Am I A Scientist?

Scientists Ask Questions

TEACHER NOTES

Fairfax County Elementary Science Program of Studies

SCI.G1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and
the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which 1.a

the senses are used to observe differences in physical properties

1.a.1 Use senses to enhance observations of physical properties.

1.i

observations and data are recorded, analyzed, and communicated orally and with
simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers
1.i.1 Communicate observations and data with simple graphs and pictures, oral and
written statements, and with numbers.

Links to Other Disciplines

ELA G1
1.2.d Use vocabulary from other content areas.
Use science words in discussions
1.8.c Ask for the meaning of unknown words and make connections to familiar words.
Reading I Am A Scientist mini-book and scientist cards
1.10.b Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
Read and discuss I Am A Scientist mini-book

Science Process Skills

observing, communicating

Unifying Concepts and Processes (NSES)

Constancy, Change, and Measurement

Lesson Overview
The students will learn about the nature of
science and the jobs that scientists do. In
discovering what scientists do, students
will realize that they can be scientists, too.

-I Am A Scientist student sheet

-scientist sort cards
-optional: Scientist picture cards for
students to glue in science notebook

Teacher Materials
Suggested Time
30 minutes

Student Materials

-cardinal puppet
-scientist cards and discipline cards
-I Am A Scientist mini-book R0039B4 or
PowerPoint R005FA2

-science notebook*- per student (this may

be a composition notebook, a miniscience notebook, or other journal of your
choosing)
-cover page for science notebook (located
at the end of this lesson)
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Am I A Scientist?
Scientists Ask Questions

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TEACHER NOTES

Preparation
Read Teacher Background and
Teaching Suggestions.
Download and print the mini-book
from eCART, or prepare to use
PowerPoint of the mini-book.
Copy student sheets as needed; it is
recommended that teachers model
writing using the format provided on
student sheet.
Prepare scientists sort cards for pairs.

Resources

I Am A Scientist mini-book R0039B4

I Am A Scientist mini-book on
PowerPoint R005FA2
What is Science? by Rebecca Kai
Dotlich (H.Holt 2006)
What is a Scientist? by Barbara Lehn
(Millbrook Press 1998)

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Am I A Scientist?
Scientists Ask Questions
Vocabulary
scientist

Essential Learning
Scientists ask questions to learn about
the natural world.

Teacher Background
Information
Equipped with his five senses, man
explores the universe around him and calls
the adventure Science. Edwin Powell
Hubble The Nature of Science 1954
As this unit begins we are introducing
students to the idea that they can be
scientists. Scientists observe the natural
world to make sense of how it works. The
nature of science refers to the foundational
concepts that govern the way scientists
formulate explanations about the natural
world. The concepts of the nature of
science and the explanations of them come
from the Science Standards of Learning
Curriculum Framework 2010 VDOE. In
first grade, we emphasize the following
concepts: a) the natural world is
understandable; b) science is based on
evidence, both observational and
experimental; and c) science is a complex
social endeavor.
Science assumes that the natural world is
understandable. Scientific inquiry can
provide explanations about nature. This
expands students thinking from just
knowledge of facts to understanding how
facts are relevant to everyday life.
Science demands evidence. Scientists
develop their ideas based on evidence.
They can change their ideas when new

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TEACHER NOTES
evidence becomes available or the old
evidence is viewed in a different way.
Science is a complex social endeavor.
Scientists communicate their findings to
other scientists and attempt to replicate one
anothers findings. In order to model the
work of professional scientists, it is
essential for first-grade students to engage
in frequent discussions with peers about
their understanding of their investigations.
Students will be introduced to many
different types of scientists during the unit.
They are not required to know these
names.

Teaching Suggestions
Link
1. Introduce students to the cardinal
puppet. Tell students, Our cardinal
friend will be with us as we learn about
science this year. Ask students for
their help in choosing a name for the
cardinal.
2. Have students turn to a shoulder
partner and tell them one thing they
notice about the cardinal. Allow a few
students to share. Ask, What kind of
bird is this? (cardinal) If no one
knows, then tell them. Ask, What do
you know about cardinals? answers
may include- state bird of Virginia,
female is a different color than the
male Ask, What questions do you
have about cardinals? Allow students
to share questions they may have.
Some questions may be used for further
investigation for some students.
3. Have students show thumbs up if they
agree with the following questions or
thumbs down if they disagree.

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Am I A Scientist?
Scientists Ask Questions
Scientists are curious about things.
They look at things and talk about
them. Did you do that today?Yes.
Scientists ask questions about things.
Did you do that today? Yes. Are you
working like a scientist? If yes, ask
what makes you think that? Allow
students a few seconds to briefly share
their rationales with a buddy.
Engage and Educate
4. Who is a scientist? A scientist is
someone who finds answers to
questions about the world around us.
Read and discuss the I Am a Scientist
mini-book or show the PowerPoint of
the mini-book.
5. Since we will be working as scientists
this year, we will need a place to
record the things we learn. All
scientists share what they discover.
This will be your science notebook.
You will get to investigate questions
like a scientist, write like a scientist,
draw like a scientist, and share your
ideas with others, just like a scientist!
Distribute science notebooks and the
cover sheet. Allow students to glue the
cover sheet in the notebook and write
their name on it.
6. We asked questions and talked about
our cardinal today. A scientist who
studies birds has a special name. He or
she is called an ornithologist. What
are some other types of scientists?
Lets investigate to find an answer to
our question!
Active Learning
7. Arrange students into pairs. Distribute
a set of scientist cards to each pair.
Read the name of each scientist to the
students. Now give each pair the
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TEACHER NOTES
picture cards of the things the scientists
study. Have students match the
scientist to the things they study.
Allow a few minutes for students to
make matches. Allow some pairs to
share one of the scientists and which
picture they matched with it. (Teacher
note: Students do not need to know the
names of the scientists.)
8. Connect what question a scientist
might ask to learn about the world
around them. A doctor might ask why
this person has a fever. An
entomologist might ask what type of
insect is this. A biologist might ask
how many different lizards live in
Virginia. A botanist might ask what
type of soil this plant grows best in.
An astronaut might ask what Mars
looks like. A meteorologist might ask
what the weather will be tomorrow.
Reflect
9. Model writing using the format
provided on the student sheet.
Students may then independently write
in their individual science notebooks or
distribute the I Am a Scientist page to
each student. Have students draw
themselves as a scientist in the box at
the top. Ask them to complete the
sentence starter, I am a scientist. I can
ask questions about ____________.
Place this page in the students science
notebook or science folder.
Now and Then
10. Now that students know what a
scientist is, then they will learn about
some of the safety rules scientists
follow.

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Am I A Scientist?
Scientists Ask Questions

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TEACHER NOTES

Going Further
Students could find out the names of
some other types of scientists.

Accommodations/
Modifications
Use an alternate card activity. Each
student gets a card - some students get
scientist cards; some students get what
they study. Students can move around
the room and find the match to their
card.

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Am I A Scientist?

Scientists Ask Questions

TEACHER NOTES

Scientist Sort Cards

Doctor

1Entomologist

EE
e
3

2Biologist

Astronaut

B
C

Botanist

4Meteorologist

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Am I A Scientist?
Scientists Ask Questions

Studies Insects

Studies Plants

Studies Space

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TEACHER NOTES

Studies Weather

Studies Living Things

Studies Human Body

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Am I A Scientist?
Scientists Ask Questions

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TEACHER NOTES

Name ____________________
I Am A Scientist!

I am a scientist. I can
ask questions about
________________.
_______________
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Scientists Ask Questions

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TEACHER NOTES

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Scientists Ask Questions

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T10