Mississippi Science FSL.3A.1
The Standard
- FSL.3A
- Students will apply science and engineering practices and skills to scientific investigations.
Ask questions and conduct research to generate a hypothesis, determine independent/dependent variables, and appropriate controls for scientific investigations and experiments.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Nature of Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use a short source to turn a question into one they can test. They predict how changing one factor will affect a measured result. They identify what to change, what to measure, and what to keep the same.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student predicts how hours of light will affect bean plant height after two weeks. They name light hours as the factor to change and plant height as the result to measure. They keep seed type, water, and soil the same across groups.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may write a guess that cannot be tested. They may swap the factor they change with the result they measure. Some think a control only means a no-treatment group, rather than conditions kept the same.
How to Assess It
- Display this source note: “Bean seeds need water to sprout.” Ask students to write a testable question and prediction about water, name the changed and measured factors, and list two conditions to keep the same.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs two bean cups and a germination fact sheet; have them test 0 mL versus 10 mL of water with equal light.
Post the claim “Music makes plants grow faster”; ask students what they would change, measure, and keep the same.
Hand out experiment cards; teams race to label the changed factor, measured result, and conditions kept the same, then defend one label.
Show two laundry detergent labels; ask students to plan a stain test using equal fabric, stain size, water, and wash time.
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Printable FSL.3A.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to FSL.3A.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- L.1.3A.1
Conduct structured investigations to make and test predictions about what plants need to live, grow, and repair including water, nutrients, sunlight, and space....
- FSL.3C.2
Determine the validity of scientific questions (e.g., hypothesis) and variables for complex experimental designs.
- CHE.6.7
Plan and conduct a controlled scientific investigation to produce mathematical evidence to predict and confirm the limiting reagent and percent yield in the rea...
- CHE.1.2
Design and conduct experiments using appropriate measurements, significant figures, graphical analysis to analyze data.
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