Models in Science

In this unit, students explore why scientists and other professionals use models when trying to solve problems or create solutions. Students make their own model of a watershed using a landform map and answer a writing prompt about building a model before making a town decision to build a dam.

Activities

Scene: Is bug spray a big deal?

In this Science Scene, three friends struggle to understand the impact of pouring bug spray onto the ground. They discuss whether or not applying bug spray this way could cause harm to animals or end up in the water supply. A comparison is made to water flowing down a street, and the idea of using models to study the effect of pouring a toxic substance onto the ground is introduced.

Duration: Approximately 60 minutes

Lesson: About Systems and Models

In this set of three short activities, students begin to contrast the usage of the terms "model" and "system" in science and everyday language. Students are also given the opportunity to consider why models are so helpful in science. Finally, students re-examine a familiar model (the water cycle) and apply terms related to both model and system to it.

Duration: Approximately 60 minutes

Lab: Tracing the Path of Water Through a Watershed

In this lab, students create a model of a watershed system. They will see how the surface of the land can affect where water flows and they will be asked to think about the way rainfall flows down hillsides into streams, creeks, rivers, and eventually the ocean. All the land that drains water to a certain body of water is called a watershed. Sometimes there are watersheds within watersheds!

Duration: Approximately 75 minutes

Reading: Did a model save San Francisco Bay?

In this passage, students will read about the San Francisco Bay Model, created in 1954 to study a plan for creating fresh water lakes in the bay. The Bay Model, still a popular educational and tourist destination, proved that the plan would not have worked and would have caused irreparable harm to one of the country’s most diverse estuaries.

Duration: Approximately 25 minutes

Writing: The Proposed Dam

Students respond to the writing prompt using information from the class discussion. Students should use an authoritative stance, as well as include the focus words from the unit.

Duration: Approximately 40 minutes

Teacher Tune-ups

• What is a watershed?

Student View of Visuals and Activities

Some teachers prefer to have students view the slides and other visual assets in this unit directly instead of projecting them in class. Below is a web page to share with students with links to the same items within in the teacher lesson plans, but without the explanatory text for the teacher.

 

• Student Links to Unit T2 Slides and Other Visuals

Original SciGen Unit

This unit has been adapted from "6.2 Why do we make models?" in the Word Generation program led by Catherine Snow (Harvard University) through a SERP collaboration with the Boston Public Schools and other districts in Massachusetts and Maryland.

PDFs of that earlier unit's teacher and student editions are available at the Science Generation Download Center.

model

noun – in science, a representation of how something works

verb – to create a representation of how something works

The architect built a model of the house and showed it to her clients so they could make any changes before the real house was built.

system

noun – a group of different parts that work together

Your body’s immune system is made up of different parts that work together to fight off diseases and keep you from getting sick.

represent

verb – to show or stand for a thing or idea in a way that can be understood by most people

The diagram in my science book represents the watershed system in a way that makes sense to young science students.

simulate

verb – to do something that looks like or feels like the real thing, but isn’t the real thing

Before they actually go into space, astronauts train on machines that simulate what it’s like to be in space.

diagram

noun – a drawing or plan that shows exactly where something is, what something looks like, or how something works

verb – to show something in a drawing, chart, or plan

In science class, we looked at a diagram of the human heart that showed how blood passes through four different chambers.

relationship

noun – the connection between two or more things that affect each other

Scientific experiments have shown that there is a relationship between exercising regularly and having a healthy heart.