Process Skills

Students will learn about the six different types of skills and participate in daily activities/mini-labs to help them better understand the importance of each. 

Duration
Multiple days
Lesson Type
Traditional Lesson

Lesson Created By: Raney Stogner

Essential Question

How do process skills help scientists when studying or invesitgating?

Grade(s):

  • 5

Subject(s):

Recommended Technology:

Smartboard, laptop, access to Brain Pop, access to Youtube

Other Instructional Materials or Notes:

Materials mentioned in each mini-lab during lesson discriptions 

Lesson Progression

**You will need the Process Skills Google Slides provided in Lesson Resources throughout the entirety of the unit**

Day 1: Getting Ready for Unit

  • Have students retrieve their Science Notebooks and label the top Process Skills.
  • Have them turn with their shoulder partner (cooperative learning strategy) and Rally Robin about what they think Process Skills are, how they are used, questions they may have, etc.
    • Rally Robin - Students take turns for 30-45 seconds answering/discussing topic provided (in this case, process skills)
    • Students fill up the entire time provided, Partner A starts and Partner B goes next.
  • Show slides 1-2. Have students write under Process Skills the definition.
  • Pass out colored paper to make a foldable.
    • Foldable Instructions:
      • Lay paper landscape style.
      • Fold both sides of the paper towards the middle (both sides meeting in the middle)
      • Cut folded sides into thirds - making door-like folds. (Picture provided in lesson resources.
      • Label each "door" with a process skill (Observation, Inference, Communication, Classification, Prediction, Hypothesis)
  • Glue foldable under process skill definition.
  • On sheet next to the definition and foldable, divide the paper into 6 different sections (one for each mini-lab).

Day 2: Observation

You will need: Powerpoint slides 1-7 and a pack of chewing gum (1 piece for each student)

  • Review the definition of process skills.
  • Do not tell students what they are doing is called Observing until the end.
  • Pose the question: What are the 5 senses? How do we use them every day?
  • As students answer, show the 5 senses on the PowerPoint.
  • Show slide 3.
  • Pass out pieces of gum. 
  • Show slide 4.
  • Have students use all 5 senses to describe the piece of gum (taste being last) on the paper in one of the squares next to the foldable. Students should write all 5 senses and label beside each sense of what they observed.
  • Additionally, provide students with a ruler and a few paperclips.
  • Have students measure a piece of gum and compare the weight to the amount of paper clips. 
  • Once the lab is complete, ask students which process skill they think they were using.
  • Show side 5. Tell them when observing they can use all 5 senses to describe something. 
  • Make it clear that observations are FACTS.
  • Have students write these notes behind the Observation door of the foldable.
  • Review Process Skills definition and have students discuss with table groups how observation helps scientists.

Day 3: Quantitative/Qualitative Observations

  • Review process skills and definition of observation.
  • Display slide 6.
  • Have students take notes on the backside of the observation door.
  • Then, have students return to their observations from gum mini lab and label the observations Quantitative or Qualitative.
  • Have students with their groups create a list of examples of both on anchor chart paper. Have them pass their charts to the next group.
  • Next group will label the observations like they did their own with the gum lab. 

Powerpoint

View Resource