2. Models

Scientific Inquiry

The goal for the next two lessons is to allow students to feel the complexity—and often messiness—of real scientific inquiry and ultimately to contrast that against academic labs.

You can begin this class session by asking students what they found lacking from the previous lesson’s lab experience. You might explain that in that class session they experienced an academic lab, whereas in this one they will experience real scientific inquiry.

Next, you can introduce the Film Canister Experience.¹ In this activity, students attempt to accurately predict the contents of a sealed black film canister by building and testing models. For detailed instructions and a list of supplies, see the Film Canister Experience Guide and the Film Canister Experience Handout.

If necessary, you can allow this activity to continue into a second class session in order to give students more time to complete their investigations.

¹This activity is used and adapted with permission from REAL Science Challenge, www.realsciencechallenge.com.