How Do We Know?
Objectives
- D06.S1.05.01 Form a testable question, design an investigation, and identify what stays the same and what changes.
- D06.S1.05.02 Explain the difference between evidence, inference, and opinion using a simple example.
Essential questions
- How do we know what we know?
- What is the difference between seeing something happen and explaining why it happens?
Big ideas
- Science is a way of asking testable questions and testing ideas.
- Evidence is what we observe; an explanation is our best answer so far, and it can change with new evidence.
Lessons
- 1 Do Heavy Things Always Sink? 60 minutes
Assessment plan
Formative observation during the investigation; a claim–evidence–reasoning note as a portfolio artifact.
Unit 1 — How Do We Know?
Overview
A rigor-calibration exemplar for Grade 5. This unit shows the bar for middle-grade science: real inquiry with controls, a hands-on investigation, and the explicit distinction between evidence, inference, and opinion — concrete, but genuinely rigorous.
Essential questions
- How do we know what we know?
- What is the difference between seeing something happen and explaining why it happens?
Lessons
| Lesson | Title | Standards |
|---|---|---|
| L.05.001.01 | Do Heavy Things Always Sink? | D06.S1.05.01, D06.S1.05.02 |