Inquiring Minds

Should athletes carb load before an event or consume carbohydrates during the competition? Scholars discuss how to set up a hypothesis and experiment to answer a question relating carbohydrates and athletic performance. Then, they read...

How do scholars determine if a scientific claim is true? Learners investigate scientific misinformation by watching video clips and reading false advertising claims. They engage in discussion in both class and small group settings to...

The scientific method keeps you from believing only what you want to believe — it expands your mind. The lesson introduces the eight steps in the scientific process and how to design an experiment to biology scholars. Live insects...

An outline walks your scientists through the steps of the scientific process. It begins by taking a general idea and developing a hypothesis based on related factors. Each investigator then plans a method for testing the hypothesis,...

Young investigators conduct an experiment using the scientific method. They see how many drops of water fit on a coin; have them conduct several different trials. This involves making a hypothesis, looking at controls, and introducing...

In this interactive activity adapted from NOVA, expand your understanding of the scientific process. Watch two videos featuring animations and interviews with scientists, and notice how the processes unfold and vary from one...

Sample size and controls are features of the scientific inquiry process that are discussed in this quick-paced quip. A comparison is made between randomized clinical trials and epidemiological studies. Terms such as placebo,...

Students gain an understanding of the real world applications of the scientific method. They design their own experiments to prove or disprove the existence of other modern legends, and they design and carry out an experiment to test a...

In the late 1700s, Edward Jenner applied the scientific method and discovered that injecting people with cowpox prevented them from acquiring smallpox—leading to the first vaccine. In the fourth video of the series, individuals listen to...

Every great scientist knows that the process of inquiry is a very important skill. Provide your learners with visual impairments with an opportunity to explore objects scientifically. They examine several pieces of fruit and generate...