Oklahoma Social Studies PS.1.3
The Standard
- PS.1
- Examine the foundations of psychology and its origins as an empirical science.
Compare the appropriate application of experimental and non-experimental research methodologies (e.g., case study, correlation, meta-analysis, and naturalistic observation).
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · PS.1
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students decide when to assign people different conditions and when to collect data without changing anything. They pick a method for a research question and explain what it can show.
What Mastery Looks Like
- They choose an experiment to test whether extra practice improves recall and correlation to study whether sleep hours and grades are linked. They choose a case study for one unusual patient, observation for cafeteria behavior, and a meta-analysis to combine results from past studies. They do not treat a link as proof of cause.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat a link between sleep and grades as proof that sleep caused the grades. They may call watching students in a cafeteria an experiment, even though no condition was assigned. They may think a meta-analysis collects data from new participants.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: For each question, name a method and give one reason for your choice: Does a five-minute review improve recall? Are sleep hours linked to grades?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Randomly assign students to study a 12-word list once or twice, then compare how many words each group recalls.
Ask: A survey finds that teens who sleep longer earn higher grades. Can we say sleep caused the grades? Explain.
Give teams five question cards about memory practice, rare brain injury, sleep and grades, pooled studies, and cafeteria behavior to sort by method.
Show a headline claiming screen time causes anxiety based on a survey; ask students to rewrite it without claiming cause.
Free download
Printable PS.1.3 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to PS.1.3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- S.1.4
Apply the scientific method of inquiry on the study of society, including developing a hypothesis, and identifying independent and dependent variables.
- S.1.3
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the major methods of sociological research, including surveys and interviews, experiments, observations, content analys...
- PS.1.5
Compare quantitative and qualitative research strategies including experiments, surveys, focus groups, and narratives as the foundation of research in psycholog...
- 7.P.3.2.A
Analyze works written on the same topic and compare methods the authors use to achieve similar or different purposes.
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson