Process skills

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Process skills
By Amy Lee

I use the scientific method to review processing skills. I have fun, quick labs from workbooks such as "Can Raisins Dance?" (yes they can when placed in ginger ale), making slime, etc. Students have a blank lab sheet with
steps of the method along with a handout explaining the lab. I have the same lab sheet as a transparency. Not only are they required to fill in the information but for hypothesis, evaluation, and conclusion they are required to give reasons why.
I found graphic organizers (charts, compare and contrast, Venn diagrams (older children) etc.) are a nice way to check for skills. Then

have students transfer this information into a sentence or two or a small paragraph even a illustration.

Hands on activities are nice as well. When teaching about earth being made of plates and scientists believe they once fit together my students were lost. Then I drew different shapes, had students cut them out, fit them together, and glue them on paper. While doing the activity the concept clicked for them.

I hope this helps.