Sweet Science: Conduct an Experiment with Gummy Bears
Learners explore the steps of the scientific method as they conduct an experiment. This gives learners a chance for some hands-on learning as they complete all the steps a scientist would.
Kelly McGrath
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(852)
Popular
What's included
3 pre-recorded lessons
average 44 mins per video3 weeks
of teacher support2 hrs 11 mins
total video learning hours1 year access
to the contentAssignments
1 hour per week. Learners will complete a lab report by following a provided templateAssessment
I will give written feedback for all submitted work. Feedback will vary depending on learner submissions.Class Experience
US Grade 3 - 7
Beginner Level
Have you ever wondered about the process a scientist has to follow when they conduct an experiment? It involves a lot of important steps to make sure the results can be trusted. This process is called the scientific method, and in this class you will learn what it is and how to follow the steps and conduct an experiment the same way a professional scientist does. You will get to conduct a guided experiment at home that you will set up following directions in videos. You will be responsible for being the scientist and recording all the information you learn in the experiment, and you will get to share your results with me. There are three main portions to completing this class: Part 1: Background information about the scientific method ~ Watch brief video lectures as I explain the steps of the scientific method ~ Learners will record information in a lab report template that I will provide Part 2: Conduct the Experiment ~ Watch videos to get instructions in carrying out the experiment ~ Record measurements in the provided lab report template ~ Clean up the experiment Part 3: Data Analysis and Communication ~ Watch videos to see methods of calculating changes in the experiment ~ Use Google Slides to create graphs showing the results of the experiment ~ Complete the lab report with a provided analysis page
Learning Goals
Learners will understand the importance of following the scientific method.Learners will know the steps of the scientific method.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)3 Lessons
over 3 WeeksLesson 1:
Understand the Scientific Method
~ Learners will understand the importance of the scientific method when conducting experiments. They will watch video recordings of lectures as I explain the importance and steps of the scientific method.
~ Learners will follow the first steps of the scientific method by completing pages in a printable lab report that I will provide. This allows learners to see the steps of the scientific method in action. 1 assignment
33 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Conducting Our Experiment
~ Setup: Watch a recording that will guide learners through the steps of setting up the experiment and gathering the "before" data for our gummy bears in our lab report, which will allow us to make our comparisons later.
~ Data Collection: Watch a recording that will guide learners through the steps of carefully gathering and measuring our gummy bears and getting our "after" data (which we will also record in our lab report). 1 assignment
52 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Analyze and Communicate Data
~ Watch recordings that guide learners through the step-by-step process of making calculations with their gathered data. I will show learners how to calculate the percent change in size of each gummy bear.
~ Use Google Sheets (or another spreadsheet program) to create graphs to show the data gathered throughout the experiment.
~ Complete an analysis page in the lab report and share the results of the experiment with the analysis and graphs. 1 assignment
46 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Learners will need to use gummy bears that are made from animal products, as vegan gummies do not work in this experiment.
Supply List
Kitchen scale to weigh gummy bears, ruler (cm), 8 cups (they will be used overnight), water (bottled water works best due to impurities in tap water), at least 8 gummy bears (vegan gummies do not work in this experiment), 1 Tbsp. each of salt, white sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and 2 other substances of student choice, to be chosen during week 1. These are usually things like soda, food coloring, juices around the home, or other easily obtainable things.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined January, 2020
4.9
852reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from St. Cloud State University
I specialize in finding fun twists to standard curriculum to help my students build critical thinking skills as well as scientific reasoning skills. By adding a new twist to a familiar topic we can expand our thinking to include new possibilities. I have taught science to homeschool students for the last 20 years and during that time I have developed many teaching techniques and hands-on projects to help students explore concepts in new and exciting ways. I'm especially excited about this project because it gives students a safe and hands-on way to study the scientific method.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$5
weekly or $15 for all content3 pre-recorded lessons
3 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
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Ages: 8-14
