Wyoming Science HS-ETS1-5

ScienceGrades 9–12Engineering and Design

The Standard

Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in a variety of materials.

2023 Wyoming Science Content and Performance Standards · ETS1 Engineering, Technology, & Applications of Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students check whether evidence in ads, test reports, and data tables supports a product claim. They look at how tests were run, whether results were repeated, and whether other sources agree.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can point to data that supports or weakens a claim. They can explain why one trial, an unfair test, or a test of the wrong feature is not enough.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat a polished ad or an expert quote as proof. They may think one successful test means a product will perform the same way every time.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: An ad says towel A absorbs twice as much water as towel B. One test shows 20 mL for A and 12 mL for B. Ask students whether the claim is supported and whether the result is reliable, with a reason for each answer.

Lesson moves

Soak equal-size paper towel squares, measure absorbed water in three trials per brand, then compare the results with a package claim.
Show a paper towel ad and a three-trial data table, then ask students which claims the table supports and which it does not.
Give pairs claim cards and test summaries to match, with a separate pile for claims the tests did not address.
Compare a bike helmet ad with Virginia Tech helmet ratings, then mark which advertised safety claims the ratings actually address.

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