Virginia SOL PS.1.d.ii
The Standard
construct arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning
Virginia Standards of Learning for Science · The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices by
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students make a clear scientific claim based on observations, measurements, or data. They select relevant evidence and explain how a science idea connects that evidence to the claim.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a data table, students choose a defensible claim, cite specific results, and explain their reasoning. They can identify weak or unrelated evidence and revise an unsupported conclusion.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat an opinion as a claim or use one unusual result while ignoring the full data set. They may list evidence without explaining how it supports the claim. Some assume that more evidence always means stronger evidence, even when it is unrelated.
How to Assess It
- Give this exit ticket: “A covered cup warmed 8°C, 7°C, and 9°C, while an uncovered cup warmed 2°C, 3°C, and 2°C. Which setup absorbed more heat? Support your claim with evidence and reasoning.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have pairs test whole and crushed tablets in equal water, record dissolving times, then write a claim supported by their results.
Show two conclusions about the same data and ask students to write which is stronger, citing evidence and reasoning.
Play Evidence Match: teams pair claim cards with data cards, reject distractors, and explain each match using a science principle.
Compare two battery advertisements with published test data, then have students decide which claim the evidence supports and explain why.
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Printable PS.1.d.ii Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to PS.1.d.ii, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- LS.1.f.iii
construct, use, and/or present an argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning
- PS.1.f.iii
construct, use, and/or present an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning
- 5.1.d.i
construct and/or support arguments with evidence, data, and/or a model
- 6.1.f.iii
construct, use, and/or present an argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning
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