In 7th-grade Nature of Science in Florida, students engage with fundamental concepts. Big Idea 1 centers on the practice of science, encouraging students to adopt scientific methods by asking questions, making hypotheses, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions. Big Idea 2 explores the characteristics of scientific knowledge, emphasizing that it's built upon evidence, peer review, and a willingness to change as new information emerges. Lastly, Big Idea 3 highlights the role of theories, laws, hypotheses, and models in scientific understanding, demonstrating how these concepts play vital roles in explaining natural phenomena and shaping our understanding of the world.

• Big Idea 1 SC.7.N.1 : The Practice of Science
• Big Idea 2 SC.7.N.2 : The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
• Big Idea 3 SC.7.N.3 : The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models

Assignment Description: Students will select a scientific question or hypothesis of their choice and design an experiment to test it. They should follow the steps of the scientific method, collect data, and draw conclusions. This assignment reinforces the practice of science (Big Idea 1) and allows students to apply the scientific method to real-world scenarios.

Assignment Description: In this assignment, students will research a scientific theory, law, hypothesis, or model of their choice. They should create a presentation explaining the concept, its historical development, and its relevance in the scientific community. This assignment aligns with the characteristics of scientific knowledge (Big Idea 2) and the role of theories, laws, hypotheses, and models (Big Idea 3) by helping students understand how scientific knowledge is constructed and evolves over time.

Big Idea 1: The Practice of Science

The "Scientific Method in Action" assignment was like being a detective, but instead of solving mysteries, I was solving scientific questions! I got to choose a question I was curious about and then design an experiment to find the answer. It was super exciting.

For my experiment, I wondered if different types of music would affect plant growth. So, I set up an experiment where I played different genres of music to separate groups of plants and observed their growth over a few weeks. It was like a little music experiment in my room!

What I learned is that the scientific method isn't just something scientists do in labs. It's a way of thinking and exploring the world around us. It's all about asking questions, making hypotheses, testing them, and drawing conclusions. Even though my experiment was simple, it helped me understand how scientists work and how they practice science every day.

Big Idea 2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge

The "Scientific Theories and Models Presentation" assignment was like stepping into the world of scientists and discovering their big ideas. I chose to research the theory of evolution, which is all about how species change over time. It was mind-blowing to learn about Charles Darwin and his journey on the HMS Beagle.

As I created my presentation, I realized that scientific knowledge isn't just a bunch of facts; it's a complex web of ideas and evidence. I had to explain how scientists like Darwin gather data, develop theories, and revise them based on new discoveries. It's like a big puzzle where every piece fits together to form our understanding of the world.

I also saw how scientific knowledge evolves over time. The theory of evolution wasn't accepted by everyone when it was first proposed, but now it's a fundamental concept in biology. It showed me that science isn't static; it's always changing and improving as we learn more.

Big Idea 3: The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models

Through both assignments, I learned about the importance of theories, laws, hypotheses, and models in science. In my "Scientific Method in Action" experiment, I created a hypothesis to test my question. It was like a scientific guess, and my experiment helped me see if it was right or wrong. It showed me that hypotheses are like stepping stones in the scientific process.

In my "Scientific Theories and Models Presentation," I explored the theory of evolution. I realized that theories in science are not just random ideas; they're well-supported explanations based on lots of evidence. It's like a big umbrella that covers many facts and observations, helping us understand complex phenomena.

I also learned that laws in science are like rules that describe how things work. For example, Newton's laws of motion explain how objects move. They're like the rules of the game in the world of physics. And models, well, they're like simplified versions of reality that help us understand complex systems. Scientists use models to make sense of things like climate patterns or the behavior of atoms.

In conclusion, these assignments gave me a glimpse into the world of science. I saw how scientists practice the scientific method, how scientific knowledge is built on ideas and evidence, and the important roles of theories, laws, hypotheses, and models. It's like I've taken my first steps into the incredible journey of scientific discovery, and I can't wait to explore more!