How Can I Think Like a Scientist?
Provided by: Maine Department of Energy|Published on: July 17, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: K, 1, 2
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science
Authors: MOOSE Climate Education
Location: Earth, North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Maine
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This learning module introduces students to what scientists do and the scientific process, provides five fun experiments, and then uses a final project to assess their learning.
- Students will learn through read-alouds, activities, interactive games, hands-on experiments, videos, and reflections.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The learning platform is incredibly mindful of students' health as they learn, prompting the learner to take a brain break after they have been on the platform for a certain amount of time.
- With read-aloud capabilities, self-correcting activities, and an easy-to-use platform, learners of most levels can complete the online portions of this module with little adult support.
Additional Prerequisites
- There are instructions provided and a materials list for the experiments.
- Students will need access to a device and the Internet for some portions of the module.
Differentiation
- One of the included videos briefly mentions solids, liquids, and gases. This module would fit in nicely with a unit on states of matter.
- Students who have not yet learned to read at this level can still work on this module independently by utilizing the read-aloud feature, which also allows the learner to change the pitch and speed of the read aloud.
- This can also be used in a unit covering the five senses and how we use them to make observations in our world.
- With the books included in this module, it is easily extended to reading blocks.
- Vocabulary words can be added to a word wall and/or students can discuss their meanings prior to the module.
- This can be extended into writing units by practicing writing sentences with stems. For example, after reading the "I Wonder" book, students can write a sentence about something that makes them curious beginning with the sentence stem.
- After the initial introduction to thinking like a scientist, students can choose what they want to learn and explore first, giving them a sense of autonomy in their learning.
- Learners are encouraged to record and share their learning in whatever way works best for them, making it a great resource for all types of learners!
- Students can use the steps to deliberate scientifically about solutions to climate issues, such as how long it takes certain things to decompose, what happens to plants without the things they need, etc.
This website from the Maine Department of Energy is an amazing resource for teachers and students. The module starts by walking students through what a scientist is and what a scientist does. Five experiments are provided so that students can try their hand at thinking like a scientist. A final project outline is provided that encourages students to reflect on what they have observed, gather all of the evidence, and share their results with the class. This would be an excellent resource for a classroom discussion about thinking like a scientist.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
