Texas TEKS 3.1.B

Science3rd GradeScientific and engineering practices

The Standard

use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students ask a question, choose tools, plan steps, and record observations or measurements. They also define a problem, build a possible solution, test it, and improve it using results.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can create and follow a clear plan that includes materials, steps, safety, and a way to record data. The student uses evidence to describe findings and explain how a tested solution could be improved.
Common Misconceptions: Students may start collecting data or building before making a plan. They may confuse an observation with an opinion, or think a successful design never needs changes.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A class wants to find where rainwater collects near a doorway. List two observations and one tool, then sketch a solution and explain how you would test it.

Lesson moves

Have teams observe two soil samples with hand lenses, plan what to record, collect data, and make a labeled comparison chart.
Ask students to write: How is gathering evidence about a problem different from building and testing a fix?
Use scenario cards for a relay where teams sort each step into investigate, design, test, or improve, then explain one choice.
Challenge groups to design a paper cover that keeps a classroom book dry during a spray-bottle rain test.

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