Grade Level

9th Grade

Duration

85 minutes

Class Size

30 students

Unit Overview: Understanding Environmental Science

This unit aims to build foundational scientific literacy in environmental science by developing students' understanding of scientific inquiry processes and how they apply these skills to environmental contexts. Lesson 1 introduces the nature of scientific inquiry, focusing on skepticism, questioning, and evidence-based reasoning as core components of science.

Lesson Title

Introduction to Scientific Inquiry

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain what scientific inquiry is and why it is essential for understanding the natural world.
2. Demonstrate the ability to formulate testable questions and hypotheses related to environmental topics.
3. Describe the role of skepticism and evidence in scientific inquiry.
4. Identify key steps of the scientific method and articulate how inquiry leads to scientific knowledge.

Next Generation Science Standards Alignment

HS-LS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis. (Although this standard focuses on biological systems, the inquiry process skills taught here apply across disciplines.)

HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in