Free 7th Grade What Is Science And How Does It Apply To The Natural World? Lesson Plan

Topic: What is Science and how does it apply to the natural world?

Objectives & Outcomes

• Understanding the definition of science and its application to the natural world
• Identifying the different branches of science and their respective fields of study
• Explaining the methods used in science and their importance

Materials

• Handout with the definition of science and information about its application to the natural world
• Examples of different branches of science and their respective fields of study
• Examples of different methods used in science
• Pencils and paper for writing

Warm-up

• Ask students to name some things they know that science can explain. Write their responses on the board. (e.g. How the sun causes day and night, How earthquakes happen, How the human body works)
• Ask students if any of the things they mentioned were already known before science explained them, or if they were discovered through scientific research.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of science as a way of understanding the natural world through observation, experimentation, and analysis.
• Discuss the importance of asking questions, making predictions, and gathering evidence to test our ideas.
• Emphasize the role of collaboration and communication in science, and the need to share our findings with others.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in small groups to ask questions, make predictions, and gather evidence to test a claim about the natural world (e.g. "Birds have feathers because they help them fly", "Mushrooms grow in dark, damp places because they need damp places to grow").
• Have each group present their findings to the class and discuss the validity of their claims.

Independent Practice

• Have students work individually or in small groups to conduct a simple experiment (e.g. testing the effect of different conditions on the growth rate of a plant).
• Have students record their observations, make any necessary adjustments to their experiment, and draw conclusions about the effect of their variables on the outcome.

Closure

• Have students share their findings with the class, discussing what they learned about the effect of their variables on the outcome and any limitations of their experiments.
• Review the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of experiments in science and the need to pay attention to both observations and assumptions in order to draw valid conclusions.

Assessment

• Observe students during the guided and independent practice activities to assess their understanding of the principles of scientific method and the importance of experiments in scientific research.
• Collect and review their written reports and experiments for understanding of the concept and accurate application of the scientific method.